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My neighbor's dog looks extremely underfed. Is it sick or abuse?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Dachshund | Male

A neighbor in my apartment complex has a dachshund I see on occasion. I always thought it was a very ugly, malformed dog when I saw it from a distance, but now seeing it close, I can see it looks extremely underfed. It's bones are all visible under it's fur. It's face is shriveled up and skinny. It's back has a terrible high arch. It's legs look brittle and it's skin is stretched over the bone with no visible muscles. Should I try and report this to animal abuse or is it a disorder/disease?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on January 23rd, 2017

Wow, what a difficult situation for you to be in! While a medical condition can cause a dog to look this way, under medical treatment, it can improve. If you are very concerned, you can make an anonymous phone call to the SPCA or animal control, and they can come out and check up on the dog. That way, it can be found out if the dog is under veterinary care, or they can take the dog and put it into a safe and secure home.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    I need to add as well, some medical conditions that cause these symptoms may not be able to be treated (like cancer), and that could be a cause of it. If you feel comfortable speaking to your neighbor, you could ask about the dog and possibly express your concerns about it's appearance and body weight. Hope this helps!

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