Fattening up a dog without the diarrhea

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#1
Well, it seems like Satin Balls, even my modified version with more starch and no added oil, is giving my dog the shits. I just can't be cleaning this up all day and I'm at my wit's end. If I feed him too much kibble, he gets the shits. If I feed him satin balls, same result. When I work I can't feed him more than twice a day, and I can't afford to pay someone to come over five times a week and feed him a third meal. He's not emaciated, but his hips are visible and with his roachy back he definitely looks too skinny. He's healthy otherwise - energetic, shiny coat, no other bowel issues except when I'm trying to fatten him up. Imodium doesn't seem to help.

So frustrated I could cry at this point.
 

Saeleofu

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#2
What kbble is he on, and what is the calorie content of that kibble? Trying a kibble with a higher calorie content may help, as he'll eat the same volume but get more calories.

If he can tolerate it, canned beaver is PACKED with calories.

I totally understand, because Logan's the exact same way :/ He's not too thin now, but it took FOREVER to get him to a good weight.
 
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#3
Thanks for your reply. He's on Cal Natural Grain-Free Chicken - 454.0 kcal/cup. He gets a little over four cups a day. I'm hesistant to switch kibbles because it took a long time to find one that he did well on. He has some food allergies/sensitivities to grains and some protein sources (like fish).

Never heard of canned beaver - where do you get it?
 
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#4
Thanks for your reply. He's on Cal Natural Grain-Free Chicken - 454.0 kcal/cup. He gets a little over four cups a day. I'm hesistant to switch kibbles because it took a long time to find one that he did well on. He has some food allergies/sensitivities to grains and some protein sources (like fish).

Never heard of canned beaver - where do you get it?
Funny, that was my first thought when I saw this thread, Pet Food Direct sells it and it's made by Canine caviar.

Have you tried just adding in some canned food before though? He might be one of those dogs that doesn't do good on Raw, but he might tolerate cooked better, have you ever tried just adding a bit of fresh boiled hamburger/ground turkey to his meals before?
 
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#5
Haven't tried the canned food, no. He was on a totally raw diet before and did quite well. He was even on Satin Balls when I first got him (*very* skinny) and didn't have the same gut upset that he's having now. I don't know what's changed. Could it be having him on kibble *and* raw that's doing this? Maybe i'll try just feeding him the raw, no kibble, and adding some acidophilus. And I'll try to hunt down some canned beaver . . . I don't want to know how much it would cost to ship that stuff here from the US (via Pet Food Direct):eek:.
 
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#6
Haven't tried the canned food, no. He was on a totally raw diet before and did quite well. He was even on Satin Balls when I first got him (*very* skinny) and didn't have the same gut upset that he's having now. I don't know what's changed. Could it be having him on kibble *and* raw that's doing this? Maybe i'll try just feeding him the raw, no kibble, and adding some acidophilus. And I'll try to hunt down some canned beaver . . . I don't want to know how much it would cost to ship that stuff here from the US (via Pet Food Direct):eek:.
I forgot, you did have him on Raw before. And you know, it could be having him on both kibble and Raw is what's not working, if you think you can go back to just Raw that would be the best option. And you are still in Canada? I don't know how much PFD charges for shipping on that, but I was actually surprised to find the canned Beaver wasn't an astronomical price in itself, one second I want to look it back up again myself...

EDIT: Yeah, case of 12 cans is only $34.49
Ingredients

Ground Beaver, Water Sufficient for Processing, Carrageenan gum, Cassia Gum.

Analysis:

Crude Protein (min) 13%
Crude Fiber (max) 3.5%
Crude Fat (min) 6%
Moisture (max) 76%
 

AllieMackie

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#7
I forgot, you did have him on Raw before. And you know, it could be having him on both kibble and Raw is what's not working, if you think you can go back to just Raw that would be the best option. And you are still in Canada? I don't know how much PFD charges for shipping on that, but I was actually surprised to find the canned Beaver wasn't an astronomical price in itself, one second I want to look it back up again myself...

EDIT: Yeah, case of 12 cans is only $34.49
Global Pet Foods sells Canine Caviar exclusively in Canada, any store should be able to order it for you if it isn't in stock.
 
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#8
Global Pet Foods sells Canine Caviar exclusively in Canada, any store should be able to order it for you if it isn't in stock.
Thanks so much. I talked to a staff member, they're going to see if they can order it in and give me a call back.
 

Kilter

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#9
How old is he?

My golden (and many in her family) did not gain at all till around 3, then it was often a 'oh sheesh' moment when they suddenly started to totally pack on the lard. :rofl1:

If you can find out from his breeder, it might be a case of the same. Give him time to mature and then he might be fine. ;)
 
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#10
How old is he?

My golden (and many in her family) did not gain at all till around 3, then it was often a 'oh sheesh' moment when they suddenly started to totally pack on the lard. :rofl1:

If you can find out from his breeder, it might be a case of the same. Give him time to mature and then he might be fine. ;)
He's a rescue, but how old is he now? It's been a while so I can't remember, he looks great in your avatar BTW love the color effect.
 
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#11
How old is he?

My golden (and many in her family) did not gain at all till around 3, then it was often a 'oh sheesh' moment when they suddenly started to totally pack on the lard. :rofl1:

If you can find out from his breeder, it might be a case of the same. Give him time to mature and then he might be fine. ;)
He'll be 5 in September. I don't know who his breeder is, I adopted him from the SPCA when he was 11 months old. I think part of why he doesn't look so great is because he's lacking muscle tone. He had a couple injuries this year that kept him very sedentary.
 

Hillside

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#12
Saga, my Dobe, self regulates how much kibble she will eat in a day. She absolutely will NOT eat more than about a cup and a quarter each meal. If I gave her a cup and a half, she'd leave the remainder in the bowl. She also has protein sensitivities, except hers are poultry and red meat based (though she can have lamb). The ONLY thing I could get her to eat, that didn't give her the runs, were high calorie dog biscuits. The large Old Mother Hubbard BacNcheese to be exact. The large biscuits have 138 calories each. Don't know if the grains in them would work for him or not though.
 

stafinois

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#13
Thanks for your reply. He's on Cal Natural Grain-Free Chicken - 454.0 kcal/cup. He gets a little over four cups a day. I'm hesistant to switch kibbles because it took a long time to find one that he did well on. He has some food allergies/sensitivities to grains and some protein sources (like fish).

Never heard of canned beaver - where do you get it?

My Malinois is on the same food and has the same issues. I'll be curious to see what you accomplish. At this point, I'm afraid to give him anything other than the CA Natural.
 
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#14
Saga, my Dobe, self regulates how much kibble she will eat in a day. She absolutely will NOT eat more than about a cup and a quarter each meal. If I gave her a cup and a half, she'd leave the remainder in the bowl. She also has protein sensitivities, except hers are poultry and red meat based (though she can have lamb). The ONLY thing I could get her to eat, that didn't give her the runs, were high calorie dog biscuits. The large Old Mother Hubbard BacNcheese to be exact. The large biscuits have 138 calories each. Don't know if the grains in them would work for him or not though.
Odin will eat until he pukes. And if he doesn't puke he'll have the runs for the next day. He's a complete food hound and would probably push me into traffic on the promise of a biscuit. I'd go back to 100% raw if it didn't more than double my food cost. Meat is stupidly expensive here.

ETA: Looks like we might be moving from Phase Diarrhea to Phase Gas Attack. Never thought I'd be thankful for flatulence. I am, however, trapped in the kitchen.
 

JennSLK

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#15
I have had god luck with cooked pasta. You could try a gluten free type if he cant do grain or gluten. There are lots of different bases. I have only used it on a short term basis.
 

Romy

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#16
I have had god luck with cooked pasta. You could try a gluten free type if he cant do grain or gluten. There are lots of different bases. I have only used it on a short term basis.
Same here. Carbs put weight on anyone. If one of the zois is getting too light I add some cooked pasta with melted butter mixed in. Or oatmeal. They like both and it seems to do the trick.
 

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