Skinny Spaniel

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Does anyone have any recommendations to help put weight on my spaniel? I am sure someone is going to comment on the fact that he looks neglected as he does look thin.
He isn't grossly underweight but just looks and feels thin, I have wormed him, it didn't make any difference before but he is due again now
He is currently on Chudleys working food, until recently he was on Arden Grange but I put him on a working diet as i thought it would help him gain weight. He doesn't poo excessively but he does spend most of the day outside and is especially active if anyone else is out in the garden.
I could try to cut down on his access to outside but that's not really a long term solution as he will dash outside at the slightest opportunity.
Other than feeding him huge amounts 3 times a day I can't think what to try.

How often do you feed him a day? One of the others at puppy class said their vet suggested feeding the same amount but split into 3 meals instead of 2 meals would help.

I've had to up the food of our cocker spaniel pup which seems to have helped.

Its good to be able to feel the ribs though - many dogs are overweight so if yours is an ideal weight they can look skinny compared to others sometimes.

Hi I have a skinny spaniel - I posted a little while ago about it.

We have a 6 month old springer who was like a bag of bones, everyone who had knowledge ie vet, pet shop man who owned springers other springer owners said she was fine but then another bet said she was skinny.

I have moved her from Burns Puppy Mini Bites to Burns High Energy Lamb and feed her 20g more than her allowance.

She does look like she is filling out so I'm hoping this food will suit her. I may then move her to an adult working dog food when this massive bag is finished.

I'm on my phone so can't link to my thread. But there was some good advice there.

HTH

Is he really too thin? Most dogs these days are too fat, therefore if you are comparing your dog with others, it's likely that yours is closer to normal and the majority os overweight. If you can feel the ribs easily but not see the outline of every rib, then he's probably about right.

Springers are an energetic breed and will naturally work off their food. If he's eating and drinking normally and is energetic then I wouldn't be concerned at all.

Alp, I would expect a 6 month old spaniel to be on the skinny side. You should never try to fatten up a puppy of any breed. They take time to mature physically and will reach their full height first and then start to fill out and it may take anything up to 2 years to reach their full body size and shape (and even longer in some lines that are slow to mature). Making her too heavy too soon could cause irreversible damage to growing joints....not saying you will have but just that it's a danger of forcing them to put on unnecessary weight to soon. I would also wonder why you valued the opinion of the one vet who thought she was a bit skinny over the several others (including another vet) who thought she was fine?

Our springer is skinny - not emaciated just thin. The vet says he is fine - you can feel his ribs but they don't stick out. he's nearly 2.

I put it down to him being a total loon who seems to never stop.

Thank you for the replies. I will have a look at that other thread alp.

Garrotting my dogs are generally on the slim side anyway except for my collie who was briefly plump after a summer of no agility! He is too thin for me, his ribs are clearly visible

I have to confess I have slipped a bit in that he only has one meal a day but he has twice as much as my collie who is bigger than him.

He is 3. The last time I took him to the vet he said he was bordering on being underweight but did say he was all muscle with no fat at all and didn't seem concerned. I just think he looks too thin.

He is on a working dog food. Before I change again I think I will start by trying him on at least one more meal a day.

I have 2 springers. The dog is 3 and the bitch is 7 months. The dog was on the skinny side until the last year really. The vet said he he was fine but I did have other less positive comments. Our little bitch is fine so far but is in no way fat. I think as others have said that springers burn off a lot of energy and working springers are a lighter build anyway so it shows more in them. In the last few months our dog has filled out and whilst i can't see a day where he'll ever be close to overweight he no longer looks thin and ribby.

Garrotting - I suppose in a way I was looking for someone to agree with me however the vet I saw recently had seen pup before whereas other vet hadn't. When I could see her hip bones I thought that maybe she was too skinny.

I've been monitoring her weight gain each month and not being too worried just keeping an eye but when lots and lots of people say how skinny she is you (or I tend to worry).

One poster gave the sheet/blanket/duvet example when feeling the covering of her ribs - a sheet; too thin a blanket; just right a quilt; too chubby We were definately a sheet!

I'm not trying to fatten her up - just ensure that she has enough energy to grow and run like a loon in the woods.

Alp - from what you said on your other thread IMO you're working at keeping your dog at the right weight. It did, and does sound as though your pup needs a little more food in to keep her at the right, lean weight.

OP - how much is your dog pooing? And how big are the piles? It is obvious, but lots coming out one end is an indication that the dog isn't getting all of the nutrition out of the food.

We have two collies, one was awfully skinny, someone on here recommended CSJK9 and it's made a huge difference, she is no longer a bag of bones :)

Thank you Daisy

OP - how much is your dog pooing? And how big are the piles? It is obvious, but lots coming out one end is an indication that the dog isn't getting all of the nutrition out of the food.

for some reason that made me
He poos a normal amount but never very solid, he never has been but then it's not really runny either, sort of in between consistency! He always seems too busy to stop for a poo and usually squats briefly then loses interest and trots off whilst still doing it. Very annoying habit!

How many times a day? Is it a one hand pick up job or does it push the boundaries into a two hand pick up?

If it's not neat, small nuggets I think a change of food is in order. I wonder if it's quite crumbly? Or a bit like a Mr Whippy?

Poo always makes me snigger. Even just seeing it written down .

He does one or two on his morning walk and then maybe one in the garden later but sometimes not. It is rarely small neat nuggets but is usually fairly easy to pick up, more Whippy than pellety. It's not crumbly although looks a bit biscuity in texture, and is a rather alarming orange colour on his new food, easy to find though!

Am sniggering immaturely at all the poo analysis. i may try him on the CSJ food next in an attempt to move away from orange poo

OK - from the poo exam , I'd say his food probably has quite a lot of cereal/filler in it which isn't helping him maintain his weight. It sounds as though he's not processing it too well to me.

I'd never, never encourage chunky dogs but super skinny isn't right either. A working Springer should be lean. Well muscled, lean and full of beans.

CSJ do have some good foods - their premium range is good but I found delivery charges weren't good value.

If you can get Chudleys, you can probably also get Skinners. Try Duck and Rice or Salmon and Rice in their Field and Trial range. It's working dog food and highly though of. Look at their quantity suggestions but feed by eye. I feed mine Fish4Dogs and am really, really pleased with it. We have 4 working labs who are in the best condition they've ever been.

I'm the poster to gave Alp the sheet/blanket/duvet guide . Aim for a light blanket and I think you won't be far off.

ok thankyou. i will try a different food after he's eaten this enormous sack of orange poo food!
He's more tissue paper than a light blanket I think!