Weight Gain?

[areias]

Skye really hasn't been able to gain much weight at all. I still have to find my camera connection cord, or I would post pictures. She's not emaciated but you can count her ribs and see her backbone. I realize she's a pointer mix, and she will probably always be on the thin side, but it kind of worries me. I have ran a fecal on her, and also checked for giardia and coccidia and such, and they came up negative. I wormed her anyways to make sure, but no real weight gain to show for it. She gets about 5 cups of dry food daily (2.5 cups twice daily). I tried putting her on a can of wet food a day (1/2 can twice daily), the Nutro Sensitive Stomach, but she got full blown diarrhea for about 3 days which didn't help the situation. I don't feed raw. She's active and runs around and plays and stuff, but she's not hyperactive at all. In fact she just lays on the couch a lot, I don't think she's running it off? :confused:

I would think that the amount of dry would allow her to gain weight, but it dosen't. Is there anything you can think of to supplement her diet? I'm not too into going to the butcher and getting meats. I may take her in and get bloodwork done and another fecal, if I see no improvement. I should be emptying the rest of the boxes tomorrow and hopefully I'll find my camera cord and take pictures.

[binka_nugget]

When we adopted Kaedyn he was really thin. He was 16 pounds when he should have been 25-30. At the time I was feeding kibble (Chicken Soup) so I switched him over to the puppy formula. It got the job done (a little too well actually :p).

There's also satin balls. I've never used it on my dogs, but I've heard it works really well. :) http://www.njboxers.com/satin-balls-recipe.htm

[Giselle]

I was going to suggest Satin Balls as well, except you might want to cook them slightly to avoid the Big D. Also, is she an English Pointer mix? They tend to run a bit skinnier than what most people are used to (like Greys :D). We had a Pointer/Pit mix at the shelter and he was quite fit. His muscles were beautifully toned but you could see about 3 backbones and the outline of a couple ribs. He could have used an extra pound or two, but he was at a greyt weight already. You could also switch just Skye to a richer food like Innova EVO. My two pups are on two completely different diets themselves and it works for them so I don't complain.

[Catlady711]

I'd take her into the vet's for an exam and possibly some blood work, could possibly be an overactive thryroid. Keep us posted.

[areias]

I have yet to get to the vet..-sigh- but that is my next stop. I have some pictures showing her...do you think she is the correct weight for her breed?

I tried the Satin Balls for...oh 3 weeks or so with no difference, not a pound gained.

http://areias.zoto.com/img/45/65f082424a30c9b3c4ae8779a7b56f7a-.jpg

http://areias.zoto.com/img/45/7dd8825aa6b69b31b3cf027add58e197-.jpg

[borzoimom]

Skye really hasn't been able to gain much weight at all. I still have to find my camera connection cord, or I would post pictures. She's not emaciated but you can count her ribs and see her backbone. I realize she's a pointer mix, and she will probably always be on the thin side, but it kind of worries me. I have ran a fecal on her, and also checked for giardia and coccidia and such, and they came up negative. I wormed her anyways to make sure, but no real weight gain to show for it. She gets about 5 cups of dry food daily (2.5 cups twice daily). I tried putting her on a can of wet food a day (1/2 can twice daily), the Nutro Sensitive Stomach, but she got full blown diarrhea for about 3 days which didn't help the situation. I don't feed raw. She's active and runs around and plays and stuff, but she's not hyperactive at all. In fact she just lays on the couch a lot, I don't think she's running it off? :confused:

I would think that the amount of dry would allow her to gain weight, but it dosen't. Is there anything you can think of to supplement her diet? I'm not too into going to the butcher and getting meats. I may take her in and get bloodwork done and another fecal, if I see no improvement. I should be emptying the rest of the boxes tomorrow and hopefully I'll find my camera cord and take pictures.
Yea- add a whole raw egg.. Have you had a full panel thyroid check? The fact she lays around has raised my eyebrows..

[dragondawg]

I'd take her into the vet's for an exam and possibly some blood work, could possibly be an overactive thryroid. Keep us posted.

Bingo! A blood panel to check for metabolic problems would be wise. Also possible malabsorption problems. The dog definitely looks too thin.

[dab_20]

I think the vet's would be a good idea. She is definatly thin and should gain a bit of weight. The amount your feeding her should be enough to get her to gain weight, and since she isn't, it seems kind of odd. If you can't find anything, maybe a higher calorie food along with extra things like a raw egg, as someone mentioned before.

[Catlady711]

Bump


I'm wondering if you've got a vet appointment yet? I noticed your first post was waaaay back in November!