I’m trying to help a currently out of work friend who has a very skinny boxer. Dog has always had issues holding weight. I suggested the move to the sporting dog food because it was the most affordable I could find and has 24% protein and 20% fat along with flaxseed and she gained weight pretty steadily but lost it this winter.
Indoor dog, only goes outside to pee and for a walk. Spayed, current on shots, blood results are normal.
What can they add to the diet to help build and maintain weight?
rather than look at the protein and fat, look at calories. That’s what matters if you have a fat or skinny dog.
400 Kcal per cup, was getting 4 cups per day now upped to 6 cups per day
Has the dog seen the vet? That’s an impressive amount of food to be lean. Parasites, IBD, pancreatic insufficiency? Are poops normal?
6 cups is brand new, has been 4 cups. Yes, blood tests are normal and poop is normal. Friend refers to the poop as “efficient” and is normal poop shaped
If the six cups doesn’t do it, perhaps going to a 500 kcal/cup food would be worthwhile. Could also add some salmon oil for calories.
How often is the dog fed? If twice a day, maybe feeding 3-4 times would = better utilization.
But still, wow, that’s a lot of food for a non working dog! How much does she weigh? I’ve done 4 cups/day (of Orijen Six Fish and Regional Red…high 400s on kcal, IIRC) when my Ridgebacks have been SUPER active and outside with me at the barn all day. 70 lbs dogs, for reference 
I use satin balls for my hard keeper show dogs, but I would give the increased kibble a month to see how that works before adding it. The recipe I have found to be least likely to cause cannon butt on mine is something like:
-5 lb ground beef
-3 to 4 cups instant potato flakes
-1 to 2 cups neutral oil, like canola
-6 raw eggs
Start with a small amount, and work up to more.
how old is this dog?
Dog is I think 6 and has always been a hard keeper. I got him to switch his dogs to the higher quality sporting dog food which is just in his price range and it seemed to help over the summer as the boxer picked up weight
what about endocrine pancreatic indeficiency (EPI)?
my GSD had it… his symptoms were very hard to keep weight and loose stool.
If she is willing to add some canned food (ca/entire can) California natural lamb and rice is 577ca per can, Evo beef, 503 and wellness 515.
Innova holistic puppy dry is 550/cup.
I would also weigh the food, not measure by volume.
If she lost weight in the cold weather and they’re a short-haired breed, maybe adding clothing? Even in a heated house, dogs spend much of their time at floor level, which can be considerably cooler than, say, the couch or bed.
I’d consider a probiotic along with the increase in food, and track food and dog by weight for changes. If, in a few weeks, no appreciable change is noted, I would get a referral to a specialist to rule out other issues.
I’m assuming the dog is neutered; and a sedentary neutered adult male that can’t gain weight is pretty atypical. “Hard keeper” might have an underlying medical issue that simply hasn’t been diagnosed properly yet…
I used Diamond Extreme Athlete for my hard keeper. 470 k/cup. Crude Protein (min.) 32.0%, Crude Fat (min.) 25.0%. Worked like a charm
Calories don’t mean much if the dog can’t digest them.
DH has an English Mastiff that was free fed loads of Pedigree… and pooping out giant mounds of cornmeal. She was horribly skinny. I switched her to grain free Innova Evo when she moved in with me and she gained a ton of weight, ate half as much and pooped 1/4 as much.
It’s not just the protein & fat you need to look at. Look at the calories as well.
Also make sure whatever the main protein source(s) are, are those that the dog tolerates & digests/utilizes well.
Not all dogs are the same & just because one dog did really well on xyz kibble doesn’t mean the next will be able to process it adequately.
I’ve tried just about every dog food out there(for the times I need to feed kibble), from the top $$$ to middle of the road kibbles & often time more than once.
Every time I try something new/different I get disappointed in how my dogs look/act & always end up going back to Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete. Is it the very best kibble out there? Nope…but ALL my dogs do super on it. Coats are healthy, shiny & best of all there’s not a lot of waste product(poop) to pick up
I will add that I do feed quite a bit of wild/raw feed as well. However that part of their diet doesn’t change even when I’ve tried the other kibbles.
My hard keeper gets Solid Gold Barking at the Moon which is 41% protein and 20% fat with something like 425kcal. He is free fed and mine mostly loses weight in the summer. He gets a ton of treats too and Stella and Chewy’s as a supplement as needed. Now mine is an active agility dog and he’s almost 12. But this keeps his weight pretty steady at 47. He usually keeps himself to 2 cups a day at the most.
Add fat. Visit a butcher and buy up their beef fat cheap.
I think this dog needs more of a workup and more comprhensive bloodwork. I would look into testing for EPI (exocrine pancreatic insufficiency) and I would also run a TLI, Cobalamin and folate.
[QUOTE=Fairview Horse Center;9043828]
Add fat. Visit a butcher and buy up their beef fat cheap.[/QUOTE]
I don’t recommend that. Pancreatitis is a real issue for many dogs, and a high fat diet and/or a single, high fat meal is often the cause.
Dogs are not designed for that type of diet;I’d be very careful about just putting fat into a commercial product that is already balanced.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
