[Keechak]

Hawkeye is almost skin and bones(slight exaggeration), I can feel every rib without even trying. I have recently tried switching him to a higher calorie food, but he still eats 3 cups of it a day + lots of treats + lots of people scraps

my question for some of you dog food people out there, are there an canned food that I can add to his dry food for a while that is really high in calories?

He is currently eating Fromm Duck and sweet potato which is 370 Kcal/cup. I'm hoping to get a wet food supplement that is AT LEAST 450 Kcal/cup

(health is not an issue here, he is healthy as a horse)

[boon4376]

Canned food is 70% moisture, dry food is 10% moisture, so you're getting less calories per cup and you're paying for a Bunch of moisture... Doesnt seem like it will help to me.

[schnzrlvr]

Have you tried Nutri-Cal? It's a high-calorie supplement. I don't have any recommendations as far as canned food goes - we only do kibble. Nutri-Cal might just put a little meat on his bones for now, though. Good luck!

[FourIsCompany]

Have you tried Satin Balls? I feed them for a few days when my skinny girl dips too low for my comfort.

2 lb Hamburger (High fat, raw)
2 cup of his kibble
2 Egg
2 oz Wheat Germ
2 oz Molasses (not syrup)

Mix together and roll into 1 inch balls. Refrigerate of freeze. Thaw as needed.

I give B'asia three balls a few times a day for 4 or 5 days and it puts a pound or two on her.

[Lil Red Express]

My friend has a blue merle , she is that way too. She can put away food but is very thin looking , vet said she is in perfect health as well. Maybe dogs are like people , some can eat everything and still stay thin , some can't. Does he look like he is hungry all the time ? Or are you just concerned about his ribs and such ?

Originally Posted by Keechak

Hawkeye is almost skin and bones(slight exaggeration), I can feel every rib without even trying. I have recently tried switching him to a higher calorie food, but he still eats 3 cups of it a day + lots of treats + lots of people scraps

my question for some of you dog food people out there, are there an canned food that I can add to his dry food for a while that is really high in calories?

He is currently eating Fromm Duck and sweet potato which is 370 Kcal/cup. I'm hoping to get a wet food supplement that is AT LEAST 450 Kcal/cup

(health is not an issue here, he is healthy as a horse)

[Keechak]

Originally Posted by Lil Red Express

My friend has a blue merle , she is that way too. She can put away food but is very thin looking , vet said she is in perfect health as well. Maybe dogs are like people , some can eat everything and still stay thin , some can't. Does he look like he is hungry all the time ? Or are you just concerned about his ribs and such ?

He's always happy to eat but no he isn't always whining for food or anything like that. He always finishes what he is given to eat. He just seems like he's a bit on the thin side and I want to get him up a couple pounds.

[Bellasmom]

When I was younger and we had hunting dogs. In order to keep weight on them we would prepare a milk gravy to go over the top of their kibble in the evenings. Just the evening meal. Mom always had a can of grease droppings (mostly bacon grease) and she would use that as a base but you dont have to have any grease at all. Just warm milk until boiling slightly, add a little flour at a time while wisking, until as thick as you would like. Very easy and dogs love it. The grease just flavors it a bit. Kept weight on the dogs.

[Shaina]

Satin balls are pretty effective...

Innova EVO also has insanely high calories...around 540 kcal/cup if I remember correctly.

[Lil Red Express]

Don't think I ever asked but what do you feed them ? Brand wise . If his calorie intake is correct for his size and activity level and if he is happy then I think it's ok but IMO I wouldn't fatten him up only to make you happy

Originally Posted by Keechak

He's always happy to eat but no he isn't always whining for food or anything like that. He always finishes what he is given to eat. He just seems like he's a bit on the thin side and I want to get him up a couple pounds.

[Keechak]

Originally Posted by Lil Red Express

Don't think I ever asked but what do you feed them ? Brand wise . If his calorie intake is correct for his size and activity level and if he is happy then I think it's ok but IMO I wouldn't fatten him up only to make you happy

on believe me I HATE seeing fat dogs, but my boy is more skinny than he is lean. I'm all about a lean muscular dog, and I wouldn't dare fatten him up for the show ring like some people do.

I just switched him to Fromm Duck and Sweet Potato, and he gets 3 cups a day, 370 Kcal/cup

I really want to try out the EVO but my mother wont buy it because of the price and I can't afford it myself because I got layed off a year ago and my money is spent.

[alphadoginthehouse]

Could it just be his age...growth spurt? Boys are like that sometimes! Roxxy never gains anything and Butch, well, I can't get even a pound off him.

[Keechak]

it could be a growth spurt, hey maybe his chest is comming down soon *crosses fingers*

[alphadoginthehouse]

Originally Posted by Keechak

it could be a growth spurt, hey maybe his chest is comming down soon *crosses fingers*

I'm not one to be afraid to ask questions. What do you mean by his "chest coming down"? Oh, and you need to post new pictures of him. He is such a handsome fella!

[Sloth]

Belle was like that until she was 9 or 10 months old. Before that, she was insanely skinny, no matter what I fed her.

Now she's still on the skinny side, but she doesn't feel like a bird anymore. So maybe it's just his age?

[Keechak]

Originally Posted by alphadoginthehouse

I'm not one to be afraid to ask questions. What do you mean by his "chest coming down"? Oh, and you need to post new pictures of him. He is such a handsome fella!

It's perfectly fine to ask tons of questions, I love to talk dogs.

When a dog is growing they tend to grow mainly in the legs department and even when they are full height they are still very narrow in the front. many times their front feet will even stand together when the dog stands straight. this is because the secondary sex characteristics haven't kicked in.

Both sexes, but males particularly, will quite suddenly get a very wide and deep chest when they hit a certain age. This will push their elbows out a bit and it's not unusual for a dog who's feet had touched before to now have 2 to 4 inches between their paws.

[alphadoginthehouse]

Thanks Keechak...I had a feeling it was something like that but I don't like assume anything when it comes to a particular breed of dog. And it makes sense that may be why he is so skinny.

[DobManiac]

Why don't you just up his food? Are you thinking he won't eat more than 3 cups a day?

You can always add a little fatty ground meat to his diet, maybe 1/4 lb twice a day. But it might make him a little loose until he gets used to the extra fat. Intact males can use up a bunch of calories. I would up his food and see if you notice a difference. I've had to feed Dusk 7 cups a day before to keep weight on him, and growth spurts just make it worse.

[Keechak]

Originally Posted by DobManiac

Why don't you just up his food? Are you thinking he won't eat more than 3 cups a day?

You can always add a little fatty ground meat to his diet, maybe 1/4 lb twice a day. But it might make him a little loose until he gets used to the extra fat. Intact males can use up a bunch of calories. I would up his food and see if you notice a difference. I've had to feed Dusk 7 cups a day before to keep weight on him, and growth spurts just make it worse.

well 4 cups a day is a lot physically for a 50 pounds dog to consume. So I don't want to just up his kibble

[CorgiKarma]

Find a solution to his weight problems yet? I've never had to deal with too little weight with corgis...it's actually the exact opposite

[Keechak]

We are just trying out the different suggestions