Skinny dog

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SmellTheColor9
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Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2006 7:22 pm

Skinny dog

Post by SmellTheColor9 »

My German Shepard will not gain weight. I have had her since she was a pup and ever since she grew to her full height her hip bones have stuck out. I dont think she is unhealty. She has regular vet exams and she has never had any serious health problems. I just would love to see her fill out. She doesnt seem to have alot of intrest in food. If there is alot going on in the house she seems to forget about eating all together. Is there anyway I can get her to take more interest in her food? Or are there any dog foods that are higher in fat that I might try?
SmellTheColor9
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Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2006 7:22 pm

Skinny dog

Post by SmellTheColor9 »

I should have posted this in pet diet. Sorry guys Im new. :o
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valerie
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Post by valerie »

Give me a minute, I can put my hands on something I know will help...



:)
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http://www.dogster.com/?27525



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valerie
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Post by valerie »

First, I wonder what you are feeding her, a good quality kibble should

maintain her weight if you are sure she doesn't have parasites of any

kind or other health problems. I can also get you a list of good kibbles,

it's on FG somewhere, I'll go bump it after this post.



How old is your sheppie? You say you've had her since a pup but not

sure how long...



Here is a recipe for Satin Balls, they work wonders:



Ingredients

10 pounds hamburger meat

1 lg. box of Total cereal [or comparable natural brand]

1 lg. box oatmeal

1 jar of wheat germ

1 1/4 cup veg oil

1 1/4 cup of unsulfured molasses

10 raw eggs

10 envelopes of unflavored gelatin

pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients together, much like you would a meatloaf.

Divide into 10 quart freezer bags and freeze.

Thaw as needed.

This is to feed this exclusively, most people just form the mixture into

"meatballs" and give one or two a day as treats. (Again, freezing the

rest of the mixture)



Are you feeding just dry kibble? Normally, that is all you need, but in a

case of an underweight puppers I would also suggest putting a little

canned in, to get her to eat.



Feel free to ask me ANYTHING else I would love to help any way I

can.



:-6
Tamsen's Dogster Page

http://www.dogster.com/?27525



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valerie
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Skinny dog

Post by valerie »

Don't mean to overwhelm you... :o but here is a good list of foods. your

girl might like one of these:



Here is a list of some of the better food choices:



California Natural would be the food with the least amount of ingredients if there are any allergy problems.

http://www.naturapet.com/display.php?d=home-tab



Solid Gold-

http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/products ... .php?cat=0



Wellness/Old MotherHubbard-

http://www.oldmotherhubbard.com/dogs/index.html

specifically fish and sweet potato which is good for dogs that have food issues:

http://www.oldmotherhubbard.com/dogs/we ... 5MixSwtPot



Chicken Soup

http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/



Eagle Pack

http://www.eaglepack.com/pages/for_your_dog.html



Wysong

http://wysong.net/Merchant2/merchant.mv ... ry_Code=CD



Flint River

http://www.myflintriverdog.com/healthy_ ... reats.html



Innova Evo- basically raw in kibble form

http://www.naturapet.com/display.php?d=home-tab



Innova-

http://www.naturapet.com/display.php?d=home-tab



Timberwolf Organics-

http://www.timberwolforganics.com/cat-- ... --pet_food

__________________

If you do decide on a change, do it SLOWLY, too fast can cause

diarrhea and that won't help the weight at all!!



Something else I thought of, does your dog get any exercise? I

wouldn't start out with too much for an underweight dog but a little

could stimulate appetite...



:)
Tamsen's Dogster Page

http://www.dogster.com/?27525



pantsonfire321@aol.com
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Skinny dog

Post by pantsonfire321@aol.com »

Also do you worm her regularly , we do it every three months .Our dog really filled out after being neutered- now hes tooo fat
Can go from 0 - to bitch in 3.0 seconds .:D







Smile people :yh_bigsmi







yep, this bitch bites back .;)
SmellTheColor9
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Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2006 7:22 pm

Skinny dog

Post by SmellTheColor9 »

She is three. Thanks for the advice. Im pretty sure she doesnt have any parasites, I worm her regularly. She is three years old. I feed her purina dog chow.

Thanks for the advice. Hopefully I can get her to fill out a bit.
Jives
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Post by Jives »

Just ask Valerie, there's nothing she doesn't know about dogs! I suspected a tapeworm too, when I read this, but you say you worm her regularly.

Let's see, what other causes of wasting are there? Diet? Possible anemia? Vitamin deficiency? Pacing, overexercise? Parvo virus? ulcers? I'm just guessing.:confused:
All the world's a stage and the men and women merely players...Shakespeare
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BabyRider
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Post by BabyRider »

SmellTheColor9 wrote: She is three. Thanks for the advice. Im pretty sure she doesnt have any parasites, I worm her regularly. She is three years old. I feed her purina dog chow.



Thanks for the advice. Hopefully I can get her to fill out a bit.
She does get regular vet visits and not just an over-the-counter worming medication, right? There are other things besides intestinal parasites that can prevent a dog gaining weight.

Is your dog neutered?

Also, when you change her diet, be sure to do it very gradually. Replacing her old food with small amounts of the new stuff, gradually increasing the new stuff and decreasing the old.

Glad you came back to check on your post, keep us updated on how things are going, would you?
[FONT=Arial Black]I hope you cherish this sweet way of life, and I hope you know that it comes with a price.
~Darrel Worley~
[/FONT]










Bullet's trial was a farce. Can I get an AMEN?????


We won't be punished for our sins, but BY them.




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valerie
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Skinny dog

Post by valerie »

I hate to say it but Purina is one of the worst foods you can feed. Loaded

with corn and additives that are just no help at all.



Would it be possible to post pics? Some sheppies in particular tend

toward the lean, and it might not be a problem.



Use the old stand-by, ribs, feel 'em but not see 'em.



A lighter sheppie puts less strain on the joints. While you shouldn't go

over board, you don't want excess weight at any time. My girl is a

very healthy 67 pounds! (Some loss due to being a 3 legger... check

her Dogster page!)



I'm concerned about your girl.
Tamsen's Dogster Page

http://www.dogster.com/?27525



SmellTheColor9
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Post by SmellTheColor9 »

Shes about 65 pounds. You cant see her ribs, but you can see her hips. Im gonna look at better foods for her next time I go to tractor supply for horse bedding. They have a pretty good selection.
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BabyRider
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Post by BabyRider »

SmellTheColor9 wrote: Shes about 65 pounds. You cant see her ribs, but you can see her hips. Im gonna look at better foods for her next time I go to tractor supply for horse bedding. They have a pretty good selection.
Do you know the test for checking the ribs? If not, here ya go:



Place your thumbs on her spine. Wihtout putting pressure, just grazing lightly, slide your fingers down her sides with your thumbs staying on her spine. They should be felt easily, but your fingers should not "sink" between them.

Like Val asked, got a picture?

(Oh, and welcome to FG, too! :yh_peace )



Also, do you use a vet dispensed wormer, or an over the counter one?
[FONT=Arial Black]I hope you cherish this sweet way of life, and I hope you know that it comes with a price.
~Darrel Worley~
[/FONT]










Bullet's trial was a farce. Can I get an AMEN?????


We won't be punished for our sins, but BY them.




SmellTheColor9
Posts: 13
Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2006 7:22 pm

Skinny dog

Post by SmellTheColor9 »

I get my wormer from my vet. The only pic I have of her on my computer is from when she was a pup.
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valerie
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Post by valerie »

What kind of water sources does she have? I'm wondering about giardia

now...

She definately is on the light side...

Here is the standard for gsd's, you'll have to scroll down a little:



http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/germanshepherd.htm



I don't think giardia is taken care of with the regular wormer...

Baby Rider? Tiger'sMeow?



I'd really like to get this girl some help...
Tamsen's Dogster Page

http://www.dogster.com/?27525



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BabyRider
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Post by BabyRider »

Metronidazole (Flagyl) 25-30 mg per kg BID for 7 days



Furazolidone (Neftin) 4 mg per kg BID for 10 days



Tinadazole 44mg per kg SID for 7 days



Tenbenzadole (Panacur) 50 mg per kg SID for 3 days



Albendazole (Valbazen) 25 mg per kg BID for 2 days



The first name is the drug name, the second name, in parentheses is the trade name. BID = given twice daily, SID = given once daily.
[FONT=Arial Black]I hope you cherish this sweet way of life, and I hope you know that it comes with a price.
~Darrel Worley~
[/FONT]










Bullet's trial was a farce. Can I get an AMEN?????


We won't be punished for our sins, but BY them.




Jcas
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Skinny dog

Post by Jcas »

Don't know if you have heard of the Barf diet. I have a friend that has all her dogs on it, and they look better than any dogs i have seen, condition wise, that is.

www.barfworld.com/
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valerie
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Post by valerie »

Jcas wrote: Don't know if you have heard of the Barf diet. I have a friend that has all her dogs on it, and they look better than any dogs i have seen, condition wise, that is.



www.barfworld.com/


BARF can be very good, but I wouldn't suggest a dog in this condition be

put on it... change to BARF can cause diarrhea and that wouldn't be good

for an undreweight dog.



BARF also requires a large commitment from the owner...
Tamsen's Dogster Page

http://www.dogster.com/?27525



Jcas
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Skinny dog

Post by Jcas »

valerie wrote: BARF can be very good, but I wouldn't suggest a dog in this condition be

put on it... change to BARF can cause diarrhea and that wouldn't be good

for an undreweight dog.



BARF also requires a large commitment from the owner...


My friend changed her dogs(Daschunds) straight over to barf without any probs what so ever, no scours or anything.

and she has 1 day per fortnight where she prepares and freezes meal size portions, that only require defosting and feeding out. What could be easier?

I think different breeds are more stomach sensitive than others, my dogs (Tibetan Spaniels) don't like the vege bit of barf and are on 50/50 diet of barf and kibble.



But my dogs never look as good or retain their condition like my friends on the full barf diet.
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valerie
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Post by valerie »

I won't dispute that the switch can be made without problems in some

cases... just that you shouldn't take the chance.



Different breeds ARE more sensitive than others, and in my experience

sheppies are one of those breeds.



I won't argue the benefits of the BARF diet, as I said it can be very good.

But, on the whole, it does require more than just time, and it does have

(as just about anything) its' detractors as well as supporters. There

is some evidence of tooth wear on the BARF diet.



My father's dog is on Ol' Roy and table scraps... I challenge anyone to

find he isn't a perfect picture of total fitness and health... that still

doesn't mean I can tell anyone to try that route...
Tamsen's Dogster Page

http://www.dogster.com/?27525



Jcas
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Post by Jcas »

My father's dog is on Ol' Roy and table scraps.


Can you please tell me what Oi'Roy is? obviously something we don't get here, never heard of it.

And i can see your point, and i don't wish to contradict you either, but i too like to express the good and bad points if anybody asks, and i only tend to speak as i find, and have never had bad reports of barf diet, otherwise i would not recommend it.

I have no interest in that diet. it is animals welfare i am interested in, and know that it can be rather distressing for the poster of this thread or anybody trying to get a skinny dog to gain weight, some never do, sometimes i see a genetic link to that as well, i have had such dogs and it didn't matter what i tried, no difference, and then i have had them not fill out until about 5 years of age, i just wish him/her luck and hope anything we say may help .
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BabyRider
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Post by BabyRider »

Hey, Jcas....the more info, and the more knowledgeable people offering their experiences the better, in my book. Gives the person looking for solutions more options to try. Glad to have you aboard! :yh_bigsmi
[FONT=Arial Black]I hope you cherish this sweet way of life, and I hope you know that it comes with a price.
~Darrel Worley~
[/FONT]










Bullet's trial was a farce. Can I get an AMEN?????


We won't be punished for our sins, but BY them.




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