2 - 3 year old Jack Russell/Fox Terrier

Question
On friday 27th March, we bought a rescued Spade female dog from a local rescue centre.  She is thought to be 2 - 3 years old, and all her life she has been in a cage, which has badly stained her lower part of her body.She is now weighing 6 kilograms, was 5 kilograms when we bought her home.  How can we build her up, and how much food dry and wet should we be giving her and also how often. She is like a child in a toy shop when we go walking, and such a joy to have around, wanting to please us for a better life than what she had. If you can give any advice we would appreciate it. Thank you so much, Kate

Answer
Hello Kate,

Thank you for rescuing your dog! The best thing you can do for her is to get her on a routine that she can count on. Dogs thrive on routine. It's crucial that she has plenty of exercise so she can release some of that JRT energy! A busy Jack is a happy Jack.
As far as feeding goes... stay away from all wet/canned food - it's not good for her teeth, is too quickly digested, can cause diarrhea and bad breath! Crunchy high quality food is the best. At her age, you can give a cup of food in the morning and a cup of food at dinner time. Usually this is enough - however, if she is extremely active and burns calories quickly, you can add a half a cup at "lunch" time.
If you are trying to initially add some weight to her, cheese is an excellent treat that is rich in calcium and calories. It's a great training tool too and she will work for it!! Don't feed her any table scraps because they tend to not eat their own food once getting a taste of yours. Her weight right now sounds right on. You don't want her overweight - of course I can't see her, she may be very tall, but a good sized Jack Russell looks good and healthy between 12 and 14 pounds.  
Again, thank you for the kindness in your heart to take this little girl into your hearts and home. Best of luck with her!