Rescuing a Starved and Malnourished Dog with Fear Issues

The first time I saw Zenia, she was just a shadow of an English Bulldog/Pit Bull mix. Her ribs and pelvic bones protruded through her skin. She was missing the hair on her lower back and had a knot just below the base of her tail. Knowing nothing about her history or personality, I couldn't help but worry about how she would fit in with my other dogs. But she was starving and desperately needed shelter and food; so there was no hesitation about rescuing her. We could deal with socializing her with the other dogs later when she was stronger. Her fear issues became evident when we tried to put her outside after dark.

Rescuing a lost dog needs to be done carefully to avoid injury to the dog or to yourself, especially if the dog is injured, appears to be aggressive or is fearful. Since you don't know a stray dog's history, understanding how to read a dog's body language is your best defense. Dogs tell us how they are feeling by their movements and body gestures. Learning a dog's body language is just like learning any other language. If you aren't comfortable rescuing a stray dog, please call the police or your local rescue organization or shelter so they can rescue the dog.

Zenia wasn't fearful of us. In fact, she seemed relieved someone was finally paying attention to her. A visit to the vet made sure she wasn't emaciated because of worms or an illness. Other than being starved and dehydrated, she was in surprisingly good shape. But, we were told a few more days on her own and the prognosis may not have been as good. The vet estimated her age at around two or three years of age.

We were instructed to feed her three to four small meals a day of a quality canned dog food high in protein, fat and carbohydrates for a couple of weeks. My vet wanted to make sure she didn't suffer from refeeding syndrome which is a life-threatening condition when a starved dog is allowed to eat too much food at one time. Refeeding syndrome can damage the heart, cause seizures and weakness in the muscles along with other serious medical conditions.

Zenia's fears began to show when we tried to put her outside. She was afraid of going down the basement steps, being outside in the dark and the night sounds. We managed to get her outside when a coyote's howl, to close for comfort, caused her to press up against my legs so hard, she almost knocked me down. I switched on a flashlight to show her there was nothing in the pen and that sent her racing back to the door where she sat trembling. I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to her while she was lost. Had someone chased her in the dark with a flashlight? Had she been chased by a coyote or another dog? The one good thing was she didn't have an aggressive response to her fears and she was fine outside in the pen during the day - once she got down the scary basement steps.

As long as a dog isn't aggressive, the best way to deal with fear is to ignore a dog's response. When you stay calm and don't react to her fear, she learns there's nothing to worry about when she sees nothing bad happens. However, you need to make sure her fear isn't severe because forcing a dog to do something they're afraid of can cause them to shut down. Changing a dog's behavior takes patience, commitment, love and time. If you aren't sure how to help a fearful dog, talk with your vet to see if he is a veterinary behaviorist or if he can recommend a qualified animal behaviorist who can help. These people are experts in dealing with behavior issues in pets.

To help ease Zenia's fear of the basement steps, we enlisted the help of two of our younger dogs she had befriended. We opened the door so Zenia could sit and watch them scamper up and down the steps. Positive reinforcement with lots of cooked chicken treats solved her first hurdle and a week later, she was cautiously walking down the steps. Scampering down the steps with the other dogs didn't come for another month.

Zenia's fear of the dark was more challenging. We went outside just before dusk. As the light began to fade, we gave her lots of attention and chicken treats. When darkness fell, she ran to the door hoping we'd let her go inside, but we continued to play with the other dogs and encouraged her to come back to us by offering her treats. It took a little over seven months before she was completely comfortable outside at night. She's still a little nervous around a flashlight, but she has learned nothing bad happens when the light is on. I let her sniff the flashlight while I turn it on and off and she's slowly beginning to ignore it.

Every so often, life puts you on a path you didn't expect to walk down. So many lost dogs and cats never find someone to help them when they need it the most. I know we can't save them all, but it never hurts to try.

Animal Behaviorist, University of Minnesota Duluth

TPC, Care of the Emaciated Dog, the Pet Center.com

Feeding a Previously Starved Dog, Washington State University, College of Veterinary Medicine

Canine Body Language, ASPCA