We love trying new treats.
Well, I love learning about new treats and the fluffies love trying them. They are excellent taste testers.
Archives for September 2014
How to Help Your Dog Gain Weight
An underweight dog isn’t the most common problem, but definitely something that many dog owners face. Your dog could have a small appetite, burn a lot of energy, or be thin from neglect or shelter life.
Our first dog, Kaeto, came from the shelter and was very underweight. He also didn’t eat very much, regardless of the food he was on. Mauja is very similar. She gets plenty of high-quality food, but she never seems to want very much. I certainly can’t force them to eat. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to help your underweight dog gain weight.
Related: Busy & Lazy Dog Treat Recipe Finds
Start at the vet
The first step is to take your dog to the vet. Make sure there isn’t any underlying reason that your dog is underweight. If he/she is healthy, you can try some of these options to help your dog gain weight.
Add another meal
Increase the number of meal times. If your dog is typically fed twice a day, bump it up to three times. Many dogs fill up quickly so adding an extra meal can help them eat a little extra food.
Make the switch to puppy food
Feed puppy food. Puppy food typically has higher calories than adult food to ensure that puppies will grow adequately. Even though your dog won’t be eating
Related: Our Obsession with Only Natural Pet
Try tasty toppers
Add a topping to their food. Sometimes adding a little something special, like a Caru pet food, a tasty topper, or salmon oil can entice your dog to eat more. If those options aren’t successful, a little Nutri-Cal can make a huge difference. Most dogs I’ve given this to will lick it off a spoon.
Make satin balls
For a severely emaciated dog, you can try the recipe for “satin balls“. I believe this should only be done in extreme circumstances as the recipe is very high calorie/fat. It is highly palatable and will usually coax a dog to eat.
Have you ever had an underweight dog? How did you help your dog gain weight?
Let’s Celebrate
The pyr pawty is just getting started and we want YOU to be a part of it!
As you know, we are taking the time from Mauja’s birthday to Atka’s birthday to have a special fundraising celebration. What would a pawty be without furiends?! [Read more…] about Let’s Celebrate
Happy Birthday, Mauja!
Training the Fruitables Way
We spend a lot of time training. I have a lot of fun working with the dogs and I think it’s a great way to bond. Hopefully, the fluffies will be ready to test for their Canine Good Citizen title soon.
Training a pyr is much different than training most other breeds of dogs. The Great Pyrenees was bred to work independently. They have amazing instincts that help them guard sheep without any help from humans. These instincts make obedience training extremely difficult. [Read more…] about Training the Fruitables Way
A Pyrenees Takeover
Did we get you wondering about this beautiful girl yesterday?
Well, her name is Solei and she is our new… [Read more…] about A Pyrenees Takeover
Soothe That Tummy with Vivamune
Mauja has tummy issues.
I still have no idea why. The vet and I have yet to come up with a reasoning. She never acts funny, but she frequently has loose stools, even when she hasn’t had anything new. [Read more…] about Soothe That Tummy with Vivamune
Caru Means “to Love”
Caru means “to love”.
Such a fitting name for dog nutrition. [Read more…] about Caru Means “to Love”
5 Reasons I Leash My Dogs
Running into off-leash dogs can be infuriating. I used to get so huffy when I walked Kaeto and a dog would come bounding toward us. Just one incident could set us back months of training. The absolute worst was when people would yell “oh, my dog’s friendly”. What about my dog? What about me? I’m very lucky with Mauja and Atka because they have never shown any signs of leash reactivity, but there are more reasons for me to keep them on leash. [Read more…] about 5 Reasons I Leash My Dogs