how do i get his weight up ??

[violator]

hi there i have a male 15 month old doberman and i thought he was skinny took him to vet and they also say he is underweight, now my last doberman ate like it was goin to run out, but dino will eat a little and walk away, he has food avalible 24/7 but nibbles a little here and there, never really interested in food, also lately he is sleepin A LOT...he has a playmate my 3 year old staffordshire bull terrier/collie cross, but would rather sleep the now. he has just recovered from a bad ear and eye infection btw, if that helps

please help i am really worried about my dobie, he's my boy and i love him to death...

[violator]

anyone any idea ??

[jelly8bean]

Humm.. have you tried tempting him with some really good food? Chicken and rice are great for the tummy. My Sara , while never ever off her food, did and does have good days and bad days. Sometimes she will jump all over one of my other dogs and play play play.. then she will have one of those days she would rather sit and rest on the sofa. What did the vet recommend? You might think about some blood tests...
Also food out 24/7 may not be the right idea. You may think about making food time a big deal with two feedings a day, using special wet food or something. This will make it more obvious exactly how much he is eating and may make him more likely to eat when it is presented. Leave the food down for about 15 min, then if not finished, take it up and wait till next time. Of course your mix will need to be on the same schedule, but it might be worth a try.

[violator]

yeah tried leaving the food down for 15 mins and lifting it, he still aint really interested in the food, somedays he will eat nearly a full bowl and some days he will nibble around it and then leave it so i lift it and he aint interested...

they are both on a working dog food as that is what i thought would build him up, but he is not eating enough of it...

if u were to feed him "human" food he would eat it all day but that is not happening as all that will happen is i end up with a spoiled/ruined dobie...

thanks for your quick reply i hope someone can help...


also forgot to say he was in a bad car accident about 4 months ago, some kids thought it would be funny to aim a firework at him when he was outside my house while i was working on my car, he freaked and ran onto a main road and got hit at 60 mph by an audi, he was lucky to survive tbh vet told me not to expect him to be alive in the morning !

but survive he did, and hes doin good...he is a little bit incontinent if he has woken from a long sleep, but i deal with that by takin him straight out for a walk when he was woken up and i have trained him to come to me as SOON as he wakes up...so we are ok with that.

maybe this info will help someone to help me help my boy...i hope so :D

[jelly8bean]

If he is happy to eat "human" food , then clearly your food taste is not very tempting to him. I would try some other food or mix with wet or something to entice his appetite. Also he may be being bullied by your older dog around food .. there are lots of things that may be happening, it is hard to tell. Have you considered a raw diet? Since "human" food is a spoiler in your lexicon, not sure if raw would appeal to you. But it is a thought... What is your vet's recommendation?

Sorry to hear about the kids in your area. What a shame.

[violator]

i dont mean human food is a total no no, what i mean is i want to try keep him on pet food and not havin dino becoming fussy and deciding that human food is more tempting.

[violator]

what do you mean by raw food, explain please...

[jelly8bean]

There is a whole culture of Raw for dog diet,

A few years ago, a book by Australian veterinarian Ian Billinghurst urged pet owners to turn away from commercial diets and prepare their own raw food meals for pets. Based on the knowledge that wild canids eat raw food, Billinghurst promoted BARF – a bones and raw food diet – as healthier for dogs than any commercial diet.

Ingredients in raw food diets include whole chicken or fish carcasses or parts (chicken necks and backs are popular); yogurt; raw eggs; and leftover fruit and vegetables. Grains are forbidden. Advocates assert that raw food diets increase energy, improve longevity, and fix everything from doggy odor to arthritis.

I would research this one on the web and make your own evaluation of this..
here is one website that covers some of the basic information

http://www.njboxers.com/faqs.htm

I do not feed raw, and I do not have a reason to evaluate it. However, I have heard testimonials that it is great,especially with those who are having issues with weight management or digestive issues.

[violator]

so basically that goes against everythi ur told about how that kind of food is bad or toxic for dogs...interesting...

[violator]

i have read it and it seems to make sense, i think i will try it for one month and see how he goes...thanks a lot jellybean !! :D

[SnuzerDog]

Man, I don't know about the BARF thing. I know there has been alot written about it, but it's by no means conclusive either pro or con. Plus, it's expensive and labor intensive to prepare, serve and store. And, dangerous if not handled correctly- for both the dog, and you! As someone trained in food service, I can tell you that raw meats/bones and such are very easily mis-handled and could easily contaminate you, your prep surfaces and utensils. While supposedly canine alimentary systems can accomodate more and higher levels of microbes, ours cannot...:(

With that said, you did not say what types of commercial foods you have tried. What brands, any organic or holistic, wet, dry prepped wet... It has always been my opinion that if a dog doesn't want to eat either he's not hungry, he's scared, or he's sick. Eliminate the possibilities and what's left is what you need to address. Go a day with no food available, then the next day, after some exercise and a short rest, try hand-feeding some different types of kibbles or treats one piece at a time to see what he likes. I take a cue from Cesar Millan on feedings- I hand mix Deano's kibble with hot water, with my bare hands, and make him sit quietly and patiently until I release him to eat. This has a calming effect on him- the mild soupiness slows down the wolfing and my scent is in his food. Maybe try mixing some commercial wet food with his kibble? You will need to experiment, but I would not fall back to human food- it simply is not good for dogs. Keep us posted!

[jelly8bean]

There is a difference between using "human food" and my recommendation of chicken and rice. I provide this recommendation due to the fact that the OP said the dog was not interested in his food. Talk to any vet and you will find that cooked chicken (no bones) and brown rice are a very good diet for a dog with some digestive issues. It can settle them right down and it usually tastes good enough for them to pickup appetite.

I also agree that we would need more information on the foods tried, but that didn't seem to be forthcoming. I mentioned BARF because Europeans have a lot less expense and issue with it. One of the basic things you have to do is to handle the food correctly.. this is covered again and again in all the information - I think one of the things they do is freeze all the meat first and just dethaw what is being feed that day. But since I am only an observer I can't tell you for sure.

Yes.. I would really like to hear any further details about how this works out..

[Sue J]

I don't know about BARF first hand, but I can say that when we want weight put on a field trial beagle, the first thing they get added is cooked chicken and brown rice. It doesn't upset their stomachs like switching food sometimes can.

[SnuzerDog]

There is a difference between using "human food" and my recommendation of chicken and rice. I provide this recommendation due to the fact that the OP said the dog was not interested in his food. Talk to any vet and you will find that cooked chicken (no bones) and brown rice are a very good diet for a dog with some digestive issues. It can settle them right down and it usually tastes good enough for them to pickup appetite.

Jelly, agreed on this- my mention of 'human food' was not in reference to this suggestion, just to the tendency of many people to give in to a smart dog's apparent insistence on being served the same food the owners eat- usually because the owners have given it too often as tidbits and/or table scraps in the past. Sorry to confuse the issue!

[violator]

Jelly, agreed on this- my mention of 'human food' was not in reference to this suggestion, just to the tendency of many people to give in to a smart dog's apparent insistence on being served the same food the owners eat- usually because the owners have given it too often as tidbits and/or table scraps in the past. Sorry to confuse the issue!

i agree with yourself here, what i have tried is commercial dog foods ie: dry food and wet, wet, pedigree chum, bakers etc...dry: hills science plan, pedigree chum, wainwright etc, although the one he seems to like most is pero premium, which is a working dog food, so high in calories which is a good thing...

[violator]

ok decided against barf, and went for the wainright dry food which is about 90 dollars a bag, on loads of good advice and good comments...he wont touch it...also it says he should be eating just over a kilo of food per day, he eats about a 1/4 of that, even less sometimes...

[jelly8bean]

Humm.. sounds like he is a hard keeper. Ok now you need to find out what pleases him in the taste dept. Sounds like he is perfectly willing to go without if he doesn't like it. Maybe adding a bit of wet food in with the kibble? Have you tried Blue buffalo? Or some of the other more meaty (thinking of taste here) kibbles?

[violator]

yeah wainright is supposed to be a very tasty dry food (the one i got him is duck and rice) and says on it it is a strong gamey flavour etc...getting to the end of my options here.

[SnuzerDog]

My pet store hands out complimentary sample bags of foods on a regular basis that the manufacturer's sales reps provide, might try asking for a variety of those??? :confused:

[apollo]

Have you tried cottage cheese as something to entice her to eat? I feed it to Apollo 3 times a week for strong bones. He will sit there and eat the whole bowl. We usually just leave his food down 24/7.Otherwise the only thing I can think of would be lean cooked hamburger meat with gravy in her food, Pros and cons to this though so ask your vet. When we had to bring dogs weight up, this is what we would feed them even the most finicky eaters couldn't help themselves. There's got to be some kind of wet food that could work for him though.

[Sue J]

I wish I could offer something but it sounds like you're trying so much already. My only reaction--Wainwright @ $90 per bag, oh my...and I thought dogfood was expensive here. I hope you find the right one that Dino will eat.

[violator]

well when i had my cane corso cairo, he would eat like there was no tommorow, whole bowl wolfed down and still givin you that starved look lol, and when i had him, dino, he was about 9 months old when cairo passed away through cancer, and dino would eat just like him, all three did...but now cairo has passed away and its just dino and my bull terrier/collie mix, they have both became finicky eaters, although little mans weight is totally fine (maybe ever so SLIGHTLY over-weight by a pound at most) but dino is still skinny... i really need to get him weighed and see where he is at, but his hips vertabrae etc are showing through...a sure sign he is badly under weight.


jellybean; you are right he WILL happily go days without food if he doesnt like it.
i have tried the "well its staying there you eat it or starve" approach, that didnt work at all it did lay there and he didnt touch it.

snuzer; they dont do that here, wish they did as then i wouldnt be so out of pocket with him (it works out about nearly 200 dollars of food i have tried and wasted this month...and were not even half way through it.)

[violator]

thanks sue, this is the first time i have tried wainright, as it was so expensive i was worried he wouldnt eat it and i would be stuck with it, exactly like what has happened, it costs 45 pounds here, which i calculate to be about 90 dollars, maybe more maybe less.

he was on all the "normal" foods like pedigree chum, bakers etc bit i decided to bite the bullet and see if the so called "best dog food you can buy" by vets and other trainers etc would actually work...alas not a chance he had about a 1/4 of a bowl on monday (i have the proper feeding cup and he is meant to eat 7 cups worth a day...he had 5 in the bowl as thats all it would hold, and ate a 1/4 of that so you can work it out if you wish lol) and has had nothing since.

[jelly8bean]

Wow that is really picky. I guess I would have to say check with your vet. Sometimes health issues will surface this way so I would have him checked out. Otherwise, buy sample stuff till you find one that appeals to him.

I am now feeding all my pups separately (long story, but regardless)and I have found that my rottie (who was a picky eater before she moved in with me) would wolf down food when she was eating with Sara. Now that she gets to eat by herself she has become very casual about it. Sometimes leaving food too, I think the competition feeling with Sara was getting my Roxie to clean up... cause if she wandered from the bowl, Sara would finish it for her. That may be part of what you are seeing. Have you tried some simple flavoring things? Perhaps adding chicken or beef broth? (I can buy these in the groceries pretty cheap so not a big deal).

[violator]

well the 2 i have now are very blase about what they eat, they even wader to each others bowls and share "there" bowls willingly...

also the slightest change in his diet gives him the runs, and he has been back and forth to the vet loads of times, he's healthy, but under weight.

[kenc18901]

When I brought home gracie she did not eat like she was suppose to. The breeder suggested some tuna in a can. The kind that is packed in oil. I mix enough in with the dry food so that she will eat it.

[violator]

he was weighed today and he is 60 pounds...he seems to like the wainright food so that is good, vet says he is fine in his weight now so happy days...i just want him a bit chunkier thats all :D

[jelly8bean]

whew! Glad to hear it, I know he looked good in your pictures.

[apollo]

That is very good to hear keep us posted.

[violator]

thanks everyone and thanks for your wonderful insights and hints and tips...i could feel right away there is a genuine love of the doberman breed on this site...i felt right at home :D

[violator]

quick update; dino is now upto 80 pounds and looks a whole load better for it :D

[SnuzerDog]

That's good news!

I was very surprised recently, I took my boy in to the vet for a torn nail, and of course they weighed him; found he had put on 10 lbs! A bit of a surprise, as he really didn't seem like he had put on much, if anything- but it's been six months of pretty heavy training w/liberal treats, so decided to cut his meals back a bit. :rolleyes:

[Sue J]

WTG Dino!!! Maybe I missed it, but what diet did you finally settle on?

[violator]

he seems to have aquired a taste for the wainright, i just switch about what flavour i buy them when it comes time for a new bag, stops em gettin to bored i feel.

[jelly8bean]

I found this receipt for weight gain.. may not need it now, but interesting. Lots of folks think it really works (adult dogs only)

Satin Balls - The Original Recipe



The following recipe was sent to Wellpet by Diana Carreon, R.N.,C. It quickly became one of the most requested posts on Wellpet.

Ingredients

10 pounds hamburger meat [the cheapest kind]
1 lg. box of Total cereal
1 lg. box oatmeal
1 jar of wheat germ
1 1/4 cup veg oil
1 1/4 cup of unsulfured molasses
10 raw eggs AND shells
10 envelopes of unflavored gelatin
pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients together, much like you would a meatloaf.

Divide into 10 quart freezer bags and freeze.

Thaw as needed and feed raw!

Most folks feed 1/4 cup as a supplement once a day.

[violator]

very interesting,, but when u say total cereal, we dont got that here, is that like kellogg's corn flakes ?

[jelly8bean]

Total is more of a bran flake than cornflake. I think you could substitute some sort of mulitgrain or bran flake cereal.

[Dobs4ever]

One of the first things that comes to mind when a dog is underweight and not interested in food is CAH - chronic active hepitatus. I would have a full blood panel done just as a reference point. It will eliminate any major problems that might be lurking. If he is good to go on his blood panel there are several products to help get weight up. Nu Pro is like a body builder product for dogs. I am not into the raw thing. But I do cook ground turkey, hamburger mixed half and half with brown rice add peas, carrots, green beans and then mix it all mix half and half with dog food for the picky eaters. 3 times a week they get mackrel which is good for coat and heart ( one mackrel per meal mixed with dog food. Hope that this gives you another method if you decide you do not want to mess with raw. UGH!