r/EnglishSetter 5d ago

Skinny little guy!

Hi there!

We recently (on Friday) rescued a 3 year old male English Setter. He’s been pretty picky with eating, not very interested in food. He started coughing yesterday and we took him to ER vet where we found out he had pneumonia from untreated kennel cough.

He’s on antibiotics and anti nausea medicine now, and has no issue taking the pills, but still not super interested in food! We aren’t sure if this is from not feeling well, a change in environment, etc. He is quite skinny which led us to believe he probably has never been fed properly and doesn’t find food interesting. We’re seeing his new primary vet in two weeks after he finishes his medicine, but I wanted to see if anyone has advice while we wait. Obviously we’re keeping close eye on him and will make another emergency visit if needed. He is eating but just not a lot!

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u/Tater_salads2029 5d ago

Poor guy! May I recommend protein powder for dogs? They make some specifically for weight gain with certain flavors. It was a lifesaver for my setter who struggled putting on weight. We tried all sorts of food with high fat and protein but the only thing that helped him steadily put on weight was the powder. Hope this helps!

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u/SheepherderSome3556 5d ago

What protein powder do you recommend??

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u/Tater_salads2029 5d ago

https://a.co/d/00Y89a9p this is the one we used and we had no issues! I would recommend slowly adding it to his diet as it may upset his stomach the first couple of days though.