How Can You Help Your Skinny Dog To Gain Weight?

A healthy dog has its belly tucked up, with a flank fold visible at the side. If you can feel the ribs of your dog when you run your hands over its body, there is no reason to worry unless you can make out its skeletal structure visually. When you can see its bones, it is high time to act. Each breed of dog has its own characteristics – while some are lean, others gain prominent paunches. There are limits on the growth curves of dogs.





Before you chart out a plan of action to get your dog’s body weight up, you will want to visit a vet first. Ensure that the weight loss is not a result of some illness or parasitic attack that has drained the vitality of your dog. Get your dog thoroughly checked, and seek medical advice on altering the dietary schedule of your pet.

The methods of getting your dog to gain weight is largely dependent on the breed, but there are effective generic tips that can be followed to help a skinny dog put on some weight. First assess the dog food you have been feeding your dog. Compare and contrast its ingredients and nutritional value with other brands of dog food available in the market. Pay attention to the ingredients column. If meats like beef, chicken or duck are listed first on the list, then you can be assured that the product is of a high quality. However, if grains or other secondary products are listed first, then it calls for a change in dog food as the current one is of a low quality.

After acquiring the more nutritious alternative available in the market, calculate the preferred calorie intake for your pet. You can calculate the number of calories required by your dog per day by multiplying the weight of your dog in kilograms by 30, and then adding 70 to this product. The resulting numerical is the rough estimate of the number of calories you must ensure your dog gets each day.

Another way of ensuring that your dog gains weight is to add more fatty foods to its diet. You will also want to add dry foods that are rich in carbohydrates. You must also ensure that your pet gets its daily dose of exercise to ensure that the fat it consumes does not accumulate in the wrong places and cause health conditions. Combining the right type and amount of food with ample exercise makes for a healthy dog that gains weight in a healthy manner.

Stock up on weight gain supplements for dogs. There are reliable and safe weight gain supplements for dogs sold over the counter at pet shops or vet stores that boost the appetite of a dog, urging it to eat heartily. Prescriptions are not required for these supplements, but you may want to consult with your pet shop chemist or the vet before purchasing them if your dog is allergic to any of the ingredients.

Use supplements or alter feeding patterns according to the requirements of your dog. Observe the activity levels of your dog. If it is active and burns calories quickly by running about, you will want to boost the calorie content of its food, or feed it at more frequently. Keeping dry food in your pet’s bowl all day long allowing it to snack at any time is a good option. This must be done in addition to feeding your dog its standard meals twice a day.

Satin balls are the ultimate attempt to make your dog gain weight. Satin balls are ideally made up of hamburger meat, gelatin, oils and wheat germ. A single serving of satin balls comprises well over 500 calories, making it a power-packed meal. This could be chosen as the fast track to your dog gaining weight, but you will also need to be careful about incorporating ample exercise into your dog’s routine.

Keep a record of your dog’s progress from the day you start off on this mission. Record the weight of your dog on the day you start making changes, and measure its weight every week to see if there has been any improvement. Apart from changes in weight, you must also look out for any changes it its behavior. Has your pet been more active than usual ever since dietary alterations have been put in place? If your dog has become fitter and more active but has not gained weight, you must increase its caloric allotment.

When making such changes, be sure to incorporate them slowly and steadily. Change your dog’s diet in small degrees so as not to upset its digestive system. Adding too much fat at once will trigger vomiting and diarrhea, which is counter-productive to your cause. Change must be gradual and pleasant.

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Jason Phillips has shared this post.  He is a supplier of dog food storage containers, explore his site to know more about him.