Help adding weight

[twobadfish]

I have already decided to take at least a week off running Ronin. It's been 3 weeks, and I can't be positive without taking him to the vet to get weight, but he likely hasn't gained any weight.

I'm using Natural Choice High Energy mixed with 100% beef for dogs at 50% of his feedings. Yesterday I blended up a steak with his normal feeding. He approved.

Any other tips? Feed even more? He probably gets 2-2.5 cups/feeding 2-3 times/day. I think not exercising him might help a little but I also feel it might just decrease his appetite.

How long can I expect to wait before we start seeing weight gain?

 

[Kat09Tails]

Pretty quickly imo/ime. Bodie has always been a hard dog to keep weight on, even more so since he went on a low fat diet.

The thing that has worked is small frequent meals, followed by complete rest in a crate. Another thing you can do is work on muscle tone. A little bit of weight in a doggie pack or some weightpull exercises can go a long way.

 

[vernahll3]

Your dog needs food that has a higher protein and fat content. Pick a food that has a higher 'real meat' content (not meat by-products). Slip in a serving of canned food now and then. You could also try to gradually switch from 3 meals a day to 4 or 5 smaller meals a day.

 

[JustaLilBitaLuck]

First, I would switch to a better quality food. I'm not sure how much he weighs/how much he should weigh, so I'm not going to suggest feeding amount recommendations, but I think that switching to a food with better ingredients will definitely help. Mixing in some ground beef/chicken/turkey/whatever or high quality canned food would help as well. There are plenty of foods that have a higher calorie count as well.

Here are a few different brands to compare the Nutro too. I used the chicken formula of each one, just for a better comparison.

Nutro Natural Choice High Energy (current food)

Ingredients: Chicken Meal, Ground Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Poultry Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Rice Bran, Chicken, Natural Flavors, Salt, Soybean Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Sunflower Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Sodium Bicarbonate, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Egg Product, Dried Kelp, Vitamin E Supplement, Taurine, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Biotin, Copper Proteinate, Niacin Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Lecithin, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (source of Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of Vitamin B1), Sodium Selenite, Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K activity), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid.
Calorie Content: 399 kcal/cup.

Canine Caviar Chicken and Pearl Milllet Adult

Ingredients: Dehydrated Chicken, Ground Pearl Millet, Whole Ground Brown Rice, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Chicken, White Fish, Sun-Cured Alfalfa, Whole Ground Flaxseed, Dried Beet Pulp, Canola Oil, Potassium Chloride, Sun-Cured Kelp, Garlic, Dicalcium Phosphate, Lecithin, Peppermint, Parsley, Papaya, Dried Chicory Root, Taurine, Sodium Chloride, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Rose Hips, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Zinc Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (a source of vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Thiamine, Methionine, Biotin, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite, Beta Carotene.
Calorie Content: 599 kcal/cup

Orijen Adult

Ingredients: Fresh boneless chicken, chicken meal, fresh boneless salmon, turkey meal, herring meal, russet potato, peas, sweet potato, fresh boneless turkey, fresh whole eggs, fresh chicken liver, fresh boneless lake whitefish, fresh boneless walleye, sun-cured alfalfa, pea fiber, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), organic kelp, pumpkin, chicory root, carrots, spinach, turnip greens, apples, cranberries, blueberries, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, niacin, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, d-calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, selenium yeast, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Enterococcus faecium.
Calorie Content: 460 kcal/cup

EVO Turkey & Chicken

Ingredients: Turkey, Chicken, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Potatoes, Herring Meal, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols - a Natural Source of Vitamin E), Natural Flavors, Eggs, Apples, Tomatoes, Potassium Chloride, Carrots, Vitamins (Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin E Supplement, Betaine Hydrochloride, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Beta Carotene, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Biotin, Folic Acid), Cottage Cheese, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Iodate), Alfalfa Sprouts, Dried Chicory Root, Direct-Fed Microbials (Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product)
Calorie Content: 537 kcal/cup

Nature's Variety Instinct Chicken Meal Formula

Ingredients: Chicken Meal, Tapioca, Chicken Fat, Pumpkinseeds, Menhaden Fish Meal, Sun-Cured Alfalfa Meal, Montmorillonite Clay, Natural Chicken Flavor, Vitamins (Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Biotin, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Carotene, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide), Sea Salt, Dried Kelp, Direct-Fed Microorganisms (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Yeast Culture, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus Niger Fermentation Extract, Dried Trichoderma Longibrachiatum Fermentation Extract, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Extract), Inulin, Flaxseed Oil, Apples, Carrots, Peas, Cottage Cheese, Chicken Eggs, Mixed Tocopherols with Citric Acid (a natural preservative), Rosemary Extract, Freeze Dried Chicken, Freeze Dried Turkey, Freeze Dried Turkey Liver, Freeze Dried Turkey Heart, Ground Chicken Bone, Butternut Squash, Broccoli, Lettuce, Spinach, Salmon Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar, Parsley, Honey, Blueberries, Alfalfa Sprouts, Persimmons, Olive Oil, Duck Eggs, Pheasant Eggs, Quail Eggs, Rosemary, Sage, Clove.
Calorie Content: 490 kcal/cup

 

[Dekka]

Justa beat me to it

You are feeding a low quality food full of fillers and low on protein/fat/calories. In stead of adding steak you would be far further a head to feed a better food. THEN if your dog needs more calories add a little oil to his food. I wouldn't stop exercising him, just cut it way back. So if you were running 4 times a week, maybe take him out for short jobs or only run once a week.

 

[JustaLilBitaLuck]

Justa beat me to it

You are feeding a low quality food full of fillers and low on protein/fat/calories. In stead of adding steak you would be far further a head to feed a better food. THEN if your dog needs more calories add a little oil to his food. I wouldn't stop exercising him, just cut it way back. So if you were running 4 times a week, maybe take him out for short jobs or only run once a week.

Yes! That's another thing I forgot. Fish body oil (salmon, sardine, etc) in liquid form is FULL of calories.

 

[twobadfish]

So he's FINALLY gaining weight. I started suspected worms so we just got him a worm treatment and started him on Orijen Adult. He had a lot of symptoms of worms but we never suspected it until finally after so long of him not gaining weight.

His hips almost aren't noticeable anymore and since his worm treatment I swear his appetite has gone up.

This dog was such a mess!