Tips for weight gain

alyson · 12-23-2007, 06:37 AM

Adopted an abandoned dog yesterday, actually Tuesday, but brought him home yesterday. He is SO SKINNY. I have been offering him little bits of food every few hours. He doesn't eat it all, I can only guess his stomach has shrunk from being neglected. Does anyone know of any higher calorie foods that I could supplement with?

Lorina · 12-23-2007, 08:05 AM

People I know in rescue swear by Canidae for putting weight on their skinny fosters.

crazydays · 12-23-2007, 11:18 AM

Hi Alyson

Choose a food that is recommended for the breed. For example if the dog is large breed then find an appropriate one. When you choose you want a good protein, carb and fat content. Check for the # calories per cup. Some are and anywhere from 300-550 cals/cup. Great choices-anything the dog will eat! Some to look at- Solid Gold-Dancing on the Moon, Wellness Core, Innova, EVO, Timberwolf, Orijen. My dog gained her weight back beautifully on Innova. The best advice I know-- don't overfeed the dog. Small frequent meals. This dog just needs a routine diet and the goal should be to get the dog eating regularly- not so much the weight gain. This will occur naturally. If the dog likes soft food- choose premium canned food. There are 95% all protein canned foods- Evengers, Wellness, EVO. High quality soft canned products will be delicious for most dogs.

Good Luck

007Dogs · 12-23-2007, 12:22 PM

We add Ensure or Nutrical to the dogs food to get weight on them. I think cooking some lean ground beef and draining and rinsing well added to the kibble will also stimulate eating. Animals can loose weight quickly, but it takes a bit more time to put it back on. It should be done fairly slowly.

I personally did not have good luck with Canidae, my dogs looked like refugee dogs on that particular food. So you are just going to have to see what works best for your dog. Try getting samples before making any big purchases. But just remember if you buy food that your dog does not do well on or does not like, I am sure there are shelter dogs who would gladly accept the donations.

Inga · 12-23-2007, 12:33 PM

Feeding several small meals a day like you are doing of a good quality food will put the weight on. You don't want to try to do it over night. If there are no underlying medical reason for the skinny dog to start with the weight will come fast enough. Have you made sure there are no worms or infections at all? God Bless you for saving a life. You are his Angel and he will no doubt be yours. What did you name him? Got pictures?

poodleholic · 12-24-2007, 01:24 AM

Satin Balls are good (just google satin balls) for weight gain, used by a lot of show people, as are sweet potatoes, and feeding several meals throughout the day.