My elderly Border Terrier is so skinny , what can I feed her to fatten her up ?

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She is 15 years old. Her digestion is delicate now , and the food that seems to agree with her best is Burns. She has this twice a day. If she even has a small amount of something different she gets " squeaky tummy" , and then wont eat anything for a day or two. Should I just increase this food to 3 times a day ? Or has anyone got any other suggestions ? Id be grateful for any advice. Thank you. She is soooo thin.

Friends were recommended to feed their skinny dog plain boiled rice to fatten him up, but this was quite a young dog so it may not be appropriate in your case. Sorry I can't help more but at least it 'bumps' your question.

Thank you Greenshadow. I did wonder about rice or pasta or something , but I wondered if was fattening enough iykwim.

Burns is known to keep dogs lean so will not help to fatten her up although you could try the canine active or canine alert, or canine high energy.

What about giving a meal of tripe that would help.

Do you know why she is losing weight? I would want to investigate this first to see if there is a medical reason.

Our vet recommended roast chicken with plain boiled chicken with the skin on and lots of it. She could no longer tolerate any commecial pet food, even Burns or her usual Wellbeloved. We were feeding her chicken and rice 4 times a day and despite having end stage cancer she actually did gain some weight.

Thank you , we had her checked out earlier this year , blood tests didnt reveal anything untoward. She has a very faint heart murmur (sp) , but the vet felt that her decreasing weight was just due to old age. Her teeth are quite badly scaled , and her breath is terrible. She has actually got a couple of teeth missing at the bottom. I dont think this helps with her eating. She used to love the occasional pigs ear or rawhide chew , but cant manage them now. I do sometimes wonder if her mouth is a bit sore. Poor old girl , she still loves her walks etc.

I second tripe, it stinks to high heaven, but dogs love it and it is also soft so wont hurt her mouth.

anything high calorie- can you add a little veg oil to her meals - increase it very gradually so it doesn't upset her tummy

I second tripe too or alternatively would recommend Naturediet. It's a wet food in a vacuum sealed pack, high in protein and available in various formats. It is very rare that it causes stomach upsets because it contains no artificial additives though of course like any new food it should be introduced gradually. It can be bought in pet shops or online.

My (admittedly young) GSD was at one stage terribly skinny, I tried all sorts of foods, then friends in rescue recommended Naturediet. The results were like a TV "before" and "after" advert! He's in fine condition now, it really made a difference to him.

One option that we've used with rescue dogs that come in very skinny is a home made mix. Start with a bowl, add some porridge oats and pour over a large tin of evaporated milk. Leave to soak. Add two or three eggs, a packet of minced raw chicken or turkey, a packet of cream cheese, some wheatgerm and stir. If wished, add a little veg oil. Form into little patties in your hand. Most dogs can digest this and it's high calorie. It can be given as a supplement or as main food while fattening. There are also lots of recipes on the net - look up "satin balls" for a nice recipe with black treacle in it, which is similar, and we have also used with some success.

Would also add having a chat with your vet about the teeth. It sounds as though your poor dog has quite advanced gum disease and could have problem teeth. Your vet may wish to consider doing a dental and if necessary removing any problem teeth. It is worth remembering that infected teeth and gums can affect the dog's health in a number of ways, including passing infections into the heart and elsewhere. If vet is reluctant to do GA, then consider gently wiping your dog's teeth each day with a mild solution of hydrogen peroxide, or cleaning the teeth regularly with a dog toothpaste. But it sounds as though she needs a thorough clean/inspection done professionally first.

Naturediet is fantastic and I advocate it wholeheartedly (it sorted my old dogs delicate tummy out totally and as a result I give it to my new (old) adoptee dog).

Can I also add, that my old dog (no longer with us) had all of his digestive problems sorted by eradicating chicken (and poultry) from his diet. I saw a vet from the practice that I didn't normally see and she suggested that he may be allergic to chicken. I thought "how silly!!! every time he has a dicky tum we are told to give him chicken and rice...." but nonetheless I cut it out and it changed him totally... and he no longer needed chicken and rice as he no longer got a bad gut (well, unless my mum slipped him a sausage or a slice of ham :-S) She explained it that chicken (and poultry) is in 95% of things available to dogs and as a result some susceptible dogs develop an allergy to it. It takes Burns and Nature Diet and those of that ilk to know what it says on the packet is all that is in there.

He lived on Burns lamb and rice with Nature Diet, er, lamb and rice mixed in. And he had cucumber and carrots for treats God, I miss him :(

another recommendation for naturediet. our dog has colitis, i don't like giving him drugs if i can avoid it, and we manage his condition through diet. he has been on naturediet for years and now only has a very occasional flare up. it's a really good product.

if tummy problems continue you could also try slippery elm bark powder - you mix it with boiling water and add it to the food. it is totally natural and is safe for both dogs and humans. it works by coating and soothing the digestive tract. it is also cheap and available from any health food shop.

good luck, hope you find something that suits her.

we have also used Naturdiet and good old Chappie Chicken & Rice, it works, is easily digested.

Thank you everyone , lots of good advice there. Im going to give naturediet a try first and see how we get on with that.