Dog Community

weight gain for a sick puppy...

Posted : 7/10/2006 4:33:11 PM

Hi there, i am the proud owner of a nine yr old GSD bitch with several medical issues which have restricted her diet in the pat. she has short bowel syndrome, after having part of her intestine removed, she was mistreated as a pup, and will not chew food, so it has to be cut up small, and most dog foods tend to upset her tummy.. she has always been lean, but she seems thinner than ever now, and am looking for advice to feed her up! HELP!

Rom Gateb

Posted : 7/11/2006 2:37:56 PM

Take her to the vet and see what they say.

sooner

Posted : 7/11/2006 2:57:07 PM

Hopefully some of our other members will weigh in here with ideas. I know the prescription ID diet is about the only thing that works sometimes, but I don't know if it's good for weight gain.

The only other thing I can think of are the 100% meat canned formulas. Some of them are really high in calories, but I don't know if your girl's stomach could handle them.

Wysong Au Jus
http://wysong.net/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=WOTTPWS&Category_Code=CD

Evanger's Game Meats
http://www.evangersdogfood.com/dog/gamemeats.html

Canine Caviar
http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Canine-Caviar-Canned-Diets-for-Cats-and-Dogs/201015.aspx

Neura Meats 95% Diets
http://www.omhpet.com/dogs/neura_detail.asp?pCode=canned

kennel_keeper

Posted : 7/11/2006 4:01:01 PM

If she is losing weight and still eating approximately the same amount as before, then I would say that she needs to see a vet. There are probably some underlying health issues that are keeping her from maintaining her weight. She is a large breed and considered a "senior", so be careful about trying to bulk her up without bloodwork and urinalysis to eliminate health problems. Additional fats in the diet are a good way to bulk up, but could cause other problems that you may want to avoid with her, so I wouldn't recommend adding canned foods until you are *sure* about her health status.

sooner

Posted : 7/11/2006 4:06:15 PM

These are two consultants who will take a history of your dog and work with you on her nutrition

http://www.betterdogcare.com/
http://www.doggiedietician.com/

jessies_mom

Posted : 7/11/2006 6:03:27 PM

Welcome to idog ; I agree with GRNROM; ask your vet what to feed her. There are probably some prescription foods, like the ID diet that Kelly mentioned that your dog would gain weight on. Has she had a good checkup lately? The fact that she's getting thinner is a good reason to take her to the vet.

Jennie Colyer

Posted : 7/15/2006 1:32:58 AM

I see the vet almost on a reg basis, and he has advised the ID diet with the sensitivia dog food also, we ave also been giving her eggs and chicken and rice to bulk it up. we last saw the Vet nearly a week ago, and have to go back on Tuesday for a 'weigh in'... so fingers x. last time she was in the vets the did say there was a small level of liver dysfunction which they have said they will be looking at this Tues...

brookcove

Posted : 7/15/2006 8:29:07 AM

You definitely don't want to mess around with a weight gain diet without a vet's supervision, until you have the liver problem resolved. Her weight loss could very easily be connected with that.

If you resolve the problem with her liver function and she's still needing to put on some weight, your next step is definitely with a gi specialist, since she has a special need. It might also be helpful to consult with a holistic vet with plenty of experience in nutrition.

Good luck!