Promoting weight gain may seem like an easy task, but it's important that you do it right. Healthy weight gain requires much more than just providing your dog with fatty foods. In fact, too much fatty foods will only lead to excessive weight gain The key is to find a healthy balance between muscle mass and fat. Before you start any diet change , it's important that you speak with a qualified veterinarian.
They'll be able to tell you if weight gain is the best option and give you valuable tips on how to do it right. The first step in the recovery process is to identify why your dog is underweight in the first place. This information can help you create a strategy that's beneficial.
If you've just adopted your dog, the most likely culprit is malnourishment. However, healthy dogs can drop the pounds over time due to a number of reasons. Dogs will stop eating if their stomachs aren't feeling great.
In most cases, this issue will subside after a day or two. However, if your dog has lost a noticeable amount of weight, the problem may be more serious than it seems. One common issue that causes dramatic weight loss is a parasite infestation. Worms can be spread through fecal matter, water, and much more. Your dog may be suffering from worms without you ever realizing it.
Most worms can take months to manifest themselves i n your dog's poop. Meanwhile, they're in your pup's gastrointestinal tract wreaking havoc. They can absorb a lot of the nutrients your dog needs to live, leaving them with only a fraction of what they consumed.
This results in weight loss. If you suspect that illness is the issue , take your dog to the vet. They'll get a proper diagnosis and provide you with treatment options that can turn your dog's appetite around. Your dog's kibble plays a huge role in their overall health. It's important that you supply your pup with a high-quality food that gives them all the nutritional content they need. Cheaper foods use substandard ingredients that can do more harm than good in the long run.
Unhealthy ingredients like corn and soy aren't great for dogs. They're used in cheap foods in lieu of pure protein. While your dog may be eating all the food you provide, it might not be able to support your dog adequately. If your dog stops eating altogether, you may want to monitor their behavior. Some dogs are incredibly picky eaters. They can get bored of their standard kibble or dislike certain ingredients.
If that's the case, you'll want to switch up foods until you find something that works. Alternatively, you can add a supplementary gravy to make the recipe more appealing. Another issue that may be affecting your pup's appetite is depression or anxiety.
Canine companions can experience a range of emotions much like humans. These emotions can cause extreme lethargy and a loss of appetite. This is very common with dogs that are placed in new homes or those that just experienced a traumatic event.
Before you start the plumping process, you need to figure out your goal weight. A healthy weight for your pup will depend on their breed. From there, you should create a plan and stick to it. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to approach the task without a plan. There are several ways to help your dog gain weight, but you need to be sure that she isn't putting on the wrong kind of weight or putting on weight too fast.
A sudden or drastic weight gain can damage their joints as the pressure of their extra weight increases. As you begin, make sure you set small goals for your dog. It could be as small as half a pound at a time. Baby steps will allow your pet to gain weight gradually and avoid any subsequent health issues.
How can you tell if your dog is gaining weight? Feel their ribs, hips, and look at them from above and from a profile. Even if their weight hasn't changed much, you can still see progress in their body's definition. As your pet gains weight and builds muscle, their ribs and hips shouldn't feel as pronounced, and there should be more bulk around the hips, shoulders and chest.
This indicates healthy muscle development. You are also looking at her energy levels. Healthy muscle and the appropriate calories will give your dog consistent energy to participate in her daily routines and activities. So what can you give your dog to help him gain weight?
The key is to understand what parts of his diet to increase and which parts you should keep the same. If you are increasing fat and protein, do it in small quantities. Punitive training methods also tend to make dogs feel stressed. Your vet or a trainer can help you find the cause of their stress and help you work on fixing the issue.
If your dog is losing weight or their appetite, it could be a symptom or side-effect of various illnesses. Older dogs often lose more weight than they should.
If they start losing weight after adoption, it could be due to stress from the change in environment. Below we discuss some tips and tricks to help your dog gain weight. Anybody who has ever raised a puppy will know how essential higher fat and protein foods are. Fat and protein help young dogs grow and develop and are crucial for puppies to advance into adulthood healthily.
While these foods can be more expensive than regular dog food, every bite is worth it! High protein and fat foods are great for dogs who need to gain weight. Feeding your dog a diet higher in fat and protein, which will help your dog gain weight steadily over time. Foods high in protein and fat will help your dog healthily put on weight, and you should notice a weight increase in just a couple of weeks. If you can find a dog food with a higher protein percentage, you can add it in right away to the meat protein you feed your dog.
It may take days to transition, and your dog may still have an upset stomach for a few weeks. A certain amount of stomach upset is expected during a transitory period, but if you have any concerns, make sure to check with the vet. Related: Can Dogs Eat Eggs? Food is processed and metabolized slightly differently by dogs than humans, but the two animals are quite similar. People who eat within a few hours before bed, for example, have a higher likelihood of gaining weight.
The down side is that puppy food tends to be rich, and may upset some dogs' stomachs. Introduce it gradually, adding a spoonful to the existing food, and gradually building up the amount feed over 4 - 5 days. Monitor the dog's feces and if diarrhea develops then stop the new food. Switch wet food to dry food, or vice versa. Imagine yourself eating the same dry food, or the same cereal or soup, day in and day out. Dogs can experience a similar boredom with their food. Sometimes switching from dry to wet canned food, or vice versa, will do the trick and get your dog to start eating again.
However, be aware that tin food contains a lot less calories than dry food. For the same volume of food, wet food contains just a quarter of the amount of dry kibble, so a little dry kibble is worth a lot of wet food. Feed your dog vet-approved homemade recipes. This sample recipe is for a kilogram dog that you can divide into two for a 5-kilogram dog, or double the amount for a kilogram dog. Cook all of these ingredients and mix them together.
Try other recipes like this chicken and rice dog food , or this raw food diet. Method 4. Give your dog vitamin supplements.
In short, they ease the conversion of energy sources like fats, proteins and carbohydrates into energy, providing your pet the energy needed for growth and maintenance.
The excess energy brought about by the increase in appetite and consumption will then be converted to fats and will prevent muscle catabolism, or wasting. Another option is to bring your dog to a vet and have her given a shot of B-complex vitamins, if you do not have time to give it daily vitamin supplements.
The regime is one injection, once a week for four weeks. If the dog's appetite has not improved at the end of this time, then further injections are unlikely to be beneficial. De-worm your dog with de-wormer medication. It is sensible to regularly deworm your dog because worms compete for food in the dog's bowel and cause poor body condition, silently sucking the nutrition out of your dog.
Perversely, a dog with a heavy worm burden is likely to have a potbelly, but the bones of the ribs and hips lose fat cover and become stark. Publisher: Mosby Choose a broad spectrum de-wormer that can cover all types of worms. From the first time on, de-worming can be done every six months to one year. Give your dog energy supplements. Dogs that are active, working, lactating, frequently travelling, or getting used to a new home tend to become thin and lose appetite.
You can give these dogs energy supplements that are packed with easily absorbed carbohydrates and vitamins. You can give your dog 1 to 2 teaspoons per 5 kg body weight or 10 centimeter 3. Did you know you can get expert answers for this article? Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow. My year-old Spitz is energetic and healthy, but skinny.
She is treated regularly for heart worms, but not other worms. Should I do something? Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.
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