homesick dog

Question
Just a few days ago I offered to watch my friends dog. She is the sweetest girl ever and very gentle. However, I have had her for three days now and she has not touched her food. I put some pieces of ham in there for her thinking is she might just eat it all. I mixed it in. But she just ended up picking up all the ham and not touching the rest of her food. I am a bit worried because she already looks like she lost weight and I still have her for four more days. Other than not eating she doesn't seem homesick at all. How do I get her to eat?

Answer
The dog may be suffering from anxiety and confusion, feeling abandoned and insecure.  Instead of offering something in her food that might make her sick (like ham!), try sprinkling fat free parmesan cheese on the food and leave the food out for a couple of hours.  Feed her twice a day in this manner.  It's unlikely that a few days without food will cause any dog to lose weight (unless it's undernourished to begin with).  If, on Monday, the dog still has not eaten, call the veterinarian and ask for a high calorie food supplement.  It's never a good idea to take on the responsibility for someone else's pet.  There are pet sitters available and many veterinary clinics offer safe boarding.