Need Help Gaining Weight

[Ohana]

Hi, I am having trouble getting my 2.5 year old to eat and to gain weight. She is an intact female that is extremely active. She is also extremely picky. I have fed her everything from the best dry foods with supplementation to a BARF diet. She grows bored of it all. I need her to gain weight. I try to exercise her in the morning before feeding time to encourage her appetite and she works all day so the evening is not always a problem. But even then she tends to not finish her food.

Any suggestions are welcome.

 

[boxer]

It's probably not what you want to hear, but I'm inclined to say don't worry too much about it. It depends a little, of course, on exactly how thin she is.

If you're seeing the outline of the last two or three ribs when she is standing normally, then she is actually a perfect weight. It is quite normal on young boxers to see more than that though, especially if your girl was the "type" that grew upward quickly as a puppy. Many boxer pups put all their energy, it seems, into growing taller quickly and they end up very ribby as a result. No amount of feeding will change it though, and it's only after they finish growing upward (at around 18 months) that they slowly start to fill out - and that can easily take until they're three years old or more.

So unless you're seeing vertebrae and hip bones, I would just give her the best quality food you can (personally, I'd stick with raw) and let time and nature take it's course. It is so very much better for a dog to be lean than fat, especially if they're active.

One thing you could consider though, is spaying her. Aside from a wide range of health benefits, that does also tend to slow the metabolism a bit and you may find she gains weight more easily (or more accurately, requires less food to maintain a correct weight).

 

[Ohana]

I have spent time not worrying about the weight while she was growing and still puppyish. But now that she is quickly approaching three years old and you can see her ribs (not just the last three) and her the hooks of her hips and her spine I am extremely concerned.

She has been to the vet and they say she is healthy. She remains intact because she is extremely nice breeding quality and I am having her OFA, Thyroid, Eyes and Heart tests done next month. But if I can't get weight on this girl there will be no breeding. Not that breeding is the most important thing. What is most important is that she be of good weight and good mind.

I do feed her a natural diet with some dry dog food mixed in. She just bores of all food even the raw/natural diet.

Thank you for your message though I will continue on with my search of the extra calories to feed her.

 

[boxer]

Well, as a short-term thing, you could consider satin balls - which is essentially a raw meatball recipe with a number of high calorie additions. That's generally a very good way of putting weight on a dog quickly (no good for emanciated dogs, of course, but that's not your case). You'd find the recipe posted in the forums here by doing a quick search.

Satin balls aren't intended as a long-term feeding solution though (due to the very high fat content) and should only be fed for a couple of weeks at a time. It is fed for one meal a day only (the second one her normal food). One possible downside though, is loose stool - again from the high fat content. Still, it may be something you'd like to check out.

 

[Ohana]

Thank you for the suggestion I will check out and see about the Satin Balls. I have started adding Nutra Cal as a supplement and that seems to have worked these last two feedings.

I appreciate the help.

 

[boxer]

LOL - now that you mention the Nutra Cal, it reminds me that quite a few people here use a supplement called Missing Link. You'd find plenty of information on that one with a search also. But aside from being a supplement, many people have found that their dogs love it and it encourages them to eat their meals. So that could be another thing worth looking into

 

[Smooshlips]

My little girls was quite skinny, sounds about the same as your girl, and I used satin balls as a daily supplement for about 2 weeks, and she gained between 10-13 lbs from what I remember, worked great for us, and she devoured the satin balls.

 

[Ohana]

Thanks

Thanks guys for the help answering my questions about what I can do to get my girl to eat.

I decided to go back to an old remedy that I use to put weight on my horses. I add a little bit of corn oil to the food and straight molasses.... she cleans the bowl. We have gained 1/2 in the last week. So we will be on our way soon to being at a good weight for her.

Hopefully by her next show she won't look so thin, she will just look fit.

Thank again,

Carrie