Putting weight on a very thin dog.

Whispered

My Dads pointer is a very thin little girl. She's in perfect health, worming etc fully up to date. She has bundles of energy and is very happy. I know they are a thin breed anyway, but her ribs are too prominent and she could do with putting a bit on.

She has a half sister living with her who is not yet a year, who is fed on the same food, same exercise regime etc but who is much more muscular and is a perfect weight.

The food they are on is a working dog feed, 22% protein. This is really just a filler as their "proper" food is the likes of cooked cows tongues and heart. Can too much protein make them loose weight?

All I could think to suggest is to feed the dry and the meat separately instead of together hoping she'd fill up on the dry food if the meat wasn't available - maybe this would encourage weight gain?

I know there are some people who know dog feeding inside out so I hopefully you can point me in the right direction. Putting her on an expensive food is not an option at the moment.

Thanks!

EDIT: Here they are together - as you can see she'd not decrepit but you can see the difference in the two.

mymo

I posted here before about the casserole type feed my vet suggested to put on weight on my very thin dog. It worked great for him and is cheap to make.

Chicken thighs, brown rice, chopped veg, put in casserole dish with plenty of water, cook until meat comes off bone, pick out all bones when cool. Mix in with dry food or normal feed.
Also gave eggs, tinned fish (sardines, mackerel etc, cheap from lidl or aldi) and some pasta from dinner.
Also made above with mince or cheap stewing beef, but imagine the tongue and hearts would do.


Just to add, they are cute

Whispered

Thanks Mymo, I'll suggest that to him. They're lovely aren't they. Both mad as spanners. Lilly (the thin one) puts her heart into everything. She never just runs, she'll RUUUUUUUUN if you know what I mean. I'm convinced that has something to do with her not putting on weight!

I'll pass on the info and see how she does. Thanks again.

Zapperzy

I'd suggest feeding the two separate, I started a thread a while ago trying to find out if I should be feeding dry food and raw food separately, never really came to a conclusion but I feed both together with no problems, maybe some dogs can't handle it all together. Some say they digest at different rates and pulls the slower digesting food too quickly through the gut? And I would imagine meat is meat and maybe the same goes for cooked meat? He could try feeding it raw for a while see if it makes any difference. And as an off chance does the wormer he uses cover all types of worms? Some don't cover for tapeworms.

I know a pointer x too and she's mad as a box of spanners!

mymo

My grandad had a pointer and a red setter when we were kids, it was the highlight of our visits seeing the pair of them!
Both complete nutters but so much fun. Great for cuddles too;)
I remember them so well, never known a calm pointer, even my neighbours 10yr old bitch is mad.
Hope it works, seemed to bulk up my lad a bit, he's also mad as a hare, but calming down a bit now (4 soon I hope he's calming down, some days not so sure:o), he's keeping the weight on now anyways.

Wedgie

We have a Lab cross that we took in as a foster, and the little bugger is still here!

He was very skinny, only weighed 12 - 13kgs. We started adding some dried meat to his kibble, only a small bit each day. He eventually reached 15kgs, and he maintains that weight, and he's in great condition, can run and jump all day.

The dried meat is 60% protein, and you can pick up a 15kg bag of it for between fifteen and twenty Euro.

It might be worth a shot, it certainly worked for our guy.

Whispered

Thanks a million. He's going to feed the meat and dry food at different times, add in oily fish and brown rice and wholemeal pasta.

Fingers crossed it'll work.

carleigh

I have an underweight Golden Cocker, and I've found puppy food has helped him gain a kilo recently, and he loves it!

Stheno

I used foster ill dogs, and once had a boxer who was literally skin and bone.

I fed him six times a day kibble with sardines, or mushed up chicken, some olive oil, rice, and egg included at different times.

Now this was a dog who had been starved, so perhaps if your dad introduces one extra meal a day for his skinnier dog? And feed them seperately, I'd one dog who got stressed being fed in a group and the change when fed on their own was incredible.

Best of luck