Hi guys, thanks for all the recipes for Fat Balls etc you posted to me! Spent quite a bit of time lovingly preparing the peanut butter ones - no joy! Both the dogs didnt like them! Held them intheir mouths then spat them out, so no go with that one!

Bought mince, pork loin(frozen, let it thaw though)and boiled it up, their tummies dont like raw too much! Dougal loved it, Jock was jealous cause he didnt get as much! But still he looks thin! HELP!!!!!!!!!

What about trying a premium working dog kibble. The working dog recipes have higher fat and protein for higher energy levels which should convert to fat if not used. That along with your raw should help put on weight.

Raw green tripe? Breast of lamb?

Premium worker complete with minced lamb?

Cailean is stubborn about raw too. Will only eat raw when other dogs are about otherwise she likes her meat rare. I tried numerous things to put weight on her along with magic meat balls. We put a drizzle of olive oil or fish oil on her premium kibble. Her kibble is topped with homemade chicken soup using chicken backs, necks and legs. She can have any bones but the leg. I also make a ground beef slosh with sweet potatoes and rice with a grating of cheese over. I try to give as much variety as I can including offal. Sardines are super to keep on hand for a regular additive. In a pinch I've used butter on her kibble too. She's mostly grown up now at 22months and 40.3 kg & doesn't need extra calories. I think skinny dh benefit from being hand fed snacks, cream or other cheese, yogurt, slices of meat. (I have heard from other dh owners about some dh having dairy and wheat intolerance. If stools are normal wouldn't worry about this though. Good Luck!

jockanddougal wrote:
Hi Jockanddougal, can I ask why you want to get more weight on Dougal?

Buy frozen mince (Tesco's - Sainsbury smells awful) chop up any veg in fridge, into small peices, greens, brocolli, carrotts and importantly potatoes. Boil all veg in big stock pot (Murphy has his own!) cook for about 20 minutes until veg is soft, then add the mince, oxo cube optional. Heat for a further 10 minutes until meat looks cooked.

I always have leftover veg and mine don't mind what it is. The spuds help soak up the water and make it thicker. This pan lasts me 3 days (only Murphy eats it, terrier has his own food)

I also buy, from a Pet Suprmarket, OMEGA for working dogs. It has a higher fat content for dogs that burn it off quick, i:e working dogs. You know how much your dog eats so dish up accordingly. I give 50/50 of the complte and the meat.

Murphy was long and lean until he was about 2 and a half, which is roughly the time I put him on OMEGA. I think he looks nice now, he enjoys his food. Incidentally, how old is Dougal?

I have two opposites in my house.I'm trying to put weight on Megan,who's coming back very slowly from having pups,and trying to get weight off Jess,who's too chunky at 44kgs.I have to feed Jess in a seperate room to the others,so I know she's not stealing theirs,but she's just a 'good doer' I think.She'd eat absolutely anything,but Megan is a different story,so picky,yet when she was in whelp she ate like a horse.I know which I prefer!

Have you tried the satin balls, and if so how long have you been giving them for,
and how old is he,
sorry about the questions, but it can take a few weeks for weight to come on, but depending on how old he is, some dogs are naturaly skinny till they reach a certain age, one of my mutts was skinny, i tried everything to get weight on her, then decided to give up, now shes the perfict weight,
you could try csj rocket fuel - if you contact csj, she will give you advice on which is best,
www.csjk9.com/productcart...amp;idproduct=9

or red mills leader energy or the greyhound food,
www.redmills.co.uk/products.php?id=51

but you will find these foods will give him more energy, as thats what there desgined to do,

tbh if hes happy in himself, hes got a short covering of fat over his ribs - i wouldnt worry,
but if he is very skinny - i would see the vet before putting him on a higher protine diet.

If the dog is eating normally, and is healthy , I wouldn't worry about it.
Every now and again I run my hands down Mac's rib cage , if I think he's lost a bit of weight, I don't give him anything special , I just give him more for 2 or 3 days, that usually sorts him out. Although he is partial to a bit of mild cheddar as a treat.

I used to panic about Cara not eating much, but she scoffed for Scotland when she had the pups and so now I don't worry so much, (If she's hungry, she'll eat) I do slip her the odd pork pie, just as an extra
She's VERY fit and is happy to run all day, it would be different if she was showing, I don't think many judges go for the 'Posh Becks, size zero' look.

I know I sound like a freaked out mum but Doug has lost, according to the vet, approx 7kg in 6-9mnths!He says he now weighs in at 32.9kg, Jock is the same weight as last time, 40kg! Dont get it really, he is wormed regularly, doesnt appear to have lost his appetite, but he is enjoying the extra mince, pork etc, etc, etc! He doesnt look any skinnier to us, he has never been a big lad, bit of a wafer really!

OR MAYBE THE SCALES WERE WRONG?????????

Thanks you guys for all your wisdom, support and guidance, will keep u posted, have to take Doug back for a weigh in nxt month.

Oh forgot to say Doug is 3 past Oct and Jock 4 past Oct, they are not related. And I hope Dougal is not in pup or we have a miracle, more amazing than the latest addition of the green baby ball!

jockanddougal wrote:
If he's eating ok and seems fit ,I wouldn't worry unduly although he does seem a bit light for his age. If he wasn't feeling ok, he'd soon let you know. Our oldest male at eight and a bit used to worry us silly as a youngster and didn't really mature and fill out till he was four to five years old.

Thanks Alan, that is reassuring. He is fine, enjoys a run in the park with Jock. He never finishes a bowl though, he only eats till he is full, tends to be a grazer, snacks throughout the day kind of dog.

Can't remember if this was mentioned before, but have you had his thyroid checked? If he is eating well, not excersising more than usual and still losing weight, it sounds like a metabolic problem. He sounds way to light for me. What a mystery.

Sorry about this convesation but are his faeces normal. If they are pancake substance and pale it could be he is slightly pancreatic? A good standby diet for this is cereal based foods. German shepards tend to suffer with this and we used to reconmend chappie (canned) and valumix which is a cereal base food you just add water to it leave it to stand when it soaks all the water add chappie and serve.

I could never keep any weight on Daisy May and she ate very small amounts. I now feed both girls on BURNS dried Holistic food, 'Lamb & Rice for under weight dogs & large puppies'.... seems to work for mine. Might be worth a try and there are no additives or colours etc. Contact them and they will send you free samples:)

No pancake poohs here! Dougal has normal formed pooh, no straining or loose! He feels a bit less skinny to me. Still to get him to vet for recheck, thats next week.

Glad to hear that Dougal is feeling better