Making dog gain weight - Page 1

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Making dog gain weight

Posted: 4/1/2021 9:33:57 PM EDT

I’ve got a two year old female ridgeback mix. At least I think she’s a ridgeback.

She weighs about 40-50 pounds, and is pure muscle. Doggo is very happy, rambunctious, and playful.

However she needs to gain weight. She’s skin and bones and you can see every rib bone.

Typically I was feeding her two cups of Nutro- one at breakfast and dinner.

I’ve upped it to four cups daily for a week and I don’t see a noticeable difference. This is in addition to multiple treats per day.

What gives? Just wait longer than a week?

Posted: 4/1/2021 9:35:03 PM EDT

[#1]

Have her get married, that works for most females.

Posted: 4/1/2021 9:36:18 PM EDT

[#2]

They are high energy dogs. You need to give it some time. Also has she been checked for parasites? In for and exam and bloodwork lately?

Posted: 4/1/2021 9:36:30 PM EDT

[#3]

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Quoted:
Have her get married, that works for most females.

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FPNI yet again.

Posted: 4/1/2021 9:39:59 PM EDT

[#4]

Find a athletic or extreme performance version of your food. Mine get that in summer and fall otherwise they lose weight from activity. After hunting season they go back to normal otherwise they get some flab on them.

ETA - sometimes if they are having trouble keeping weight I'll add to their dog food. Olive oil, eggs, rice, burger, etc.

Posted: 4/1/2021 9:48:08 PM EDT

[#5]

Meat is what you seek.

Posted: 4/1/2021 10:10:32 PM EDT

[#6]

The first thing I would do is have a vet make sure there isn't a parasite, or other physical condition that prevents weight gain. Over feeding a dog with an underlying health issue isn't a good idea.

Posted: 4/1/2021 10:16:10 PM EDT

[#7]

your dog may need worming. ask the vet for help.

Posted: 4/1/2021 10:18:48 PM EDT

[#8]

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Quoted:
your dog may need worming. ask the vet for help.

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I will certainly be checking up on this. How do dogs get worms? She’s either inside or the fenced in yard

Posted: 4/1/2021 10:19:12 PM EDT

[#9]

Beefcake 5000.

Posted: 4/1/2021 10:21:55 PM EDT

[#10]

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Quoted:

I will certainly be checking up on this. How do dogs get worms? She’s either inside or the fenced in yard

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Eating shit with worms. Bugs. Shitty water. Aliens.

Posted: 4/1/2021 10:27:07 PM EDT

[#11]

Food with a higher fat content will help

Posted: 4/1/2021 10:30:22 PM EDT

[#12]

Switch to a high performance food. Give her a 30/20 food like Pro Plan Sport at 4 cups per day and she will gain weight.

However, dogs aren’t supposed to be chubby. You should be able to see her ribs. Especially on thin-skinned dogs with short hair, like ridgebacks.

Posted: 4/1/2021 10:30:41 PM EDT

[#13]

I gave my dogs goats milk and they gains weight nicely. I also feed my dog tripe and he loves it.

Posted: 4/1/2021 10:30:47 PM EDT

[#14]

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Quoted:

FPNI yet again.

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Quoted:

Quoted:
Have her get married, that works for most females.

FPNI yet again.

Uncanny

Posted: 4/1/2021 10:32:41 PM EDT

[#15]

Seeing a dog's ribs doesn't mean it's underweight. It's actually normal. We're just so used to seeing fat dogs that we think healthy ones are sickly and skinny.

Posted: 4/1/2021 10:44:51 PM EDT

[#16]

To fatten dogs up for dogs shows we use puppy food, it has a lot more fat in it. Takes at least a month and they might get the shits for a few days but they gain weight and their fur becomes shiny. Costco puppy food with extra chicken and rice cooked in a pressure cooker works and is very cheap, but again they might get the squirts for a few days which sucks if you have carpet..

Posted: 4/1/2021 10:49:00 PM EDT

[#17]

It takes longer than a week for a dog to gain weight. I think if you keep at what you are doing, your dog will add weight. The quick alternative is too just provide unlimited food to the dog, but even that isn't going to yield a visible difference in the immediate short term. Dogs are like us, it takes over eating for a while to show noticeable weight gain. At a minimum, I'd keep your dog on the higher daily rations.

Posted: 4/1/2021 10:51:20 PM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
I’ve got a two year old female ridgeback mix. At least I think she’s a ridgeback.

She weighs about 40-50 pounds, and is pure muscle. Doggo is very happy, rambunctious, and playful.

However she needs to gain weight. She’s skin and bones and you can see every rib bone.

Typically I was feeding her two cups of Nutro- one at breakfast and dinner.

I’ve upped it to four cups daily for a week and I don’t see a noticeable difference. This is in addition to multiple treats per day.

What gives? Just wait longer than a week?

View Quote

One of my hounds is slender like that. He eats as much as he wants, but we do walk a few miles every day.

Posted: 4/1/2021 10:54:29 PM EDT

[#19]

On the worm front, a cheap trick we used on the horse farm, that I still use today is to buy a tube of horse de-wormer. Get the formula that is the same ingredient as dog heart worm medication - ivermectin. It's like $3 for a tube for a 1200 pound horse, and it is basically more than a year's supply for a dog. Put a dab of it on your finger, feed that to the dog once a month. It's less than the price of a single month of heartworm meds, keep it in the fridge and it's good for a year even though you won't use the whole tube.

Posted: 4/1/2021 11:17:19 PM EDT

[#20]

Quote History

Quoted:
Switch to a high performance food. Give her a 30/20 food like Pro Plan Sport at 4 cups per day and she will gain weight.

However, dogs aren’t supposed to be chubby. You should be able to see her ribs. Especially on thin-skinned dogs with short hair, like ridgebacks.

View Quote

I did this for my dog. Honestly she didn’t bulk up she just grew. Give it a try tho that is what my vet recommended.

Posted: 4/1/2021 11:27:41 PM EDT

[#21]

Steak and taters.

Posted: 4/2/2021 12:15:17 AM EDT

[#22]

Posted: 4/2/2021 12:19:03 AM EDT

[#23]

Is it that hard to get a healthy dog to gain weight?

Oh fuck, just realized this is a stevejg1 thread.

No wonder tard thread.

Posted: 4/2/2021 12:19:38 AM EDT

[#24]

Quote History

Quoted:
Have her get married, that works for most females.

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Posted: 4/2/2021 8:45:51 AM EDT

[#25]

Puppy food would be my suggestion.

Posted: 4/2/2021 9:49:23 AM EDT

[#26]

I woulch check for parasites, then not worry about it. But would also add in raw meat with fat.

Posted: 4/2/2021 10:13:21 AM EDT

[#27]

Pictures of the dog? 90% of dogs are over weight. This causes all kinds of problems as they age from overworked hearts to worn joints. I bet the dog is a healthy weight. But if your trying to make her gain. Proplan sport dog food will pack it on fast.

Posted: 4/2/2021 10:15:39 AM EDT

[#28]

skinny athletic dogs are happy dogs, fat dogs are unhappy. don't make your dog fat because of the look.

same goes for people.

Posted: 4/2/2021 10:20:29 AM EDT

[#29]

My 50 lb pointer is on 4 cups a day.

Up the intake more until you see results.

The hotter they burn, the more fuel they need.

My 110 lb lab is on 2.5 cups a day, any more than that and he gains too much weight in the off season, but he's basically a beached whale most of the time.

Posted: 4/2/2021 10:21:46 AM EDT

[#30]

Quote History

Quoted:
skinny athletic dogs are happy dogs, fat dogs are unhappy. don't make your dog fat because of the look.

same goes for people.

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Depends, we've always tried to fatten up the hunting dogs before winter, seems to help them. We don't make them obese, but a nice layer over the ribs gives them some extra fuel to work with.

I try to lean them out come spring and through most of summer.