Waffles can smell the food before he can reach it.

The nine-year-old Maltese mix lies flat inside his medical kennel, his small body looking even smaller beneath the patches where most of his coat has disappeared.

A bowl of soft food is placed within easy reach.

Waffles' nose moves.

His eyes open.

Then his front paws begin pulling.

He does not stand.

He crawls.

Slowly, Waffles drags himself toward the smell until his face reaches the edge of the bowl.

He takes a bite.

Then another.

For a moment, hunger seems stronger than everything else happening to his body.

But after only a few mouthfuls, his neck begins to tremble.

His head sinks lower.

Waffles tries to lift it.

The muscles hold for another second.

Then his chin drops against the inside edge of the bowl.

He is still interested in the food.

He simply cannot keep his head above it.

So Waffles spreads his front legs, flattens his belly against the kennel floor, and continues eating from the only position his exhausted body can maintain.

Waffles Arrived Severely Depleted

His weight immediately raised concern.

Waffles was not merely a little thin.

He had lost substantial body condition.

The muscles beneath his remaining coat felt diminished.

His hips and spine were much easier to see and feel than they should have been.

At the same time, prolonged skin disease had taken much of his fur.

Large areas of his body were exposed.

His appearance suggested multiple problems requiring attention at once.

But one of the most basic became obvious at mealtime.

Waffles wanted to eat.

His body had trouble supporting him long enough to do it.

Hunger and Strength Are Not the Same Thing

It is easy to assume that a hungry dog will simply eat whatever is placed in front of him.

Waffles demonstrates why that is not always possible.

Eating requires physical work.

A dog has to reach the food.

Maintain an appropriate posture.

Hold the head and neck in position.

Chew.

Swallow.

Breathe comfortably throughout the process.

For a severely weakened dog, those ordinary movements can become exhausting.

Waffles' appetite may still be present even when his muscles cannot keep up with it.

His Neck Shows the Problem First

At the beginning of a meal, Waffles can lift his head.

He reaches over the bowl.

His tongue gathers the soft food.

His jaw moves.

Then the shaking starts.

It is subtle at first.

A small tremor beneath the jaw.

Then another through his neck.

His head lowers slightly.

Waffles raises it again.

A few bites later, it drops farther.

Eventually, his chin rests against the bowl.

He Doesn't Walk Away

That detail matters.

Waffles does not turn his face from the meal.

He does not crawl back toward his bedding.

He remains at the bowl.

Sometimes his tongue continues moving even after his head has dropped.

His body is giving a different message from his appetite.

He still wants the food.