Methods to Properly Feed an Underweight Dog
The first method is to increase the quantity of food that your dog eats in a day.
For raw feeders, you should add more muscle meat to help put on the pounds, or you might also want to increase the overall percentage that you feed to your dog.
For dogs that are eating a commercial kibble diet, you can add an extra half cup or full cup as your dog’s mid-day snack.
For dogs who are on a homemade diet, you should increase the number of carbs and protein.
Another method to note when you feed a malnourished dog is that you should always dish out the meals yourself.
You must never allow your dog to have free access to food and let him/her freely eat for the first few days after having gone without food.
I recommend that you feed your dog only small portions every 6 hours, so that your dogs will eat four times per day.
Remember that when your underweight dog’s stomach has gone through a long period of no food, it will dramatically shrink and become more vulnerable to stretching when your starts to eat again.
However, this sensitivity to expansion will just appear in about five days if you just follow the right feeding method.
Also, when you feed a malnourished dog, you should never give it one large meal that will last the whole day since this could be very harmful and dangerous to them.
Another option is you can add one whole raw egg to your dog’s food bowl, this large amount of protein will ensure to help pack on some weight on your dog’s weight.
CAUTION ABOUT RAW EGGS: In healthy dogs, too many raw eggs can lead to a biotin (vitamin B7) deficiency which is potentially serious. The potential risk would be far worse for a dog who is already malnourished. Cooked eggs, however, are safe.
You can also include fruits and veggies like pumpkin, sweet potato, apples, green beans and raw green tripe on your dog’s food bowl.
Another option to consider is the amount of calories in the food that your dog eats during his delicate condition.
The calories that should be consumed by your dog should be the same as what dogs eat under normal circumstances.
You should also make sure that the dog will always have free access to water for them to stay well hydrated. Dehydration in dogs is very serious. Consider 15 percent loss of water could be fatal to any dog.
Finally, providing healthy treats and snacks for your dogs is an excellent way to add extra calories to their diet.
But make sure you do not go overboard with the treats since that could be an easy way to jump to the other side of the weight spectrum.
I would recommend feeding your dogs with high-quality food that has an average fat content of at least 18 percent and between 25 and 30 percent of protein. For a dog to gain weight, it needs to be fed with a large amount of fat.
Non-veterinary care can be successful as long as the rescued dog does not have a serious medical disorder such as kidney failure, anemia, pancreatitis or bowel obstruction due to garbage or foreign body ingestion.
It is common to see occasional vomiting or loose stool in the early recovery time of a starved dog. By weighing the dog twice a day (a.m. and p.m.) and by noting the amount of food ingested versus the amount vomited and passed as feces, an assessment can be made regarding positive or negative weight gain. Veterinary care is needed if bloody stool or vomit is noted or if there is weight loss during the refeeding and recovery period.
Also, until a normal appetite should return, it is recommended to divide the daily suggested amount of food (based on the dogs estimated health weight) into four smaller portions. At each meal, closely monitor the dogs intake and note it on a chart. For example, the record could state, 8:00 a.m. meal – ate 100% or ate 50% or ate 10%.
4. Conduct a thorough physical exam. Don’t neglect to inspect the oral cavity for fractured teeth, bone fragments lodged between teeth, and lacerations to or under the tongue. Check for eye and ear infections; check under the tail for evidence of anal sores, tapeworm segments, or maggot infested moist infections. Check the paws for abraded pads or interdigital infections or foreign matter.
Nutritionists employ a number of methods and formulas to determine the average total caloric intake for dogs based upon the dog’s ideal body weight. Any estimate of “how much” to feed is inherently subjective and lots of variables will apply to each individual dog.
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“Every dog has different calorie needs,” Prantil says. “Theyre like people. Some people can eat a whole pie and not gain a pound, and it seems like other people look at a pie and gain weight.”
If you notice sudden weight loss in your dog, a trip to the veterinarian is a good first step. A veterinarian can check your dogs body condition, look for loss of muscle mass (not just fat) and find any underlying medical conditions.
With a clean bill of health, you, your pooch, and your veterinarian are ready to start experimenting.
Other than with fast-growing puppies, Prantil never counsels dog owners to let dogs eat as much as they want all day long. She does suggest trying more frequent meals or leaving meals out for dogs to eat for longer periods. If a dog struggles to eat all their calories in one or two sittings, it can help to split up the days calories in three or more meals over time.
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Even if your dog is eating a well-balanced, complete meal, either home-cooked or packaged, Prantil says its OK to offer up to 10 percent of your dogs daily calories in safe human food or healthy dog treats.
“I dont like to give extra treats, even for weight gain, because dogs get 100 percent of their nutrients from their complete diet,” she says. “I try not to add too many extra things to a diet, because we could unbalance the balanced nutrients.”
While occasionally Prantil will add fat to a dogs diet for medical reasons, she says to steer clear of high-fat treats. Too much extra fat can cause pancreatitis.
(Sorry, athletes: Prantil doesnt recommend any particular weight gain supplements for dogs. No protein shakes for doggie bench-pressing in the gym quite yet.)
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Krystn is a passionate pet nutrition enthusiast. She has worked in the pet industry for over a decade and loves to share her passion for animal welfare with others. She loves all animals but is currently channeling some crazy cat lady vibes with her four lovable, but rebellious cats.