What to feed when you rescue?

sterlingsmom · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:25 am Post subject: What to feed when you rescue?

I'm picking up Colt (Max) on Saturday...what would you guys suggest I start of feeding him since I have NO idea what he's been given up until now. I'm sure he's been just thrown "whatever" food (CRINGE!) and I really want to minimize any major upsets to his digestive tract if I can....so until I can switch him to what I want to feed him, do any of you suggest I start with something else first?

wildlifecr13 · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:32 am Post subject:

from someone with no experience doing this... if you dont know what he was on before, then regardless of what you give him, it will be new, so why not start with what you want him on?
perhaps pumpkin and/or yogurt will help settle his belly... others will know more, just using a bit of logic here.

sterlingsmom · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:52 am Post subject:

Yes. I was thinking to start him on what I was going to feed and do the pumpkin and yogurt too...He's coming from a shelter, and I dont' even want to buy what he may be eating Crying or Very sad

but I guess I could buy a small bag and then switch gradually....I'll just have to be VERY careful my other fur babies don't get into the bowl of "yuck" food!

weimdawgs · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 11:20 am Post subject:

If you have no idea what he is eating, you could give him the yogart and some pumpkin the first 24 hours then start him on what you feed.

That should help his system adjust a little more smoothly.

sterlingsmom · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 11:44 am Post subject:

Thank you! I knew you would know what to do Wink

poisonivvy · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 3:16 pm Post subject:

My rescues did not come with food. The first night with Elsa, she was so distressed/malnourished/confused, she didn't eat much. A little bit of yogurt and water was all she wanted. Slowly I had her eating yogurt with a bit of food mixed in.

Her tummy was still upset, so I gave her a small teaspoon of Pepto-Bismol to help calm her tummy down. Within 3-4 days, she was eating what I had for her.

With Ben, my other rescue, he loved food from the get-go. I hard-switched him over, with some pumpkin. For the first day and a half he had a few tummy issues (diarrhea), but they cleared up with the first 2-3 days.

So the first week is a bit tough, but it's nothing worse than what they went through on their own or in the shelter.

weimdawgs · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 3:23 pm Post subject:

sterlingsmom · Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2007 3:02 pm Post subject:

Hi guys.
Colt did fine. We only went for a day or two with some loose stools, and the pumpkin helped with that. He's not scarfing his food anymore either. He also takes treats so genly out of your hands.
He's an amazing specimen!