# Dakota needs to gain weight



## Harley & Dakotas Mum (Jun 11, 2005)

N & C's mum suggested some research for this, because Dakota is underweight. 

Bit of background, sorry if it's long! ...........

She hasn't actually been weighed, however, our 'usual' vet took one feel of her & said she is very thin - he's not alarmed & didn't suggest any drastic measures, however it put me into action mode. (We weren't there for her - we were there for Harley, she just came for the ride - Harley is totally fine btw)

Harley and Dakota have 2 vets - our 'usual' vet, and the Sydney University Vet. 

Our 'usual' vet is semi-retired and works from a clinic off the side of his home - a residential area - therefore he is not permitted to keep dogs overnight (he's permitted to keep cats though, my guess is because they are quieter??). So our 'usual' vet recommended the 'Uni' vet for any type of surgery requiring overnight care, or anything that required state of the art equipment etc ... win-win situation as far as I'm concerned.

She is booked in for her spay with the 'Uni' vet on Mon 19 Feb, where I will get her formally weighed.

ANYWAY, where do I start to research this? I can spend hours in the store reading all the labels, but I don’t really know what to look for? 

I can ‘google’ but I don’t even know what to ‘google’?

Should I be looking for ingredients high in fat? 

Should I put her back on puppy kibble? (she will be 8 months old on 25 Feb and came off puppy kibble at around 5 + months)

Training treats & snacks? Should I be looking for anything in particular in the ingredients there?

Help! She’s not DANGEROUSLY underweight, but I want to do the best I can to help her put on some weight.

Any suggestions? Where do I start to search? What do I search for?

Thank you!


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## NC's Mom (Oct 23, 2004)

Oh, I should have mentioned this before. Someone on these forums, can't remember who, suggested coconut milk for Little C. 

Sir N LOOOOOOOOVES coconut milk.

Little C turns her nose up at it. Perhaps you'll have better luck with Dakota.


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## my baby (Aug 22, 2006)

I dont know really what to suggest other than lots of treats, back to puppy kibble as it is higher in fat. And maybe speak to the vet about it.
Hope all is goes well!!


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## Kissi's Mom (Apr 21, 2006)

Does she eat all that you give her or is she a picky eater? I would compare foods for higher fat content...maybe a little canned food along with kibble would help. I would not just give extra treats that are empty calories...if I went this route I would make sure the treats are high in nutrients like chicken, cheese, kibble, etc. In the mean time you can always add a little cottage cheese to her present food...calories, calcium and they love it usually. When I first got Kissi she was very picky and tiny...I made the mistake of giving her the baby chicken sticks (a breeder suggested this) each day at lunchtime because she loved them...I thought "great...babyfood certainly won't hurt her"...BIG MISTAKE...that is what started the problems she had with IBS...they were too rich and had too much sodium for her little body to handle. Good luck...
Linda


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## louis' mom (Jul 7, 2006)

i was going to ask the same questions - is she a picky eater? if so, i actually add beef broth or chicken broth to the kibble to get louis to eat - or in the winter, if i make bacon or any beef, i put a little of the fat in the pan on the kibble. also a little extra snack/treat of cooked beef or chicken - when you prepare food for yourself, cook a little extra meat NO spices. good luck.


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## puppymom (Jun 13, 2005)

My Vet told me that Ty was "too thin" starting at about 6 months. You could feel his ribs but not badly. I worried terribly over it. He was not a pickey eater but not a voracious eater either. I tried to supplement with extra treats but that only seemed to lessen his appetite at mealtime. So finally I just stopped worrying about it, he was eating, acting well and had no health problems. 

Now, at almost two he is little PORKER. I think sometimes they are thin as puppies because of the constant motion of puppyhood. I would not go back to puppy food, the protein content is too high. My Vet stops all puppy food at 3-4 months. 

So I guess what is important is, is she healthy and active in all other ways and just a little on the thin side. If so would wait and try not to worry and see what the next few months bring. WHen she is spayed they will do pr op blood work whick will help r/o any additional problems.


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

I wonder if there's a type of kibble (puppy or adult) that is higher in fat but not so high in protein, as puppy kibble often is...have you tried softening the kibble with a bit of water? Not that Ollie needs to eat any more than he already does, but I noticed that he eats better when his kibble is slightly soggy. Or maybe mix kibble with a bit of canned food? Marj had a link the other day that compares dog food ingredients...I think it was www.naturapet.com they have a comparison wizard. What did the vet recommend??

I also agree that just like skin kids, they burn an awful lot of calories because of all the puppy-running around that they do...


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## bellaratamaltese (May 24, 2006)

To put weight on Lucy, I slice a cooked hot hot dog and spread it with Nutri-cal. She LOVES it. Or I'll put nutri-cal inside a pill pocket. 

There are also these recipies to try 

http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/health/diet4.htm

Lucy is a take it or leave it eater, she doesn't really care much. So when she starts getting on the thinner side of where I like her, I'll do the nutri-cal route for a while until she pads her ribs a bit. I've used some of the recipies, like the Satin Balls but have found that she just get this big belly like it's sitting in her stomach, and doesn't fill out everywhere. But I may not have given it long enough!


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

> To put weight on Lucy, I slice a cooked hot hot dog and spread it with Nutri-cal. She LOVES it. Or I'll put nutri-cal inside a pill pocket.
> 
> There are also these recipies to try
> 
> ...


I forgot about Nutri-cal--that's a good idea too.


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## puppymom (Jun 13, 2005)

I'm not sure I would use the nutrical........ it has it's uses for sick dogs or dogs with hypoglycemia. But if you look at the list of ingredients below it is mainly sugar, sugar and more sugar. I think it is a good source of quick temporary carbohydrates but I would discuss with the vet whether it should be given routinely. 


Ingredients: Corn syrup, soybean oil, malt syrup, cod liver oil, cane molasses, methylcellulose, water, peptones, dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate (vit. E), sodium benzoate (preservative), manganese sulfate, iron peptonate, thiamine HCl, nicotinamide, calcium pantothenate (source of calcium and pantothenic acid), magnesium sulfate, pyridoxine HCl, vitamin A palmitate, potassium iodide (source of iodine and potassium), riboflavin 5' phosphate sodium (source of vit. B2 and phosphorus), vitamin A palmitate and D3 concentrate, folic acid and cyanocobalamin (vit. B12).


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## Harley & Dakotas Mum (Jun 11, 2005)

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. No, she isn't a picky eater as such, she does eat, only she kind of 'grazes' ... she will take a bite, eat it, then wander off & go back to her food when she feels like it.

I will see what the Uni vet can suggest when she goes in week after next.

Thanks again

edit: thanks Stacy, that website looks great!


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

Nutrical isn't really an appetite booster. It's a supplement for ailing or overexerted dogs (such as hunting dogs). I've tried for years to get weight on Toy and come to the conclusion some dogs are just naturally thinner than others.


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