# Wanting to put on weight



## Carrie-e (Oct 23, 2012)

Well Gilly,I've got a four month old mini girl who is tiny. She seems to have come to a halt in growing. She is like your toy,very funny about eating. She won't eat three meals a day even though she is supposed to until she is six months old. She picks at her food,and I must admit I have even hand fed her to get her to eat. I've got a garbage guts,my standard poodle boy Billy who waits outside the room where Tia eats her meals staring in at her,he has ate his in about 2 minutes flat of course! He is like your labs,he eats her leftovers once she refuses to eat any more. It so strange to have two dogs that are such opposites. My mother in law keeps saying Tia looks like a toy,not a miniature and if she doesn't get much bigger she will end up toy size!


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Well, I think that the more you sweat it, the fussier dog you will create!
I used to get my skinny one Taylee to eat with a good play session - exercise always made her hungry!
Though things did get crazy around here in her final months when stopped playing - I was buying her take out 2 or 3 times a day to get her to eat, and that made the two remaining crazy fussy eaters too - but now they are older and what can I do but be a slave to feeding them. ... But sure would avoid doing that if I had a choice!


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## Caniche (Jun 10, 2013)

My boy Ryker has the same problem. He weighs seven pounds and, by height standards, is actually a miniature. His vet isn't uber-concerned, but has mentioned a little extra weight would be a good thing. 

I feed Fromm Small Breed and we 'treat' often with cooked chicken breast (sometimes a *little* dark meat), cooked pork or boiled beef. He also loves some veggies. I'm not a fan of raw (not against it, it just isn't for me) and I don't like feeding a lot of fat because it isn't great for internal organs. 

Ryker will usually eat about 1/2 his kibble and then walk away. He does eat better in the evening than the morning, and he eats better if I'm sitting next to him. (I admit, I've even hand-fed him to get him to eat). I've tried appetite enhancers - he wasn't a fan. We use chicken broth (from boiled chicken - not the premade stuff since it has a lot of sodium and extra stuff he doesn't need) and he eats his kibble if we pour that on top.

What works the best for Ryker, however, is Dog Nutrical and exercise. If he doesn't eat a lot in the mornings then he gets a pinch of Nutrical (he gets a sour stomach otherwise) and a walk - and he returns ready to chow down!


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## Aubrey (May 18, 2013)

Can you easily feel her ribs?
If she is shaved down, does she have a visible waist from above and from the side does she have a tuck up?
Can you relatively easily feel her spine/hips, or is she fleshy?

How does she compare to this chart- http://findavet.us/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Dog_Weight_Chart.jpg


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## Gilly (Feb 18, 2013)

Thanks Aubrey. Yes, she does have a waist when viewed from above and I can feel her ribs and spine. I would place her at about a 3 - which it says is ideal. I guess the fact that I can feel her spine and ribs is what has me wanting for her to put on weight. She gets a lot of exercise, we are on a lifestyle block and I walk the property, moving stock and feeding out hay daily. We are in the middle of winter here so will keep her on the current diet and see what happens when warmer weather arrives. 

I havent heard the term "kibble" used here in NZ ... is that any brand of dried, pelleted dog food such as eukanuba?


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## Aubrey (May 18, 2013)

Kibble refers to dry dog food, Euk being a brand of kibble.

Many people believe their dogs are underweight simply because the average dog is overweight!


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

my understanding is that "ideal" physiques for dogs is the same as for humans: good muscle tone and you should be able to able to see the faintest outline of ribs, as long as the animal is not emaciated. humans work hard to get themselves in that condition - and appetite control is part of that. would that i did not have to watch my own dog's weight due to his love of food and my knee-jerk reaction to his begging eyes!


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## Gilly (Feb 18, 2013)

_Many people believe their dogs are underweight simply because the average dog is overweight_

Thanks Aubrey - that would be absolutely right. 

I shall be quiet and rejoice that my poodle is a picture of perfect weight! :marchmellow:

PatK - yes, I look at our labradors and can easily see their body condition, but with my poodle I am using my hands. I guess its just a matter of retraining myself and having faith in what I am feeling.


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## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

I usually suffer a few days of worry just after Jazz is groomed. She goes from a nice curly coat to the very short, crushed-velvet look, and suddenly she looks too thin to me. I have to keep running my hands over her ribs and spine to reassure myself there's muscle there.


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## Carrie-e (Oct 23, 2012)

Yes,agree with u JudyD,they always look thin after a groom. I get my groomer to leave Billy's legs quite long as he is so tall his legs would look like pencils if they were too short!


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## Ciscley (Jul 16, 2013)

*Calorie Calculator*

There are still some health issues that can be at play, but those are the exception, not the rule. (My Maltese had liver shunting that kept her growth stunted and my current rescue Spoo has IBS and GERD and used to frequently self fast until we finally got a feeding routine (including a probiotic) that has worked for him.)

So I agree with everyone that so long as she does eat regularly and has normal bowel movements and activity levels, she's probably just eating all she needs.

But Dog Food Advisor has a calorie calculator that can help take some of the worry away if you want to give it a try. You'll need to use the nutrition info on the back of your Eukanuba bag to confirm how many calories she's getting vs. how much she needs.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

Gilly said:


> Yes, she does have a waist when viewed from above and I can feel her ribs and spine. I would place her at about a 3 - which it says is ideal. I guess the fact that I can feel her spine and ribs is what has me wanting for her to put on weight. She gets a lot of exercise, we are on a lifestyle block and I walk the property, moving stock and feeding out hay daily. We are in the middle of winter here so will keep her on the current diet and see what happens when warmer weather arrives.


Sounds to me like she is just right! I wouldn't worry at all from what you have described


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Google BCS (body condition score)
I was completely shocked when the cardiologist gave Tangee a 5/9 and the regular Vet gave her a 3/5 - both ideal scores when both her Dad and I think that she is the fattest dog ever!
I still think that she is way too fat, but I'm comforted that the doctors don't think that she is unhealthy fat!


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## patcheeze (Aug 22, 2013)

if you have the time, try feeding your dog satin balls. I heard it helps well..
but if you don't, then try feeding kibbles that have high calorie... I fed my girl solid gold on her first month of putting on some weight attempt and it worked like charm.


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## Gilly (Feb 18, 2013)

I had never heard of satin balls :bounce: had to google to find what they are! She is continuing with same pattern of eating. Haven't weighed her recently, will wait until she visits vet again and use their scales. She would either be same or maybe a tad heavier, certainly hasnt dropped any weight though.

An issue that has arisen, car sickness. When I first brought her home, it was a 1.5 hour car trip and she was sick. I thought it was stress. Since then 99% of the time when taking a car ride lasting more than about 20 minutes she is sick. I believe she was never taken in the car at all by previous owner. She loves going in the car, always eager to hop in, but it's not pleasant... I am considering trying probiotics - would this help? Surely won't do her any harm? Wondering if acid stomach is why her eating is so picky as well. What do you think?


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## powertothepoodle (Sep 7, 2013)

*satin balls*

James is a very picky eater and is under weight [only 7 pounds] this is a good recipe for putting on weight.How to: Make Satin Balls or Fat Balls - DogForum.net | Dog Forums and Community


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