Help with skinny bitch! - Page 1

I would really appreciate some suggestions as to how to put some weight on my 2 year old Czech line working bitch. She has loads of energy (which may be the problem) and seems very healthy and happy however she has always been on the skinny side since I bought her a year ago. She is however becoming increasingly 'ribby'.  She has always been wormed regularly, fed high quality food and I recently added Tripe to her twice daily foods. Recent blood tests have all come back clear and the only guidance my vet can give is that 'she's just that kind of dog'. Given her temperament, I would like to breed her in future but don't believe she has enough body weight to successfully carry pups. Any suggestions please?

I can relate to your frustration and you are correct that whelping could have problems if she is too thin. I have found that coconut oil, raw ground beef mixed with kibble, raw eggs all help. One thing I just started about a month ago is I take the dried beef liver treats, grind them to a powder in my blender and spread about a tablespoon over food. They love it! Raw pork shoulder also has a lot of good fat on it and I notice they keep good weight with this as well. Keep trying and you will find some good ways to get her weight up.
 

70/30 ground beef added to kibble; coconut oil added;  I would keep the added to meats though as vegi's do not have enough calories unless it is a need for vit/minerals.  What kind of kibble do you feed?  Maybe look for a higher caloric kibble also, I had a really skinny/picky/finicky eater that was very very lean, too lean when he was getting kibble and I believe it was EVO red meat that I found to have the most calories.  However, EVO recently had a recall so??  Not sure on status of that as I now feed raw.  You could also add a chicken quarter to her diet;  skin and all with bone is best, raw only.  Those pack some calories.  Obviously it is a calorie intake that needs to come up without totally over feeding her. 

If I think of anything else, I will let you know.  I also get brisket, cut into one inch strips, and my guys eat that well, fat and all.  Food for thought.  Nan

My girl so has the same issue (although her having puppies seemed to have resolved the issue enough she looks nice and is keeping the weight on).  Please keep this thread updated with what works/doesn't work.

I used the calorie human drinks (like Ensure) for mine to help with the calorie intake; especially when she was pregnant/nursing and during the summer time.  Only 1 can a day; vanilla flavor only (she would not touch the strawberry) and it makes a great summer treat when frozen.  Store brand was fine.  Just watch that she is not lactose intolerant.

Side note:  2 of Rose's puppies were born with Mega E.  Rose does not have it.  It is possible though that her lack of keeping weight on might have contributed to the issue.  No vet or information has told me this, just a gut feeling.  I have since had Rose fixed.  She is maintaining the ideal weight with no effort on my part since getting fixed; still full of energy, not overly hungry, but she will generally eat most of her meals now.

kronch pemmikan, http://www.eng.kronch.com/default.asp?Action=Details&Item=400,
feed 1/2 squares throughout the day as needed. amazing stuff, easy to handle, quite helpful
on travel and trial days, and actually rather cost efficient for what you get.

cat food....

Do a search for "Satin Balls" I don't know the recipe off the top of my head, but I've used it and it works wonders!

I would also have the bitch tested for EPI maybe.

Melissa

Satin balls are a great idea.

Some dogs just have a high metabolic rate. How do her stools look??  I have a female gsd who until she was 2 1/2 was always thin and I fed her all of the raw chicken and other raw meat she would eat at one sitting plus free choice dog food kibble.  Try feeding your dog twice a day and feed her raw chicken quarters, boston butt roast or other meats on the bone if possible as much as she will eat twice per day and see how she does.  Dog's digestive system was never designed for grains so she may just have a problem with dry dog foods containing grains and glutens.  My dogs look at me like "is this all there is ??" if I offer them dry kibble.  Beef fat trimmings from the meat department of the grocery will put fat on a billiard ball if you can get a billiard ball to eat it.  Fat trimmings from steaks are a favorite and are usually 50 cents to 1 dollar per pound.  Not too much of the fat or their stools will be too loose but they will have a shiny coat.  If your dogs are outside in the cold during the winter the fat is excellent for keeping them warm as well.

all of these can cause a dog to be a light eater and not gain weight, and don't always show up on slides.
#1 tape worms
#2 other worms
#3 coccidia (doesn't show symptoms in many adults)
#4 infection in gut
metro and panacur for the bugs/infection
complete blood panel to see if anything else is off base.

after all of this is done, then start guessing on food choices.