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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

Need to fatten ddog up.

32 replies

Ibravedaflood · 28/10/2023 13:41

Ddog is obviously more whippet than her dd and so thin.. Had her 6 years and she is happy and healthy. At jabs last week vet said she had lost 1 kg. She really can't spare a kg. Have bought some better dry complete food and some peanut butter... What human foods can I add to help the weight go on? Google tells me sweet potato, peanut butter and and chicken with skin /fat. Any tips? Ddog is 14 and I worry she is just going to fade away.
And yesterday she can't put her right front paw down. Nothing in it or any grazes either. Vet on Monday for the paw. And they say dc are stressful!

OP posts:
YoDood · 28/10/2023 13:48

Our dog was a bit skinny and she now gets a couple of dog treat biscuits after each meal. She fully expects them now and loves having pudding.

SoddingWeddings · 28/10/2023 13:52

I used salmon oil for my elderly cat. You can buy bottles with a pump for ease of dosing.

When my dog lost weight after a bad bout of giardia, it was all about the treats. Eggs added to her meal, tinned sardines and wet food added to her dry stuff, human leftovers, and regular actual high fat dog treats during the day as snacks. It took months to build her up, we didn't count her calories but it might have been easier if we had done so!

NewDogOwner · 28/10/2023 13:55

We were told by the vet that those dental treats are like giving them a Mars Bar and are responsible for lots dogs putting on weight so they could work.

margotrose · 28/10/2023 14:13

Sadly it's fairly normal for elderly animals to lose weight/struggle to maintain their weight, no matter how much you try and feed them.

I wouldn't be going down the road of fatty foods as you could just cause more problems - pancreatitis, for example.

Original poster
Ibravedaflood · 28/10/2023 15:30

Sadly not enough teeth for those teeth treats! 10 out cost me £800 a few years ago! Sardines sound good.. Dcats will be hounding me I guess!
Pic of skinny ddog for the 'aw' s'..

Need to fatten ddog up.
OP posts:
PinkflowersWhiteBerries · 28/10/2023 15:56

Aw pretty lady, but I can see your concern. Treats definitely put weight on, or perhaps add some wet food topper to her ‘complete’ dry meal.
Cheese is good for weight gain, but can be rough on digestion - you could try goats cheese or Ewes milk cheese, or even just goats milk in her bowl .

IngGenius · 28/10/2023 16:56

Any idea why she has lost the kg?

If nothing has changed eg exercise or food can the weight loss be looked into?

I agree I would not be adding loads of fatty food - what is she being feed at the moment?

Hellocatshome · 28/10/2023 16:57

Sprats, salmon skin, cheese, eggs

margotrose · 28/10/2023 17:08

I don't think posters should be advising feeding loads of fatty foods like cheese and salmon skin to an elderly dog who has lost weight, tbh.

Old dogs in particular are susceptible to things like pancreatitis and you could end up doing way more harm than good.

Sprig1 · 28/10/2023 17:12

How about adding an egg to every meal?

CMOTDibbler · 28/10/2023 17:58

The easiest thing to do is to add in another meal of her regular food. I'd also make sure she was wearing pjs in the house and a good coat outside so she isn't using energy to keep warm now its getting cooler.

8Ash · 28/10/2023 20:55

The reluctance to put her paw down may be due to her extremely long nails. They cause lots of pain and discomfort as they alter correct foot placement.

In regards to her weight, the first port of call would be a blood panel to check for underlying issues.

If all clear, raw green tripe is my go to for getting weight on a dog - high protein, moderate fat and highly digestible. You can buy it in frozen blocks from
places like Pets At Home. Scrambled eggs are another good option, added as an extra meal as not to overload the stomach with large portions.

Avoid lots of fatty foods like cheese, peanut butter, supplement oils and chicken skin - it's a recipe for pancreatitis to start loading stuff like that into an elderly thin dog.

Original poster
Ibravedaflood · 28/10/2023 20:58

Her nail quicks are very long so nails arebas short as can be cut. She had a health check at jabs appointment last month.. We have been away for 2 weeks and she has been totally fine.. She was with us.. Still bright and alert.. Will add extra meals and we tried peanut butter yesterday.. Went down great!

OP posts:
8Ash · 28/10/2023 21:02

You can train the quicks back by taking tiny, tiny amounts off the nails at a time. Literally a tiny shaving every few days. They will recede back and allow the nails to be cut to a comfortable length.

SoddingWeddings · 28/10/2023 22:38

Tbh, with a sprinting dog (mine is part greyhound amongst other things), the claws will always be naturally much longer than people realise. We do daily pavement walks along with grass etc to keep her claws down - she's never actually had them clipped.

Ask the vet about the appropriate paracetamol dosing for her weight - it's an excellent pain killer in dogs and we chuck an occasional half pill down the dog when her arthritis is especially bad. She's on long term metacam, but she has bad days from time to time.

HashBrownandBeans · 28/10/2023 22:42

A handful of puppy biscuits in each meal, it’s higher in calories

IngGenius · 29/10/2023 08:21

There is high calorie dog food on the market - depends what type of food you feed.

Millies have the highest calorie dried food.

Better to add higher calorie food than just increase fatty food or increase the quantity.

IngGenius · 29/10/2023 08:29

A physical vet check will not pick up on issues that could be causing weight loss. I too would be asking for detailed blood tests.

margotrose · 29/10/2023 08:34

She had a health check at jabs appointment last month.

A very basic check at a vaccination appointment won't be enough to know that she's healthy - all it does is check the basics (ears, eyes, heart and breathing normally).

I agree with @IngGenius that she needs bloods at the very least. At her age I would be worried about her liver and her kidneys.

Original poster
Ibravedaflood · 29/10/2023 18:45

Have noticed the elbow area is swollen today. Wasn't yesterday.. She won't stand on it. Vet trip tomorrow definitely... But she is enjoying the extra meals!

OP posts:
SiouxsieSiouxStiletto · 29/10/2023 19:55

How about some fleece pjs to keep her warm too, that way she won't burn off as much energy keeping warm.

Original poster
Ibravedaflood · 29/10/2023 20:00

She has pj's for when we are in. Not overnight. But the bad elbow means I daren't bend it today! Last night they slept like this.. Fingers crossed can see a vet tomorrow.. We have just had 2 weeks away where she walked hours most days. Been home a week and hoping she has just overdone it at 14!

Need to fatten ddog up.
OP posts:
AgMaggy · 29/10/2023 20:03

What's the current feeding routine? I see posts about what you're adding etc but what's the routine/amounts etc?

Original poster
Ibravedaflood · 29/10/2023 20:11

Have added 2 extra portions of new dried complete since yesterday.. She has tinned and dry plus cooked veg twice daily anyway. Not enough teeth for hard snacks..

OP posts:
Newuser75 · 29/10/2023 20:20

I certainly wouldn't be adding loads of fatty human food into her diet.

How many feeds is she on a day? I'd recommend about 4 feeds a day of a decent quality dog food.

Weigh her weekly and see if she is improving. If no weight gain after a few weeks then maybe contact the vet.

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