Oh my... I'm so shocked reading about how badly some people can treat animals! Poor dog! You are such a fantastic person!! Thank god you find him! As I'm new here I don't have so much of advice. I can just agree with the others about food, rest, lots of love and so on. I'm sure you will manage! Good good luck! He's such a beautiful boy! (I looked at the pictures). Hug him from us!/Gunilla, Penny and Wilbur

Sorry I just saw this. I wanted to welcome you here. Most of the time we say "sorry you need us, glad you found us." I think instead I'll say "glad you need us" because otherwise, Ivan would be dead.

When we found Dakota, he was a puppy. The estimate was that he was about 6 months old. He's a true American mutt (DNA to prove it) but looks like a Golden mix. Before his amputation, he weighed in the low 80s so he was not meant to be a small dog. So at 6 months, he should have been in the 50-pound range. He was 12. He was the size of a large cat. His neglect was also tremendous. We had to learn to feed him because of his acute needs and his abilities. We learned some things.

Dakota could barely stand to eat. I brought his bowl to him and hand-fed him. Our vet gave me some Science Diet canned food (can't remember which one) that is ultra high-calorie. It's generally given after surgery and so forth, but D was on it for weeks since he could only take in a few tablespoons before collapsing into a deep sleep. This sounds very much like your Ivan. It may be that's what Ivan needs, something really nutrient-dense so that you can hand-feed him just a bit until he's strong enough to recover.

Think of Ivan as a POW camp survivor. They can't walk. They can't sit up to eat for more than a minute. They need to sleep and build up again. So does Ivan. And like the POWs, Ivan probably does have underlying health issues. He may have been gifted with gifts that keep on giving. Dakota was. Nothing that will threaten his life, but some things that have certainly changed his life and how we deal with him. (You can read his blog for gory details.)

Ivan isn't what you expected but that's ok. I firmly believe that dogs pick us and sometimes we're directed to go where we're needed most. You grew a halo when you couldn't walk away. You'll be repaid a thousand-fold. There is something about the love and gratitude of a truly rescued dog, one that would have died had you looked away. We tell people that Dakota loves us ferociously because we stopped the car. Ivan will be able to say the same about you.

Feed slowly. Feed by hand. Don't force him to stand up because he's too weak. Eating is exhausting so plan for naps after meals. Feed many small meals (D ate 6 times a day for weeks, just like an infant). Look into the Help 'em Up Harness because it has handles front and rear, till he can be stable on his own. There are links to it here in the shopping area.

So very glad you found us! And Ivan!

Shari