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How to Help Your Dog Gain Weight

September 29, 2014 90 Comments

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Is your dog underweight? Whether your dog is a picky eater or didn't get the best start to life, here are a few tips to help your dog gain weight.
Is your dog underweight? Whether your dog is a picky eater or didn't get the best start to life, here are a few tips 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 any more, the increased calories can help your dog gain weight.

 

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?

Is your dog underweight? Whether your dog is a picky eater or didn't get the best start to life, here are a few tips to help your dog gain weight.

Filed Under: What's New Tagged With: dogs, food

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Dogs N Pawz says

    September 29, 2014 at 7:41 am

    We seem to always have the other problem…too much weight!

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 2, 2015 at 4:38 pm

      That seems to be the norm, but it can be so frustrating for some people!

      Reply
      • jennifer Bolton says

        August 26, 2017 at 7:49 am

        we have a 1/2 english lab and 1/2 golden and he is not interested in eating… he’ll take a bite and move son. We’ve tried mixing 1/2 dry with wet food… again… few bites then leaves it. Treats- he can take them or leave them. He is healthy and active just could care less about eating. IS there a food that has more calories? He also typically has loose stools so I have to be careful with changing /adding foods. Thanks

        Reply
        • Jen says

          September 1, 2017 at 11:23 pm

          That’s my dog – super skinny GSD. Not interested in food. Very loose stools. Royal Canin Ultamino firms the stools and helps the ear infections but keeping weight on her is impossible. Satin Balls aren’t doing it. Suggestions?

          Reply
          • Angie says

            August 26, 2018 at 3:09 pm

            Complete raw food. I use Bella And Duke. Zero grains or rice and very high quality. I was at my wits end but using a complete raw food really solved my dogs problems (he had all of that you describe) though fundamentally my dog is still a very lean muscly dog.

        • JLOLS says

          December 15, 2017 at 11:22 am

          I have a 16 year old (yes 16!) field type English Setter, and a 15 year old 1/2 Jack Russell 1/2 American Eskimo. The Setter has always been thin, unless on the couch he is always prancing and on the move. Also very prone to loose stools. I now have both dogs on white rice and boiled chicken breast about 5 times a day lol, and free choice kibble. I find that they get so excited about the chicken breast and rice that then they eat more dry on their own. Anyway it really is perfect for the setter’s stools. I have the luxury of working from home so they eat several times a day.

          Reply
        • Karen Mitchell says

          February 2, 2018 at 10:28 pm

          Why don’t you try feeding real food, you know, the type where its not processed, the food which a dogs system will recognise.
          Most of the population feed processed food, why??? Slack, i know, but do they know what its actually doing for their pet? I doubt it very much!
          Can you imagine what it would be like to eat nothing but processed food?.. hmmm, perhaps you do.
          There are a some great Facebook and Yahoo feeding groups, join them and learn what the bet diet is for YOU pet!
          Its important to listen to what your dog is trying to tell you. All dogs can talk, bot not everyone listens.

          Reply
        • Lori Johansen says

          May 13, 2018 at 10:11 am

          We have a Jack Chi (Jack Russell Terrier-Chihuahua) and she wouldn’t eat any kibble when we got her from the rescue. She was so thin yet, so I decided to swear off commercial dog foods and make my own. Currently, she’s in great shape and she basically eats my “Woof Loaf” made from either turkey, pork or beef (ground), a couple of eggs for added protein, some diced squash, carrots, corn and peas (I switch the veggies when making a new loaf), about 1/2 cup of white rice (they don’t do as well on the brown) and the same amount of quick cook oatmeal. Mix it all up and bake until done. I make it in the microwave and, generally, it takes about 8-9 minutes. I let it cool and then cut into squares. For a smaller dog, you give about 2 1/2 squares, torn up, in the bowl. I normally (something we discovered by accident) warm in the microwave for about 20 seconds before serving. Once in the bowl, I add a dab of low-fat cottage cheese. Willow gulps it down. Absolutely loves it and is now very healthy. Even the vet prescribed dog foods have questionable ingredients. We’d been buying the I/D as Willow had some digestion problems when coming to us. Turned out she (very common in dogs) or her body couldn’t tolerate chicken…which is in about everything! She use to throw up, especially in the morning (phlegm). Since cutting out ALL chicken in her diet, she no longer does that. This food works best for us and Willow. She never walks away from it and I give her as much as she wants in one setting. Many great homemade dog foods out there, and after trying the vet recommended and adding up the costs for those, we decided to stick with this. She’s given plenty of chew goodies (duck, beef, turkey) and has hard, dental sticks for healthy teeth.

          Reply
          • Lori Johansen says

            May 13, 2018 at 10:12 am

            Oops! SHOULD be 1/3 cup of rice and oatmeal. 🙂

    • Ann Marie Sparks says

      October 25, 2015 at 4:20 pm

      My dogs have been on chicken and vegetables, occasionally cottage cheese & yogurt also, no dry or wet dog food, for the last 8 years and maintained their weight. They were all a little chunky but not extremely overweight. When my husband and I started juicing about 4 months ago, we drank the juice but kept all the remnants of the vegetables and started adding them to the dogs chicken instead of the usual green beans, sweet potatoes, carrots etc. I also bake them homemade treats using the remnants from our juicing. All 3 dogs have lost weight and are at a good weight for their size. Not to mention my husband lost 40 pounds juicing and myself 26 pounds. The juicing consists of granny smith apples, celery, carrots, cucumbers, kale, ginger, and turmeric. As I said, the treats I make consist of the remnants from the juicing, and whatever else might be in the house. Sweet potatoes, oatmeal, chicken hearts & gizzards, apples, peanut butter, bananas, I use different ingredients every time. I food process what needs to be pureed then add everything in a large mixing bowl then bake for 30 minutes or so on 350 degrees. They LOVE the treats I make. I mainly started making homemade treats because my Aussie came down with this really bad cough where it sounded like he was congested, it was that deep of a cough. A few weeks after I stopped giving him milkbones and only gave him the treats I baked, his cough stopped completely. He used to always cough after drinking his water, that stopped also. Not sure if the bones were too rough on his throat or what. I am just happy to have 3 happy, healthy dogs who love what I cook for them every Saturday morning. Hope this helps someone with their chunky furbabies.

      Reply
      • Chava says

        March 3, 2016 at 6:43 pm

        Thank you for your comment about dogs and juicing. May i please have your juicing recipe that helped you lose weight? Thank you

        Reply
    • Danielle says

      October 13, 2017 at 3:12 pm

      My friend rescued a female Chihuahuas six-month-old about very under way to the point where you can see her spine she does eat dry food and wet food that’s not a problem I’ve had her almost a month and poor thing is not gained any weight even though she eats she’s also a very fast runner I’m not sure how to help her gain weight

      Reply
  2. easyweimaraner says

    September 29, 2014 at 8:07 am

    our foxterrier was underweight as we got her. the vet gave us space food what really helped to save her life (it was a puppy mill dog raised the worst way by a super bad person)

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 2, 2015 at 4:39 pm

      🙁 I’m so glad you were able to help her.

      Reply
    • Kim says

      March 26, 2017 at 5:05 am

      Whats a space food?

      Reply
      • Neil says

        June 1, 2017 at 1:11 am

        They commented that 3 years ago so unlikely you’ll get a reply. I too am intrigued. Maybe they literally mean NASA space food lol. Which is obviously extremely calorie dense for very necessary practical reasons. Or maybe and more likely space food is nothing to do with space?! I tried googling space food for dogs and it came up with very little.

        Reply
      • Neil says

        June 1, 2017 at 1:19 am

        Ok maybe I didn’t try hard enough first time. After a second search it’s quite likely they could literally mean NASA space food. As I said soar food is extremely nutrient dense and convenient for obvious reasons. After reading about the first dog sent into space I learned it was taught to feed itself a specially designed gel which was nutrient dense, contained everything needed by the dogs body, and the practicality of a thick gel when in zero gravity makes clear sense. Imagine a dog flying round trying to catch pieces of rice! Then searching the internet and finding space foods for people and for pets are commercially available then maybe that’s exactly what this poster meant. After all a gel is easily administered to a finicky or ineellnoet and has the benefit of containing a wide range of nutrients and easily meeting calorific needs without needing to consume large amounts. Would be interesting to hear from the original poster if this is indeed what they was referring to.

        Reply
  3. Jenna,Mark “HuskyCrazed” Drady says

    September 29, 2014 at 8:35 am

    Great tips! When we first got Koda he was very skinny, and we had to increase feeding times for him, it worked well!
    ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 2, 2015 at 4:39 pm

      It’s amazing what a simple tweak can do!

      Reply
  4. Miley's Daily Scoop says

    September 29, 2014 at 8:38 am

    Great post, we are always reading of ways to help our pets lose weight and tend to forget the shelter animals who haven’t been as fortunate as us. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 2, 2015 at 4:40 pm

      Exactly. There isn’t much out there on helping a dog gain weight.

      Reply
  5. Groovy Goldendoodles says

    September 29, 2014 at 9:46 am

    This is great information – so many times we focus on the overweight pet and rarely do we find information valuable for those trying to add weight. Great job!

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 2, 2015 at 4:40 pm

      It’s so true. It can be difficult finding information on helping your dog gain weight.

      Reply
  6. Elaine says

    September 29, 2014 at 12:49 pm

    Great ideas! When Haley was younger, she would rather play than eat and it was hard to keep weight on her. Now, she’s 7 years old and slowing down a little and we have the opposite problem, haha!

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 2, 2015 at 4:41 pm

      Haha, isn’t that how it goes for all of us? 😉

      Reply
  7. Jan K says

    September 29, 2014 at 5:45 pm

    We haven’t had an underweight dog ourselves, but this sounds like great advice. We are constantly monitoring our dogs’ weights and food intake, so I thing paying attention to their weight is very important, no matter which way it goes!

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 2, 2015 at 4:42 pm

      So true. It’s important to keep a grasp on their weight so it’s easily corrected.

      Reply
  8. 2 Brown Dawgs says

    September 30, 2014 at 5:46 am

    Those are fabulous tips. Yes we have had underweight dogs now and again. When Thunder was growing, he would go off his food now and again. There was nothing medically wrong with him. But we were concerned so we put him on a super high calorie canned food we got from the vet. A little was a lot of calories. He liked it well enough. He has not gone off his food since he has been full grown (at about 4). I guess it was a growing thing, but it had us really concerned when it was happening.

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 2, 2015 at 4:42 pm

      Mauja and Atka do the same thing. The eat well for a few days, then don’t care for a few days. Frustrating!

      Reply
      • Neil says

        May 31, 2017 at 3:20 am

        This isn’t entirely uncommon. Dogs achieve balance over time. In a healthy dog with no problems it is advised to feed 6 days a week and skip tebother day. Fasting has tremendous benefits for dogs that are already well, mostly protective/preventative. They’re are many issues associated with allergies, liver disease, GI tract issues, stomach inflammation, leaky gut, pancreatic etc. Pancreatitis is a good example of how fasting is proven to be highly beneficial, with no underlying conditions accute pancreatitis can be deadly very quickly progressing but the common treatment involves a minimum of 24 hours fast to allow the pancreas and stomach to rest. Fluid therapy may be necessary if the pet is otherwise unwell or dehydrated. You do give them water as usual yourself during the fast but if other possible complications due to the dogs health and age status are of concern then iv fluids at the vet may be needed. But ther than keeping them hydrated and some love and care, a 24 hour fast is usually all that’s needed to turn the problem back around and then just to slowly introduce fat back into the diet starting from the very bland to the correct amount of fat for your pets type age and health etc. Any vet that wants to give drugs for pancreatitis maybe isn’t the vet you should be going to. Occasionally antibiotics as a preventative incase if secondary infection but much more evidence points to the further disruption to the GI tract is detrimental to the dogs recovery. Pancreatic can kill in as little as 24-48 hours, a simple 24 hour restriction of food and the dog should rapidly recover. Over 24 hours fast is no longer reccomneded due to further strain in the digestive system. My point was, although your conventional vet will argue otherwise, a fast for a healthy vigorous pet can do a world of good for their digestive system and as that’s where most of the innnune system lies it can have an overall huge impact on your dogs health and longevity – positive impacts of course. If you have a good hollistic vet they will advise you if this. Our conventional vet maybe not so much. But that’s why I made the example of how even a conventional vet will prescribe a 24 hours fast from all oral food (senior or ill pets may need nutritional support via IV especially if it’s at a stage where it really can’t afford to loose more weight). So although your conventional vet may say fasting 1 day a week is bad, ask them what research they’ve done into it and see their answer. The evidence is undeniable. It’s how they detox from all the rubbish they ingest and keeps things like GI inflammation and pancreatitis at bay. Then ask yourself how a simple practice can save a dog with severe acute pancreatitis where medicine can’t offer much and ask yourself how can something that can do that and also generally makes sense can be so bad. If you’re lucky to have a good hollistic vet they will tell you all you need to know instead of reading comments like mine and thinking that sounds good but I’m worried to try, to be discouraged by your conventional vet and miss out on a great health enhancing practice that dogs would of done regularly in the wild. Seen results first hand. Gi inflammation is the start of many chronic illnesses we see in pets ranging from the basic itchy skin to fatal disease. An unhappy GI tract cannot assimilate nutrients efficiently and cannot sustain healthy gut flora balance – which if the bad bacteria takes over all sorts of big threats to your pets wellbeing arise. Read the endless free information Dr Peter Dobias DVM publishes on his natural healing website. You can’t fault the guy, he does often refer to some products he’s developed but only because he knows they are the best. Once you get to know him and his relationship with his dog Skai – who was a healthy 16 year old with near perfect health, got hit on the head with a suitcase by a baggage handler at the airport and suffered a serious cervical disc injury and sadly he had to out him down himself. But don’t be put off by the often mentioned supplements, they are priceless in the long run, but you don’t have to buy them that’s your choice, just people say I liked him and everything he says makes perfect sense but I am out off by pushing his products all the time. He doesn’t push them but stresses the point they are very good – they are and he’s put a lot into creating them! But yes read some of his stuff as a resource of information he is priceless and when you get to know him more you will know he is extremely honest and genuine beyond any doubt. He likes to reccomneded his products because they are getting amazing verified results. He has to make a living st the end of the day so why not do it in such an honest and meaningful way. I wish I lived closer to him as my dogs would be seeing him for everything! Which is next to nothing. Once you follow the principles in his longevity course your animal never goes to the vet if only very occasionally for unavoidable and minor issues i.e. bee stings. The point if my lengthy answer is not to worry about a dog that eats intermittently asking as it is healthy and not loosing weight.

        Reply
  9. PepperPom says

    October 5, 2014 at 10:14 am

    BOL! I have the opposite problem. I have been on strict calorie control since I was 2 years old and the vet said I should stop gaining weight. Even on half rations & limited treats, I don’t lose weight, but at least I don’t gain it either. I think most small dogs gain weight easily, (except for the teeny tiny ones who are prone to low blood sugar). Most of the dogs I know who have trouble gaining weight are very active large dogs, or fresh from the shelter.
    Hugs,
    Pepper

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 2, 2015 at 4:44 pm

      I agree. It seems small dogs gain more easily. Mauja and Atka aren’t extremely active, but keeping weight on growing giant breeds is ruff.

      Reply
  10. Jessica @ YouDidWhatWithYourWeiner says

    October 27, 2014 at 1:13 pm

    Great tips. I talk a lot about preventing obesity in my dog group but I have a senior dog who got too skinny and I found myself dealing with the opposite problem. He is a 10 lb Dachshund (not a healthy 12 lbs) and I was not seeing weight gain even though I was feeding him almost twice what I was feeding my other 10 lb Doxie. I know that rapid weight gain can be as bad as rapid weight loss for pets so I stuck with it and eventually it worked. Switching to puppy food was not an option since I feed raw but both double the food and the same amount of puppy food accomplish the same thing – more calories in.

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 2, 2015 at 4:46 pm

      I often wonder if there’s a different level of difficulty in putting weight on small versus large dogs. A two pound weight gain would be peanuts to my two, but a huge difference on your doxie.

      Reply
  11. Nancy says

    December 27, 2014 at 11:38 am

    What kid of food do you feed your dogs? My husband and I just got a Pyrenees puppy and we started her on Blue Buffalo. However, her stomach didn’t like it very much so we’re looking for a new brand. What would you suggest?

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      December 27, 2014 at 1:09 pm

      Congrats on your new addition! Enjoy the little days; they wont last long 🙂 Our pyrs didn’t do too well with Blue either. I think it was too rich for them. They love Wellness and it seems to suit them pyrfectly!

      Reply
    • Mandy yates says

      September 18, 2016 at 11:22 pm

      Pure balance is a great dog food
      No fillers and no corn or wheat.Its fish pork chicken or lamb with rice and veggies.we get ours at walmart about 10.00 for 5.5 lb.bag.good luck.

      Reply
  12. Kama says

    February 2, 2015 at 7:18 am

    I have a very picky, underweight Chihuahua with a liver issue. I have found that rotating what I offer her helps, because she doesn’t suddenly decide she doesn’t like it anymore and her liver seems to process the variety better. I aim for lower protein and higher fat for her due to her liver, so I was wondering if you know the protein content to your Satin Balls recipe? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 2, 2015 at 4:47 pm

      I never considered dogs with liver issues. That’s interesting that mixing it up helps in processing. I actually don’t know the protein content of the Satin Balls as it’s not my recipe : / I’m sure if you commented on that blog post, the author could answer your question!

      Reply
    • Harriet says

      March 4, 2015 at 11:57 am

      Hi Kama!

      I see you have an underweight chihuahua with liver problems. I also have an underweight chihuahua with liver problems, she’s extremely bony and very fussy with her food. At the moment I feed her on webbox natural food which has no wheat gluten with a tiny topping of ham. I used to feed her on butchers choice before I realised what rubbish it was and she was having far too many seizures. She still does, but touch wood, not as many and a frequent. Does your little chihuahua have seizures or decide some days she won’t eat at all? I do have 6 other chihuahuas, but it’s a first with a little bony one with liver problems. What foods do you avoid giving yours?

      Thanks!

      Reply
  13. Jana Rade says

    February 2, 2015 at 7:26 am

    It’s not very often that dogs need help gaining weight. It is much more common that they need to lose some, or a whole bunch. For those who do need to put on a bit, these are good tips.

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 2, 2015 at 4:48 pm

      You’re right; it’s not as common. There isn’t much information out there for people who need help putting weight on their dogs.

      Reply
  14. Fur Everywhere says

    February 2, 2015 at 7:59 am

    These are great tips!

    When Jewel was losing weight due to CRF, we tried many things to help her keep her weight up. We added some high calorie paste to her wet food. We fed her a/d occasionally. We always tried to pick food she would like and fed her often. All of these things helped her maintain her weight for a long while. 🙂

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 2, 2015 at 4:48 pm

      Thanks for the positive response and so happy to hear that similar methods worked for you.

      Reply
      • Isabel says

        June 14, 2016 at 1:47 am

        I have tried several dog brands but my chihuahua is a very skimpy eater and isn’t gaining weight I sometimes think she is anorexic. Can u help?

        Reply
        • Neil says

          May 31, 2017 at 3:44 am

          Bone broth and coconut oil, plus as much fresh high quality protein you can get. Homemade broth , organic if you can, apple cider vinegar to draw more minerals from the bone. This alone will entice most picky eaters and a good way to get sneaky extra protein in for a dog that won’t chew food happily for whatever reason, beating in a raw egg is perfect. If you did a chicken broth, take the meat out when it’s just cooked, summer the broth at least 24 hours and add parsley right at the end for the minerals. The meat you pulled off can be out back in and blended to a soup. This can be used to add to your pets normal food if being fussy is the problem or if they won’t eat at all then it’s as good as you can do that’s easy for a dog to slurp when it is hesitant to chew food. If your pet is at higher risk of pancreatitis or ha a history of stomach upset then skin the chicken fat but not all. Replace it with coconut oil which does not cause the inflammatory issues associated with other fats and is highly reccomneded for underweight pets where too much fat and further stomach upset is of concern. My dog when she stopped eating all together had just as I described and the meat went back in after being blended like soup. I added raw hemp protein and raw eggs to each serving before giving her it. This with a natural vitamin and mineral supplement I use and probiotics sustained her weight against all odds – the vets odds. I myself was very confident. Glad I didn’t follow vets advice to euthanise as I got another 2 years and my dog regained her usual weight and went back to her organic/wild raw diet once well and her appetite cane back. The broth with the suggestions to increase protein (vital as she was severely underweight) and reduce fat (vital as she had history of pancreatic inflammation and just recently had a sever digestive upset) but replace it with coconut oil to replace the calories I skimmed away (vital as she needs the calories as matter of urgency but on the flip side was one more digestive upset from going over the line for severe and fatal weight loss) but that don’t cause digestive/pancreatic inflammation due to the way they MCT’s in coconut oil are easy to be absorbed and used for fuel without the need for processing like other fats. This with the vitamins and minerals sourced from 100% organic whole foods (synthetic vitamins waste of time) provided her a well balanced diet that any dog would do well on with some tweaks and mixing it up. Although purely used until she started accepting her raw food again, of its ongoing then those steps will get most dogs interested and ensure they are getting adequate nutrition.

          Reply
  15. MyDogLikes says

    February 2, 2015 at 8:32 am

    Great tips! We have only ever faced the opposite problem, but my sister’s dog is a chronic under eater and has to be enticed, using some of these tips!

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 2, 2015 at 4:51 pm

      I only have the opposite problem, too 😉 Mauja and Atka just aren’t very enticed by food!

      Reply
  16. christine & riley says

    February 2, 2015 at 9:39 am

    Our little girl Katie isn’t underweight, but she does have a higher metabolism. Usually she is feed 4 times a day. This is by her choosing. We feed breakfast to everyone, she’ll eat half. Then around 1 or 2 she’ll eat the rest, 6pm dinner and the other half of dinner around 9pm… it helps her maintain her weight well. We do add her favorite toppings, which are green beans 🙂

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 2, 2015 at 4:52 pm

      That sounds very similar to Miss Mauja 😉

      Reply
  17. Jen Gabbard says

    February 2, 2015 at 9:57 am

    Great tips because I’m sure most people know how to get their dog to lose weight, but they probably don’t know the safe way to put it on.

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 2, 2015 at 4:52 pm

      Exactly. A surprising number of people deal with this, but there isn’t a lot of information out there about it.

      Reply
  18. Peggy Frezon says

    February 2, 2015 at 10:16 am

    We had this problem with Ike when we first adopted him. He was 8 yrs old and very underweight. We researched and found a good quality, high calorie food. At first we had to give him 4 cups a day but now he’s down to 2 1/2 and doing great.

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 2, 2015 at 4:53 pm

      So happy to hear he’s doing well now!

      Reply
    • Viviana says

      May 19, 2015 at 7:43 pm

      I rescued my Dalmatian at 8 years old as well and he was emaciated . I tried every dog food under the sun and he wouldn’t eat more than 1 bowl of food a day. I decided to start cooking for him , and his appetite has increased since. I feed him atleast 3 times a day and that got him to a healthy weight , but now he’s 10 and can no longer keep the weight on him 🙁 , what food did you feed your dog ?? I need help 🙁

      Reply
  19. MattieDog says

    February 2, 2015 at 10:32 am

    We have had this problem with one of our dogs – she was a rescue from a backyard breeder, super nervous and could not maintain a healthy weight. So momma gave her a sweet potato with sardines for lunch – every day; and it made her skin/hair glossy and got her weight healthy! (and stinky fishy breath – but you do, watcha gotta do!)

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 2, 2015 at 4:54 pm

      Oh I bet her coat was amazing with all those healthy fats!

      Reply
  20. Patty says

    February 2, 2015 at 10:34 am

    I am sure that just like humans there are animals that have over active metabolisms and this is an issue. Thanks for the great tips.

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 2, 2015 at 4:54 pm

      You are absolutely correct.

      Reply
  21. Jodi (+ Koly & Fe too!) says

    February 2, 2015 at 1:24 pm

    I usually look at the type of kibble being fed first. Some dogs will pack on the pounds when they move to a higher protein kibble. I also like to look at if the serving they are getting is actually appropriate for their size. SO MANY of the bag guidelines don’t actually work in practice, so sometimes doing a little math can help.

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 2, 2015 at 4:56 pm

      So true. I never go by the bag guidelines because they never seem to be accurate. Mauja can easily maintain on 3 cups of food a day and the bag says she needs 5-6. Atka isn’t much bigger than her and I can barely keep weight on him with 6 cups a day.

      Reply
  22. Pawesome Cats says

    February 2, 2015 at 6:23 pm

    Great post, we had an underweight cat once and whilst there was nothing medically wrong if was a struggle to get her to eat enough. She still lived to 17 though.

    Reply
  23. dawn rae says

    February 2, 2015 at 6:24 pm

    My Willy is young, extremely energetic, and a picky eater. I’ve never had a dog that doesn’t gobble his/her food. So it is new to me to be concerned that he gain weight rather than be concerned about over-eating. Thanks for the information. Some of the things I’ve already started to do (i.e. more than just two meals). I’m going to go follow those links now.

    Reply
  24. Jessica Shipman | Beagles and Bargains says

    February 2, 2015 at 8:00 pm

    These are some excellent tips. This isn’t a current problem for Luna since she will eat almost anything, but it is great information for if she ever gets sick!

    Reply
  25. Teri and her blogging cats says

    February 2, 2015 at 8:15 pm

    We dashed over from the Boost and Kely is our one kitty Teri is trying to fatten up. She will have to take a look at your recipes, though, cuz we have doggie friends that could benefit from your experience and advice!

    Reply
  26. Felissa (Two Little Cavaliers) says

    February 3, 2015 at 5:23 am

    Davinia was an itty bitty little thing when she came to live with me. It was actually why the breeder decided she would do better in a home environment. She really had no desire to eat. Nothing really worked that was until Indiana came along and the first thing she did was eat Davinia’s entire bowl of food in about 60 seconds flat. From tha day on Davinia learned that she needed to eat or the food wouldn’t be there when she came back. We also eventually changed food and now as long as Davinia approves we can have that food at our house. It was about a 2 lb weight gain and people still think she is little. We weigh on the baby scale at the vet.

    Reply
  27. Rachel says

    February 5, 2015 at 11:26 am

    I have seen other pet owners experience this issue. For example, my mom’s Chihuahua won’t eat unless she is standing right there, so he has to be encouraged. But I don’t think I will ever have this issue with Rooney 🙂

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      February 5, 2015 at 3:01 pm

      That’s exactly how Atka was when he was a baby. Actually, I had to hand feed him until he was about 6 months old!

      Reply
  28. Susan and the gang from Life with Dogs and Cats says

    March 24, 2015 at 6:05 am

    We never had this problem with our dogs. I have a cat whose thin though. The vet says she’s okay, but I do monitor her meals.
    –Wags (and purrs) from Life with Dogs and Cats

    Reply
  29. melinda says

    April 30, 2015 at 9:45 pm

    I have 3 boxers all healthy two at good weight and one that won’t gain she’s 3 and her daughter will b 2 and she’s a butter ball eats dainty and slow her momma eats like it’s going out of style I’m feeding them dog chow at the moment what can I do for her to put weight on ty

    Reply
  30. andrew frangieh says

    October 21, 2015 at 7:46 pm

    hey i just want to ask you i have an English pointer he’s 6 months old and he is skinny he loves hes food and his so agile do you recommend to feed him puppies food ? and increase his meals ?

    Reply
  31. Carolyn says

    August 19, 2016 at 10:22 pm

    My 20 month old male German Shepherd Nyx was thin when I got him, we think from having been starved and we have yet to be able to get him to gain weight. We have tried satin balls and he is fed 3xs a day plus has access to food when he is out side as we have a 12’x 24’x6′ foot run attached to our garage and have two 25 pound feeders hanging in the garage kept full of food for both Nyx and our other German Shepherd. The other shepherd is fine and has weighed 45 pounds since we got her at 4 months she is now a little over a year old but Nyx looks starved.

    Reply
  32. Leigh says

    November 22, 2016 at 8:32 pm

    Not everyone has this problem on their dogs but this is very helpful for the few pet owners out there. It’s also good to be aware, in case somebody may need this. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  33. Lewis says

    August 16, 2017 at 9:41 am

    We have the exact opposite problem with our Dog Toffee https://spanielking.com/toffee/ we really struggle to keep the weight off!

    It’s sometimes weird to think that a Dog would have the opposite problem.

    Reply
  34. Hammond says

    August 29, 2017 at 10:32 am

    I have a dog that has separation anxiety when I leave and a high metabolism I free feed my dogs but my boy seems to not put in any weight he according the vet he js healthy and at a good weight 41.8pounds for a border collie mix mutt yet people are saying is to skinny how do I put weight on him so he doesn’t look skinny

    Reply
  35. Bridget Rangel says

    November 1, 2017 at 12:35 am

    Dog weight is necessity for a dogs long life. if you are taking right care for a dogs balanced diet than you can save your dog from being skinny. In animals keeping Mortality ratio is the most important thing in the animal sector.

    Reply
  36. Kiera says

    January 9, 2018 at 9:38 am

    We have a labrador/golden retriever/Airdale terrier mix. He has always been super tall, long, gangly and skinny. I think some of it is due to his build/mix, but this past Summer/Fall was especially difficult for his weight. He is a big boy – and should be 75+ lbs. At the beginning of August, he was just shy of 77, and by November, he has dropped down to 69. He was sick often, (diarrhea) started eating dog poop which made him even sicker, which concluded in multiple vet visits. We tried lots of different foods – high protein content, plus elimination diets. He seemed to do okay on certain ones before getting another bout of diarrhea. We ended up doing a full blood work panel to check out his organs, plus we wanted to rule out pancreatic insufficiency, which causes dogs to waste away despite large amounts of food. Everything came back normal thank goodness, and our vets recommended a hypoallergenic hydrolyzed protein diet. It immediately started working it’s magic. He no longer has 5 runny poops a day, but 3 small firm ones. He has slowly started to regain some of his weight back. We have him up to 72, but I’d like to get him up to 75. I know weight gain can take some time, so I’m looking for some tips – do people like to use fish oil or coconut oil to help their dogs gain weight? My boy does have a sensitive stomach, but seems to do okay with liver treats, peanut butter in his kong, eggs and carrots. (All things I’ve tried.) He is a lab, so he will eat anything I put in front of him, but if we do give him too many calories, it does cause stomach upset, so oil toppings might be my best bet?

    Reply
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  38. Lisa @Petoppia says

    January 13, 2018 at 12:48 am

    There is less chance of any diseases if your pet with average weight. Weight losses in pets are usually caused by diarrhoea, poor appetite and health problems. Better to consult with a veterinarian to help your pet to gain weight again.

    Reply
  39. Nicola says

    February 8, 2018 at 2:48 am

    My puppy seems to be gaining a bit weight then loosing it quickly. He eats soo much, he gets exercise but after some time his stomach tucks in. I read the a tucked in stomach means an underweight dog. Our vet says he’s at a good weight but I don’t thinks so. He’s an 8 months old gsd mix weighing around 21-22kg at 60 cm height. Looking at his BMI he seems that’s his underweight. Whenever we overfeed him he starts to vomit. He’s happy but he looks like the skinniest dog around my neighbourhood.

    Reply
    • JoAnna says

      May 22, 2018 at 3:39 pm

      A good (mostly universal) rule of thumb for proper dog weight is:
      YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO FEEL THE RIBS, BUT NOT SEE THEM.

      You could also feed him a higher quality food (i.e. not processed food like dry kibble or wet food, but actual meat!) and add a few more snacks (assuming you feed 3x a day, which is normal for puppies aka dogs under 1 year), or try a protein thats higher in fat like turkey, duck or beef – but don’t overfeed; especially with a GSD.

      Reply
  40. Hayley England says

    October 8, 2018 at 4:15 pm

    Hi does anyone know what I can give my 1 year old dog to put on weight but won’t give him any more energy?

    Reply
  41. John Cataldo says

    September 5, 2019 at 7:47 am

    I have a 15 year old female Saluki (Layla) who is losing weight much the way many senior dogs do because of lack of activity and such. She has gone from 39 lbs to 30 lbs in over a year. We continue to feed her her normal diet of 1/4 lb. of fresh ground Turkey with a heaping scoop of vegetable stew of grated summer squash & butternut squash, plus 1200 mg of fish oil 2x daily, plus lots of biscuit treats whenever we want. What can I add to her diet to increase her weight without adding stress to her liver &/or kidneys. She doesn’t have any mobility issues and no medical conditions causing the weight loss.

    Reply
  42. Betty says

    September 16, 2020 at 4:02 pm

    My dog Bell is my first Great Pyrenees I am in love with the breed, she is a dream of a dog and I absolutely love her. There is one thing that drives me crazy, she is very underweight and after she had her first heat cycle as recommended by her Vet she lost even more weight. I am having such a hard time getting her to eat anything other than “people food” I’ve tried to mix some of my left overs with her high quality puppy kibble but she won’t eat the kibble!!! She spits it out and licks “the good stuff” any ideas on what to do?

    Reply
  43. Bella says

    May 17, 2021 at 6:51 am

    Taking care of the pet, the owner notices changes in its condition. If a healthy dog begins to lose weight, establish the reason and try to understand what threatens the health of the animal. Exhaustion for no apparent reason is a signal that warns: it is important to contact your veterinarian as soon as possible, who will tell you how to fatten the dog so that it gains weight.

    Reply
  44. Emma says

    May 17, 2021 at 6:57 am

    Do not feed on the meat of unknown origin, as there is a possibility of infection with worms. Avoid lamb and pork, as, due to their high-fat content, they create an additional burden on the digestive system. It is recommended to exclude from the menu river fish, which may contain parasites. Avoid feeding low-fat dairy products to your pet to avoid digestive upset. Also, keep in mind that citruses and legumes cause allergic reactions and sweets interfere with normal liver function.

    Reply
  45. Stephanie says

    August 10, 2021 at 4:30 pm

    Your advice sounds very helpful, but I have never had a dog that was underweight. Even if your dog is doing well, it is important to always pay attention to their weight. We track our dogs’ weight and their food intake continuously.

    Reply

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