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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Puppy food

8 replies

newf · 03/03/2023 19:14

Our 5 month old spaniel is fed Millie's wolfheart countryside mix. He is fed 3 times a day but struggles to put on weight. If we feed him more at his meals he gets loose stools (which Millie's say means he is having too much kibble), but on the current amount he's not filling out like I think he should.

He previously had a campylobacter illness which caused diarrhoea but this has now cleared up and although gaining weight doesn't seem chunky enough for his breed.

We are thinking about changing to another grain free food but even after looking on all about dog food I feel a bit lost. Any advice?

OP posts:
BeansOnToast32 · 03/03/2023 19:50

Have you got a picture of the puppy from above to see the ribs/waist? As long as ribs aren't showing I wouldn't worry too much, pups are generally gangly at that age and don't start filling out until much older.

My 8 month old CKCS is all long body and legs, she's just finishing her first season and she's only just starting to look a little chunkier but still slim. I think we are all that used to seeing overweight dogs that we think normal weight ones look underweight.

SoupDragon1066 · 04/03/2023 11:03

Try adding a scrambled egg per day. Easy to digest and full of protein. Mine is on home-cooked chicken and rice with butternut squash plus a vitamin supplement. Had trouble eating kibble (Wellness Core) whilst teething). He’s a 5 month old whippet. Vet said weight gain is perfect. No issues with loose stools. Hope that helps!

Lastqueenofscotland2 · 04/03/2023 11:43

What breed is he? Puppies are meant to be pretty lanky and will fill out when they stop growing.

SoupDragon1066 · 04/03/2023 12:26

Yes, agree with above - they do have growth spurts where the appear lankier than normal!

DominoRules · 04/03/2023 12:32

I would add some sweet potato/egg/fish in with the kibble and see if that helps.

My spaniel is now 15 months and still on the slim side - we had a lot of trouble getting weight on him until the last couple of months to be honest. He is on butternut box but has double the recommended quantity and also a kibble lunch still. It’s been a bit of trial and error to see what suits his tummy best!

Our vet was really supportive, she was also worried about his weight so we had some tests to rule out any underlying conditions and he’s seen once a month by the nurse to check his weight and condition. The conclusion is he just uses up so much energy he needs a huge amount of calories!

IngGenius · 04/03/2023 12:56

I agree it is better to have dogs on the lean side. Working busy dogs like spaniels can be very lean so if still growing and putting on weight I would not worry too much.

Millies Countryside is a very high protein meat rich food - which is fab but some high energy dogs need a higher percentage of carbs to put on weight. Speak to Millies and they may suggest changing to a different food . They may suggests moving to 60/40 from the 70/30 you are on.

Original poster
newf · 04/03/2023 18:44

Thank you for your replies. Yes, he is definitely gangly. I got it wrong and he's on the gundog mix as the countryside didn't suit him so we swapped. He has 2 sweet potato filled kongs a day but we can definitely give him extra with his meals or a scrambled egg which he likes.

OP posts:
SoupDragon1066 · 04/03/2023 22:09

That’s if you can get your hands on any eggs. 🤣🙄

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