Very skinny whippet

[clbj]

Hoping someone will have some ideas for me.
I have a lovely 18 month old whippet. She has always been very slight, very small build, and also always had a very sensitive stomach (not aided by terrible scavenging habit which we have now got under control). I had really hoped that she would bulk up a bit as she got older, but it’s just not happening.
Due to a bout of giardia as a pup she was on Royal Canin hypoallergenic for about a year, but didn’t thrive on it, though her digestion was manageable. I tried her on raw but it didn’t suit her, and have now transitioned her onto Millie’s Wolfheart kibble semi-successfully. With the minimum amount of recommended kibble she has manageable digestion, her coat has improved and she has good energy. However she has lost weight since the change and I cannot get her to gain anymore. If I increase the kibble she gets diarrhoea, if I add peanut butter/egg/sardines/Greek yogurt to her meal, she gets diarrhoea. The vet saw her this week and says she is perfectly healthy. Do I just need to accept she is a skinny little thing? Will she bulk a bit as she gets older? Can anyone recommend anything else I can give her to add weight without upsetting her stomach? For context I have had several whippets before, none as scrawny as this one. any ideas or experiences welcome.

contact Millie’s they might have a lower protein food you can feed more of?

i like forthglade and canagan too.
have you tried a pro biotic like protexin pro kolin you can feed that to help settle the stomach and build good gut health

Definitely speak to Millie's, they might be able to recommend a different recipe to try. What one are you feeding at the moment?

Have you tried adding wet food to her diet or increasing portion sizes?

I buy these for my dog. They’re made by the same people who make the pro-kolin paste. They’re chewable and she thinks they’re a daily treat! They have really helped to settle her digestive issues. I also feed her 3x a day so it’s easier on her tummy.

www.amazon.co.uk/Protexin-Pet-Health-Pro-Balance-Probiotic/dp/B07Z5B8GW9/ref=sr_1_3?crid=DMR76L3O1RVA&keywords=pro+balance&qid=1657804507&rdc=1&sprefix=Pro+bala%2Caps%2C67&sr=8-3

Try adding an oil? Mine gets salmon oil to help his skin. It has a lot of calories in a concentrated form so not adding more bulk. Nor sure that would suit her needs but you could start with a tiny amount and gradually increase.

Have you tired feeling little and often? If we’re trying to put weight on an underweight rescue then that’s the best and safest way to do it. From what you’re saying it sounds like she can’t manage bigger portions anyway so I’d go with 5/6 smaller meals a day if she’ll take them.

Feeding not feeling!

Thanks for all your replies and advice.

I contacted Millie’s before I switched, she is on the Millie’s utility mix which is 50% protein as they say this is what sighthounds usually do best on.

I did try adding some wet food but, again, diarrhoea…. Any increase in portion seems to end that way, which I guess does point to feeding little and often as Pollywoddles suggests.

She is on daily probiotics which definitely make a huge difference to her digestion overall. Also slippery elm which seems to calm her tummy.

I will go back to Millie’s, and I think maybe feeding little and often, and perhaps once that is established trying a salmon oil.

thank you - she is very much loved and so I hate that it looks like she underfed!

What wet food have you tried? Our pup used to get terrible wind on a lot of the wet food we tried (Lily's kitchen, Millie's, nature's menu) but does fine with forthglade complimentary food. We're still feeding three times a day as she doesn't seem to be able to eat enough to maintain weight on twice daily meals. She has the recommended amount of kibble for her weight, plus half a tray of forthglade plus treats on top and is still at the skinner end of normal.

All my dogs who normally have cast iron stomachs on any food were very loose on MW. I always bang on about this, but some dogs just don't do well on higher end foods (although RC is 'higher end' in price only).

I would probably be tempted to try her on my oft-recommended Arden Grange Fish & Potato, or possibly even good old Chappie!

How skinny vs other whippets? They are a really slight breed. Generally for them and other sighthounds not being able to see the ribs means obesity. They don’t carry fat in the same way. Sighthounds also tend not to gorge on food in the same way other breeds do. They will be quite happy to leave food. Their origins are in being very lightweight and agile hunters.

If your dog has sensitive stomach do not feed raw. It could be a sensitivity to meat proteins and raw will make it far far worse. The best food as recommended by my vet was Chappie and this is what most vets will recommend for a sensitive stomach. Book a vets appointment to get some tests done to rule out any parasites first. Chappie wet food in tins is the best. Don't mess about trialing other foods if it's a food sensitivity chappie is the solution.

Thank you for all replies.

She is definitely thin - you can see all her ribs and several vertebrae.

I have called Millie’s and am waiting to hear back from them. I am wary of chopping and changing her food too often, so will try all I can with MW, but appreciate that perhaps I will need to look at other brands/formulas if she doesn’t settle soon.

Thank you for the recommendations, really helpful.

I’d maybe go up to three or four small meals a day if you can fit it in timing wise.

Well no, it isn't.

My dog is highly reactive to cereals and guess what the first ingredient in Chappie is? So it absolutely would not work for him, or any dog with a cereal sensitivity and imo, it's highly irresponsible for you to tout it as a miracle fix for every dog with food issues.

Bless her. My whippet boy was always in the skinnier side as a youngster despite being allowed to eat what he wanted.

Turns out he was a very late developer. He actually kept filling out until he was three so she will hopefully have some more maturing to do.

If your vet says she’s a healthy weight why don’t you trust that?
whippets are skinny. Aren’t you supposed to be able to see their ribs And their vertebrae?