Skinny Pointer needs a Bit of Bulk

Sometimes dogs, no matter what you do, stay skinny.  We have a cat like that, 17 years old and thin as  matchstick her entire life.  But, anyway, I really don't have any idea about how to beef up a dog, mine problem has always been the other way round.  If the dog is very active, you could try feeding a little more and feed a couple of times a day.

Hi Diane,

You could try satin balls,just type "satin balls recipe" into your search engine and you'll get heaps of sites that carry the recipe.

Or check out this site,it has heaps of weight gain recipe's www.lowchensaustralia.com/health/diet4.htm

You could try adding fatty cuts of meats in with his meals,things like suit,marrow,also pasta/white rice,liver,heartplenty of treats inbetween meals ALWAYS helps pack on the pounds [8|] Put him on 3-4 smaller meals per day,instead of 1-2 big ones.I have loads of other idea's if you need them.But one thing i must advise is to go slowly at first with the fat,you dont want to overload his system or give him the squits or a pancreatits attack. Putting on weight or losing it is always best done slow and steady.

Hi Diane.  Do you have any pics?  Pics would help to see just how skinny?  And what type of pointer are we talking about, a GSP, English, the Setter group, French Brittany, etc.  There are a lot of pointers out there, and each breed their different characteristics. 
 
I had some concerns in regards to the weight issue and being too skinny.  My Setter I guess is a “hard keeper”.  Hard to keep the weight on her, despite a high calorie feeds!
Calories actually have nothing to do with your dog getting fat.  Ok, my Zoe started off about 4 months of age on 850 calories per cup.  I was free feeding at the time and still do, whenever the bowls are empty I replenish with feed.  When she is hungry she eats.  She averages probably about a 1 cup to 1.5 cups per day.  She is about 35 pounds.  So, years 1 through 2.5 she is still very lean and showing rib.  The vet never said anything about her weight during routine exams, but I was still concerned.
 
So suddenly the corn is dropped from my feed (prior to this Diamond thing).   Guess what?  Abady drops the corn I now lose about 200 calories per cup and I am down to 650 per cup.  Now, this is freaky…my dogs since being on the new formula for about 6 months, are looking a bit more solid!  I can tell in the most recent pics I took for sure as compared to pics a few years back the noticeable difference and think my Zoe is looking better on the lower calorie formula.
 
What I have learned to be true through experience is this: Dogs will eat until their nutritional needs are satisfied, then they stop eating (Abady).  Why do I find this to be true?  Because I can free feed a high calorie food, always keeping bowls full, with no regards to weight issues.  So, my advice to you if you really want to put some weight on this dog quick, is go out and buy some cheap feed initially, then once the weight is looking better, upgrade to better product around 4-6 months.  Chances are with the cheaper feeds, your dogs nutritional needs will not be fully satisfied and will want to eat more.  Important though, upgrades to better feed with a short time frame because the cheaper feeds don#%92t really do your dog justice.  You really won#%92t notice much of a difference in your wallet because upgrading the food will mean a reduction of amounts needed.  A bag of better food will last you a longer period of time (assuming your following feeding tables on both).
 
Charlie

3 cups for a pointer? Aren't pointers, like, 60 pounds???

One of my little dogs eats that much, and the other eats half as much. I'd think he needs more food.

she's feeding EVO.  A top of the line high-calorie food.  And most dogs DO NOT stop eating when they have obtained adequate nutrition. Free-feeding is a very bad idea for many reasons.
Pointers are often quite skinny. You should be able to see their ribs when they are in fit field condition. If you're still concerned, you could try adding some over-cooked rice and some fatty lamb meat to her diet.

My weim has issues with weight. We were feeding kibble and he had 6-7 cups of food a day along with treats,peanut butter. He just doesn't gain weight. And he will not eat more kibble than that. In fact some days he wouldn't eat it at all. With the higher risk of bloat I was worried about the ill effects of feeding so much kibble a day and then the fact that he pooped a lot of it out.  I added digestive enzymes and they didn't seem to do much of a difference. But we recently switched to raw. In the 2 weeks of feeding him he hasn't missed a meal. Now, I'm not sure if you want to try a raw diet, but you could add an additional meal during the day of one of the premade mixes.
And also how old is he?  I know that in Scout's lines the dogs that are built like him do not fill out until they are 3. He's only 2. So it could just be a matter of time.

ORIGINAL: mudpuppy

 And most dogs DO NOT stop eating when they have obtained adequate nutrition. Free-feeding is a very bad idea for many reasons.  Pointers are often quite skinny. You should be able to see their ribs when they are in fit field condition. If you're still concerned, you could try adding some over-cooked rice and some fatty lamb meat to her diet.

 
Hi.  I only free-feed with my food, but I wouldn't with any other product.  It would be too risky and is a bad idea.
 
Charlie

ORIGINAL: ewin0210
  I know that in Scout's lines the dogs that are built like him do not fill out until they are 3. He's only 2. So it could just be a matter of time.

 
Yes, another year for sure and you will note some changes.
 
CC
 
 

Dogs will eat until their nutritional needs are satisfied, then they stop eating

Not at my house, they don't! My Dachshund lost over ten pounds since she moved in with me, and my JRT will eat til she pops!

Some people are not fond of the ingredients, but when I was showing bichons and toy poodles, I would feed them Frozen Bil-Jac to beef 'em up a bit.  I am using it right now for them also. 

Grains will plump them right up - Satin balls is great for this as it has Total cereal, oatmeal, and wheat germ in it in addition to high-fat ground meat and straight vegetable oil.

Don't go this route, however, if your dog is simply young and not filled out yet. I have a four year old border collie who burns calories getting cuddles on the couch watching TV. She is the main reason I went to a grain-based breakfast meal.

Her "aunt", who is three years younger than her, is going through the gangly stage of growth and I am not pushing the calories on her. Rather, I'm upping her work/training schedule to encourage muscle development. We just moved to a farm with a big pond and we go for a big swim every morning.

But her older "niece" needs the calories or she puts on no fat and has no protection from chilly weather, cold water, or extended exertion.