A puppy was left with deformities and unable to walk properly after being fed just fruit, salad leaves and hemp by its owner for months.

Cayan, a cane corso-type dog, was rescued from Ordnance Street, Chatham by the RSPCA after calls from members of the public, who raised concerns after seeing videos online of the dog’s diet shared by owner Gary Gooden.

In one video the puppy, thought to be about seven months old, was seen eating a bowl of watermelon for breakfast and his ribs were clearly visible and he looked severely underweight.

RSPCA inspector Deborah Rutherford attended Gooden’s address on January 11 and discovered he’d been feeding the puppy a diet of bananas, watermelons, salad leaves and hemp for at least four months.

When questioned Gooden, a personal trainer, maintained he was feeding the dog an “alternative diet” that he believes in.

Cayan, who weighed just 4kg, was rushed to the vet who provided treatment and ongoing care. His breed would normally weigh around 30kg.

His diet had also caused skeletal abnormalities which meant he was struggling to walk.

He was then taken to the RSPCA Leybourne Animal Centre in West Malling and was placed with a foster carer who has permanently taken him in.

Cayan now weighs 36kg, has much more energy and is able to climb a flight of stairs easily.

Inspector Rutherford said: “When I attended his address, the defendant showed me his food store for Cayan.

“It consisted of watermelons, bananas, carrots, sea kelp, and tins of mushy peas.

“He explained that he is a qualified personal trainer and has strong beliefs in the power of food to heal, treat and prevent illness.

“I attempted to explain that the vast majority of the research on that particular diet is for humans and it was clear to me that it was not working for Cayan and he should have noticed that and dealt with it accordingly.

“There was no acceptance of this, he’d never even taken the puppy to a vet.”

The vet that examined Cayan said: “His diet was not sufficient and has led to developmental skeletal abnormalities.

“This has in turn caused him pain and discomfort over a prolonged period of time.

“He has been extremely hungry and has severely struggled to walk which will have caused intense pain through his joints.

“His size compared to the estimated size and weight for this breed is concerning as it demonstrates a several stunted growth pattern.

“An approximately seven month old Cane Corso Italiano would normally weigh around 30kg, whereas Cayan weighed only 4kg on admission.

“This indicates that his diet has been restricted to an extreme level over a prolonged period of months for this level of stunted growth to occur.

“Extreme hunger would have been both painful and incredibly mentally distressing.”

On Friday, June 2 Gooden was handed a 12 week suspended sentence at Medway Magistrates’ Court and was banned from keeping animals for 10 years.

He entered an early guilty plea on all three offences, but maintained that he was feeding the dog an alternative diet that he believes in.

Magistrates also ordered that Gooden carry out 200 hours of unpaid work, 10 rehabilitation days and pay £400 costs.

RSPCA dog welfare expert Sam Gaines said: “Dogs need to eat a diet suitable for their age, lifestyle and health status and should be fed at least twice each day, unless advised otherwise by a vet.

“We'd recommend feeding a complete dog food to ensure it meets your dog's nutritional needs. Further information on dog nutrition is available on the UK Pet Food website.

“If you are unsure what the best diet for your pet is it’s a good idea to speak to your vet for advice.”