Mistreated Dog

So I work at a doggie day care and there is a 6 month old husky mix that comes in sporadically. I'm concerned about him because I can feel his ribs way better than I should be able to. I can't see them since he has so much fur but they definitely stick out. He only gets fed once a day, 3 cups at 6AM and isn't allowed to have water after 4PM. Whenever he comes here, I feed him 3x per day and he has access to water 24/7. Clearly he is super hungry because he eats like a starving wolf. His owner occasionally feeds him frozen mice and wanted us to do that while he was boarding with us but thankfully my manager shot that down. (We had to throw away a pack of 6 mice...)

Basically, I feel awful for this dog but I don't know what to do about it? I can't afford to lose my job so I don't know what to say to the owners. My manager hasn't said anything yet either but I know it also really bothers him how this poor dog is treated. Opinions?

Why isn't he allowed to have water after a certain time????

If your manager seems bothered by it, is it possible you could talk to him about it to see where he stands? Atleast that way you can check and see where you could overstep or not since you're worried.

Because they think it will make his poop runny yet they let him drink out of a river. It's bizarre. I think that's a good idea. I'm just so frustrated with these people. Some people should really not own animals!

That's the stupidest reason I ever heard and I question their general intelligence. They should not be owning a dog! I wouldn't even know how I'd react to the situation but ugh, I definitely feel your frustration and anger!

Seeing the dog would help us confirm your worry.

My Old English Bulldogs only eat once a day but they would eat twelve times a day if you fed them that much. They are pigs but feeding the proper amount once a day has them both in great shape. Most people overeat and if they do it they are extremely likely to overfeed their animals as well. Just like we have a large number of obese Americans there is a large number of overweight dogs. A dog shouldn't look like a sausage.....unless it's a dachshund. Lol!

Eating mice may seem weird but there are plenty of people that feed their dogs nothing but raw foods. Mice may be out of the norm(for a dog) but I'm not going to condemn this person as bad dog owner because of it. Plenty of people here give left over mice and rats to their cats so I don't think you should be concerned with that.

Reasoning with the owner, even if hes gonna be upset about this u wont be fired cuz ur manager was on the same page as u. For him to fire you it doesn't make any sense anyone would do that.

I don't have a pic but like I said, he has a lot of fur so it's hard to tell unless you feel him. I can feel his bones jutting out, that's not healthy especially for a growing dog. I am going to condemn these people as bad dog owners because who restricts their dog from water for 14 hours? That's unnecessary and cruel.

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Originally Posted by KMG

Seeing the dog would help us confirm your worry.

My Old English Bulldogs only eat once a day but they would eat twelve times a day if you fed them that much. They are pigs but feeding the proper amount once a day has them both in great shape. Most people overeat and if they do it they are extremely likely to overfeed their animals as well. Just like we have a large number of obese Americans there is a large number of overweight dogs. A dog shouldn't look like a sausage.....unless it's a dachshund. Lol!

Eating mice may seem weird but there are plenty of people that feed their dogs nothing but raw foods. Mice may be out of the norm(for a dog) but I'm not going to condemn this person as bad dog owner because of it. Plenty of people here give left over mice and rats to their cats so I don't think you should be concerned with that.

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Honestly the most worrying factor is that they are cutting off the dog's water.

I really don't think this is a potential overweight or diet issue, I think this is a case of owners being completely oblivious and putting restrictions not for the dog's health but for their own convenience.

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Originally Posted by MissterDog

Honestly the most worrying factor is that they are cutting off the dog's water.

I really don't think this is a potential overweight or diet issue, I think this is a case of owners being completely oblivious and putting restrictions not for the dog's health but for their own convenience.

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I agree.

Our big huskies (25-26 inches at the shoulder, and 60-65 lbs in their prime) got 2 cups of dry food per day, split between morning and evening. One we got at about that age, and fed that amount. My 40-ish lb. husky mix (don't remember his height, bottom end of Siberian husky standard) gets 2/3 cup morning and same evening. The big huskies did get a high-quality high-protein food. Currently feeding a lamb & rice diet, high-quality.

So, depending on the size of the dog, 3 cups per day may be reasonable. More likely to my mind is the food quality. Worms or other health problems may also be the cause.


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