They're not Yorkies, but this forum has so many helpful educated members I figured I would post this here. I have a neighbor who has 2 dogs...one black lab and another a Pit Bull. I myself have a Yorkie who barks from time to time, but these 2 bark nonstop and apparently fight with each other (I can hear them through my walls), so I decided today to pay my neighbor a visit and express my feelings on the level of noise.
To my horror, when she opened the door, I saw 2 VERY skinny dogs. Their rib cages were protruding severly and their spinal columns were fully visible. I was so shocked by their condition, I forgot to complain about the noise and immediately asked why they looked that way. She said they are well fed, but she mistakenly put them on an adult formula too soon because it was cheaper than puppy chow, and that is the reason they lost weight. Both dogs are well over a year old, so I don't buy that story! I asked her if she leaves food out and she said no because they would inhale it and want more. Hello!!!! I said then leave the food out! Obviously they are starving and need to gain weight, so who cares if they "over eat" right now! As for the cost of puppy food, I even offered to go right then to buy them some food and she refused.
Now I'm really worried about these dogs and I'm wondering if others with large breed dogs (or anyone with knowledge) can fill me in and tell me if it's normal for them to get sooooooo skinny from just eating an adult formula as an older "puppy." I switched JoJo at about 1 1/2 years old and not only did he not lose weight, he even got a bit thicker, so I have a hard time believing her. Should I contact someone? If so, who? I wish I had a picture because the image of those dogs made me sick to my stomach. Until today, I had only seen pictures and TV images of dogs that skinny.
