Helping your dog maintain a healthy weight is an important part of being a pet owner. Even a healthy dog can be too skinny or too fat, but you may be worried especially if your dog has lost weight due to illness or injury. After visiting the vet to examine the issue, many dogs can gain weight by changing their diet and lifestyle.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Diagnosing Low Weight
Step 1. Record your dog's weight
If you believe that your dog is underweight, then you will need to start monitoring your dog's weight to monitor his weight loss, then weight gain once you have implemented a weight gain strategy. Make sure that you share this information with your veterinarian.
Step 2. Consult a veterinarian
You should make sure that the cause of your dog's weight loss is not a cause that requires medical attention. The dog may have an illness or parasite that is not immediately obvious and may be determined by your veterinarian.
Diseases such as diabetes, cancer, hepatitis, and colitis can look like weight loss, but require additional care and medication. Therefore, a pet with an undiagnosed condition will not improve with just food. In fact, the dog's condition will worsen if it is not given proper care
Step 3. Determine the dog's ideal weight
Ask your veterinarian about using body conditioning scoring (BCS) to determine if your pet is too thin, fat, or objectively fit. An example chart can be seen here. If your dog is thin on BCS, then you should ask about approaches you can take to help your dog gain weight.
- In general, a dog is at a healthy weight if you can see the waist, feel the ribs when stroking the sides with the bone line not really showing, and the dog's belly is arched up toward the hips.
- If you can see almost all or all of the ribs, back, or hips, then your dog is likely too thin.
- Some breeds such as the Greyhound, and some breeds of hunting and herding dogs (Border Collie, Pointer) tend to be thinner than other breeds such as the Mastiff and Labrador Retriever.
Step 4. Deworm your dog
Your best option is to have your vet test for intestinal parasites by testing your dog's feces, but if you can't do that, you can diagnose and deworm your dog at home.
Dogs with intestinal parasitic infections are more likely to become underweight because the parasites deplete the nutrients contained in the food before the dog can process them
Step 5. Make sure that the dog is getting enough exercise
A dog's weight is related to his overall health, and getting enough leisurely exercise is part of a dog's health.
- Make sure that you have consulted with your veterinarian before starting any strenuous exercise plan. Some dogs suffer from arthritis, which is a neurological disorder or metabolic disease that can cause muscle wasting, which requires special care under the direction of a veterinarian to improve their health without causing additional injury.
- Gradually increasing the intensity of walking on a leash is usually safe for most dogs and is less likely to cause injury. Swimming is a great sport with no repercussions for dogs who are willing to do it. Ensure that water inlet and outlet routes are set up to prevent injury when entering and exiting ponds, lakes, or rivers.
Method 2 of 2: Adding Calories to a Dog's Diet
Step 1. Add an extra serving of food to your dog's daily diet
If you feed your dog once a day, then add a second serving of food for him. If the dog is fed every morning and evening, then give additional portions during the day. You do not need to change the composition of the food you have given, just add a serving of food to increase calorie intake.
Keep in mind that by adding extra portions to your dog's diet, you are also changing your dog's bowel habits, so you may need to change your dog's walking schedule
Step 2. Assess the quality of your dog's food
There is a wide variety of quality dog food. You must ensure that the food given to your dog contains adequate calories and balanced nutrition.
- You can easily check the protein and fat content of foods you usually give them by checking the information provided on the side of the food packaging.
- The number of calories per cup is not always written on the packaging, so you may have to visit the website or contact the food manufacturer for this information.
- You will also find the ingredients list on the side of the packaging. Look for ingredients on the list that start with protein, such as "beef," "chicken," or "lamb," instead of carbohydrates like corn or wheat.
- You can check the quality of commonly provided dog food ingredients https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/ here.
- Ask your veterinarian about your pet's nutritional needs including the recommended daily intake of nutrients for your dog. Additional information can be found at:
Step 3. Supplement the dog's diet with proper human food
Adding delicious, safe human foods to a dog's diet can increase a dog's enthusiasm for eating. Chicken, beef, or vegetable broths that don't contain fat and salt are delicious, especially if you warm them up before adding them on top of dog food. You can find fat and salt-free broths at the grocery store for cheap. A few tablespoons of the broth will add a delicious flavor to your dog's food.
- A few tablespoons of skinless grilled chicken, hard-boiled eggs, or plain sardines (or mackerel) can often build the appetite of most dogs and they are also healthy sources of protein and calories.
- Dogs will get sick if they are fed too much fat, so stick to protein and carbohydrates to add healthy calories to their diet.
- Other foods to try include water from canned tuna, lean cottage cheese, plain, nonfat yogurt, or plain canned pumpkin.
- Avoid human foods that can harm your dog's health such as chocolate, raisins, grapes, onions, garlic and anything moldy.
Step 4. Try different types of food
If your dog doesn't respond well to food, then try a different dry (high-quality) food, high-quality canned (wet) food, or you can start a dog diet with homemade food. High-quality pet foods generally list the first ingredient on the ingredient list with protein, such as “beef” or “chicken”.
- If you have been making your own food to meet your dog's diet over the long term, then it is very important to note that the dog's diet is nutritionally complete and balanced. It is recommended that you follow the leading recommendations of veterinarians in the manufacture of dog food, and also make sure that no ingredients are missing when you cook dog food.
- There is no “perfect” diet for every dog, so make sure that you do your research with the help of a veterinarian before switching your dog's diet to a home-cooked diet alone. Some sources to consider when starting research are The Whole Pet Diet by Andi Brown, Dr. Becker's Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats by Beth Taylor.
Step 5. Add water to your dog's dry food
If your dog is not enthusiastic about eating the dry food, try adding hot water to the dry food and then waiting for it to cool and the food will become mushy. This often makes the food more appealing to the dog.
Warning
- Be aware that drastic changes in your dog's diet can cause stomach upset. Ask your vet about transitioning to a new type of food safely.
- If you add human food, such as pumpkin, to your dog's diet and your dog produces mushy stools, then you may need to reduce the amount of human food you add to their diet.
- Don't start a strenuous exercise routine if your dog isn't used to it. Like humans, dogs also need to start slowly, then you can increase the intensity.
- Do not force the dog to eat, you can only persuade him to eat.
