How To Get Weight On A Genetically Thin Dog

[Norskgra]

Normally with Elkhounds, you need to watch what they eat because they put weight on very easily. I have 3 or 4 here that I just can't get weight on. Our 8 1/2 month old girl, Moochie is skinny. You can really feel her ribs. Her sire is very lean and so is his sire. Moochie's uncle is also very lean. His parents were lean when they were younger but eventually filled out. Her dam is also on the thin side but not as bad as the others.

They are normally eat raw but occasionally they are given dry. She will only eat up to a certain amount and leave the rest. She has been to the vets and has been given the all clear health wise.

Since we moved to Adelaide, she has been running aorund a lot more than she used to and is burning off her food.

How can I get the weight onto her? I don't want to feed her satin balls permanently. Is it possible to put on the weight and keep it there for a gentically thin dog?

Edited November 3, 2009 by Norskgra

[ellz]

Is there a medical reason for being thin?

I think I'd probably start there with a full work up to make sure that all enzyme and hormone levels are ok and then work on it from there.

[Norskgra]

Is there a medical reason for being thin?

I think I'd probably start there with a full work up to make sure that all enzyme and hormone levels are ok and then work on it from there.

No, there is no medical reason. They have had a full body work up and there was nothing that showed up everything came back normal, including thyroid.

I guess they are just like humans. Some humans can't put on weight and some are just normally skinny. Others like myself, just have to look at food and put on weight.

Edited November 3, 2009 by Norskgra

[Teebs]

Kaos has always been a SKINNY dog, up until the last 6 months, she has piled on the weight (ok, she looks like a healthy Staffy, but I am so used to seeing her skinny that she now looks fat )

She is now 4 years old, and something must have changed to cause her to keep the weight on

It is a PITA trying to keep weight on them, good luck with it

[ellz]

I guess they are just like humans. Some humans can't put on weight and sre just normally skinny. Others like myself, just have to look at food and put on weight.

I hear you and feel your pain! :p

My first husband was a chef. A VERY skinny chef, skinnier than whippet-thin chef. Needless to say, I should have listened to the old saying "never trust a skinny chef"!!!!

This might sound really stupid, but you know how they tell we humans that we shouldn't eat after a certain time because it won't burn off if you don't exercise it and that we should eat little and often to lose weight etc etc? Well maybe look at the "perfect" weight loss rules and do the opposite. Does that make sense?

[Norskgra]

I guess they are just like humans. Some humans can't put on weight and sre just normally skinny. Others like myself, just have to look at food and put on weight.

I hear you and feel your pain! :p

My first husband was a chef. A VERY skinny chef, skinnier than whippet-thin chef. Needless to say, I should have listened to the old saying "never trust a skinny chef"!!!!

This might sound really stupid, but you know how they tell we humans that we shouldn't eat after a certain time because it won't burn off if you don't exercise it and that we should eat little and often to lose weight etc etc? Well maybe look at the "perfect" weight loss rules and do the opposite. Does that make sense?

Yes, it does make sense. I will try that. Moochie, deided that she only wants one meal a day but I will try her on a few smaller meals.

[Bjelkier]

Normally with Elkhounds, you need to watch what they eat because they put weight on very easily. I have 3 or 4 here that I just can't get weight on. Our 8 1/2 month old girl, Moochie is skinny. You can really feel her ribs. Her sire is very lean and so is his sire. Moochie's uncle is also very lean. His parents were lean when they were younger but eventually filled out. Her dam is also on the thin side but not as bad as the others.

They are normally eat raw but occasionally they are given dry. She will only eat up to a certain amount and leave the rest. She has been to the vets and has been given the all clear health wise.

Since we moved to Adelaide, she has been running aorund a lot more than she used to and is burning off her food.

How can I get the weight onto her? I don't want to feed her satin balls permanently. Is it possible to put on the weight and keep it there for a gentically thin dog?

Sorry no advice but I have been have exactly the same trouble with my boy Mistral

His father is exactly the same and no matter what I do I can't keep weight on this dog! Drives me nuts. Perfectly healthy it just seems to be him (wish my body could do that :p )

He will only eat a small amount of dry food and he can be difficult with raw if he is in the right mood. It's bloody annoying.

Hope you are able to find something to help your dog.

[Clyde]

Esme used to struggle keeping on weight. I feed her a Puppy dry (Royal Canin or Eagle Pack) and Porridge for brekky. The porridge has done wonders, recommended by Stafford breeder. She also gets a banana a day, and full fat yogurt.

[Norskgra]

Thanks everyone. I have tried her on puupy as well as power dry food. She can also be fussy with raw. They all get full fat yoghurt I will give the banana and porridge a try. I wish Mooch will eat a bit more, it might make it easier.

It is really annoying trying to get weight on them and then keeping it on. Luckily they have nice thick coats otherwise I would probably be reported to the RSPCA. :p

[Jumabaar]

I use 'vets all natural' to put weight on one of my 'on the go' kelpies and with it I can actually turn him into a porka if i need to!! but if she is picky then perhaps not. By feeding lots of small meals you have an opportunity to feed a greater amount of food than what she would consume in one sitting. Oh and just straight puppy milk might be tempting enough for her??

BUT ultimatly if she has a nice coat and is bright and bubbly then at least you know she is healthy and happy!!

ETA: I have also been adding LIVAMOL to my dogs diet which is a 'cool' additive and I have been happy with the results (where as Vets all natural is a 'hot' supplement)

Edited November 3, 2009 by woofenpup

[Norskgra]

I use 'vets all natural' to put weight on one of my 'on the go' kelpies and with it I can actually turn him into a porka if i need to!! but if she is picky then perhaps not. By feeding lots of small meals you have an opportunity to feed a greater amount of food than what she would consume in one sitting. Oh and just straight puppy milk might be tempting enough for her??

BUT ultimatly if she has a nice coat and is bright and bubbly then at least you know she is healthy and happy!!

Thanks WP. She does have a good coat, although she has just gone through a coat drop. She is very bright and bubbly and always on the go. She is the sweetest girl who the others dote on.

I will start giving her smaller meals more often and see how she goes. She will quite often not even eat a biscuit for breakfast so I take it off her.

Edited November 3, 2009 by Norskgra

[Erny]

Our 8 1/2 month old girl, Moochie is skinny. You can really feel her ribs.

You should be able to feel her ribs. They should have a bit of rib cover but not a lot. If her ribs aren't visibly and overtly protruding (it's ok to be able to see the last rib or the last two ribs) I wouldn't be too concerned, if all else (eg. energy; general health; etc) is ok. Better to be on the lean side rather than the fat side, at any time, but especially during growth.

Also, she is still developing/growing, which means that calories would still be going into growth spurts.

If she is still intact there's a chance that her calorie intake is being burnt up due to fast metabolic rate. This should settle down once she is sexually mature and when she stops growing.

[Norskgra]

be able to feel her ribs. They should have a bit of rib cover but not a lot. If her ribs aren't visibly and overtly protruding (it's ok to be able to see the last rib or the last two ribs) I wouldn't be too concerned, if all else (eg. energy; general health; etc) is ok. Better to be on the lean side rather than the fat side, at any time, but especially during growth.

Also, she is still developing/growing, which means that calories would still be going into growth spurts.

If she is still intact there's a chance that her calorie intake is being burnt up due to fast metabolic rate. This should settle down once she is sexually mature and when she stops growing.

She doesn't have any covering over her ribs. I always like to keep the dogs on the lean side but she is actually skinny. Her health and energy levels are great. Well maybe she has too much energy. :p She is never still.

She is intact as we intend gettting back into showing and would like to breed her if she continues to go the way she is. She is due anytime for her first season so I know that will have an impact on her weight. Her sire, grand sire and uncle are still really lean and I can't keep weight on her sire or uncle either.

I am sure that particular line has a fast metablolism.

Edited November 4, 2009 by Norskgra

[Erny]

She doesn't have any covering over her ribs. I always like to keep the dogs on the lean side but she is actually skinny. Her health and energy levels are great. Well maybe she has too much energy. :p She is never still.

She is intact as we intend gettting back into showing and would like to breed her if she continues to go the way she is. She is due anytime for her first season so I know that will have an impact on her weight. Her sire, grand sire and uncle are still really lean and I can't keep weight on her sire or uncle either.

I think am sure that particular line has a fast metablolism.

My boy was skinny from the outset. I had to be very careful about the amount of food I fed him as he developed carpal laxity syndrome 3 days after I brought him home. So I couldn't just feed him for the sake of putting weight on, as that would increase his growth spurts, which is not what I wanted nor what he needed. Finally, I got his front legs growing out straight and I was able to increase food intake a bit more. He began to put weight on but when he hit the 6 or 7 month mark, he began to lose it again. He too was VERY ribby, so I know what you mean. He's now going on 17 months of age and I think it was around 13 months when he developed at least a little more rib cover. Initially he was on Eagle Pack, which helped a lot with the front leg growth issue. For the last 6 or 7 months he's been on Vets All Natural - I've been using the allerblend due to working through some health/allergy issues. Weight gain has been fairly steady but not fast, which is, I think, best. The weight gain has been more in growth development than cover, but that's coming. I've been feeding him 2000 grams of the Allerblend per day. Puppy recommended ratio is 1600 grams per day. He's just one of those dogs with a fast metabolism and loads of energy (both physical and nervous energy) which burns a fair load of the calories that he consumes.

I'm finding now that he's fitting into his body better and I do expect that physical development will continue to occur with him until he's around 2 years old. He used to be a definite "skinny". Now I would describe him as a definite "lean". I'm happy with the latter and I'm in no hurry to fatten him as I think when development slows down, the extra weight will all of a sudden be seen as just that, fat.

If you're feeding good food and your dog is happy and energetic with a good coat and bright eyed, I wouldn't be too concerned at this point. Like me, you might be needing to give a bit more of that 'good food' than what someone else's dog might need, at least to maintain weight if not to increase it. But I think all else being well, it's more a developmental period thing.

I continue to feed two meals a day. In part because he eats so much that I wouldn't want him to have it all in one sitting. The other reason is to give his body a chance to absorb as much nutrient from each meal as it can, before the digestive system causes it to pass through.

Too many fat dogs out there and when compared, it can make lean dogs appear worse and more desperate than what they really are. I'm not suggesting you don't need to keep an eye on things and work towards getting the rib and a bit of hip cover on, but unless weight is being lost I wouldn't be too concerned.

Edited November 4, 2009 by Erny

[jaybeece]

Sorry no advice but I have been have exactly the same trouble with my boy Mistral

His father is exactly the same and no matter what I do I can't keep weight on this dog! Drives me nuts. Perfectly healthy it just seems to be him (wish my body could do that )

He will only eat a small amount of dry food and he can be difficult with raw if he is in the right mood. It's bloody annoying.

Hope you are able to find something to help your dog.

Same here. Mine goes off his food very easily and eats less when the weather is warm. He's 36kg (down from 42kg when he was 10 months old, what he hell???) and I'm lucky to get 3 cups of dry food into the bugger over summer. He always eats his bones so I make sure he gets some good meaty ones with a bit of fat on them as well as a weekly egg and tins of sardines. Vet reakons he's in fantastic shape every time I ask and it's better for him to be lean anyway for the sake of his joints. I figure as long as he's healthy and happy I'm not going to worry.

I'm still waiting to be told off by a member of the general public for having a scrawny dog though ;)

Edited November 4, 2009 by jaybeece

[OSoSwift]

I'm still waiting to be told off by a member of the general public for having a scrawny dog though

Wait until you are walking two Whippets! then the comments never stop!

I am also of the opinion if they are full of energy, have a great coat and skin, then try to get some weight on, but don't dispare if you can't. Try feeding her when she is going to be confined IE last thing at night so she has last toilet then off to bed to absorb and store all that energy and condition.

Good Luck

[Norskgra]

Wait until you are walking two Whippets! then the comments never stop!

I am also of the opinion if they are full of energy, have a great coat and skin, then try to get some weight on, but don't dispare if you can't. Try feeding her when she is going to be confined IE last thing at night so she has last toilet then off to bed to absorb and store all that energy and condition.

Good Luck

At the moment, she looks like a Whippet with a coat.

I will try feeding her just before she goes to bed and see if that helps.

[Danois]

I'm still waiting to be told off by a member of the general public for having a scrawny dog though

I got that last night - Boo was told he needs to speak to his Mum about getting more to eat at meal times. I know they mean well but I had to point out that he eats quite a lot a day - he has always been lean and its better for his joints anyway.

I have found minced chicken frames and beef mince (with lots of white in it) from a local vietnamese butcher has helped in the past.

[Miz J]

I have a very lean 9 month old male boxer ( and a rather large 3 1/2 year old female!!) He has just started to put on a bit of weight in the last month in that he has cover on his ribs and hips. Hes not particulary food motivated so getting him to eat much is quite difficult. I have found that he will eat just prior to a growth spurt and cut back when its finished. He seems to self regulate. I have found that the only dry he will put weight on with is Hills large breed puppy which makes up about 50% of his intake and the rest is raw meaty bones, chicken, lamb etc. I give him sardines 3 times a week he also gets table scraps, veg, fruit. He certainly isnt starving. I understand how you feel when you look at your skinny dog!! I was hoping winter would go a bit longer so I could leave his coat on !!! Anyway, hes healthy, good teeth, shiny coat and active so I guess sometimes its more for us than the dog. Now my other poor girl is on a teeny bit of a diet, shes not happy!! She wll scoff any left overs that Henry leaves and shes quick!!!

Hope your enjoying Adelaide

Joyce

[Norskgra]

Thanks everyone. I know she will never be fat because of her lines and that she is still growing. I have never had an Elkhound this thin before.

I have changed what I am feeding her and she is given the fattiest chicken necks, etc that are in the pack, bag. I will be getting her more higher fat meat when I go shopping on the weekend.

I have tried her on Eagle Pack Power, Artemis Power, Nutro, Royal Canine etc and noe of these have put any weight on her.

Her eyes are clear and shiney and she runs around like an idiot when ever she gets the chance. It is a bit hard to get a shiney coat on an Elkie but she does have a good coat. ;)