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Weight Lose

Annette's picture
Posted May 9th, 2009 by Annette
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Hi, I have a 2 year old border collie X Lab. He runs constantly all day (lives on 5 acres). Recently he seems to be loosing weight. He has been wormed, I feed him a combination of dry kibble, can dog food, raw meat, table scraps, vitamins - two meals per day. Is this correct and should I be feeding him more, this amount seemed ample. I have received comments on his lovely shiny coat. What can I give him to put on more weight. Thanks Annette

Comments

re: Weight Lose

Aidan's picture
On May 11th, 2009 Aidan says:

Hi Annette, in my experience people have widely varying opinions or perceptions on how much fat a dog should carry, and in some dogs it can fluctuate from season to season. Different amounts of coat at different times of year will also give a different impression. So bottom line is, I like people to get a second opinion from a vet or someone with conformation experience before I suggest any big changes to diet.

If there are any unexplained changes in a dog's weight or behaviour, I recommend a check-up at the vet. There are a number of medical problems which can cause weight-loss, and sometimes weight-loss is the only symptom you will notice early on.

Personally, I feed a predominantly raw diet. Mostly raw chicken frames, also some lamb and fish (if I catch any). I use processed food for treat dispensing toys, treasure hunts, tracking and training but not for the bulk of the diet. I'm not a raw feeding purist by any stretch of the imagination, but my dogs are getting on in years and they are exceptionally healthy being brought up on raw meaty bones. Their teeth are bright white and they don't have "doggy breath".

Raw chicken frames seem to work best at keeping weight on my active bitch, and I can't give too much to my less active dog or he gets fat quickly. Lamb off-cuts are usually pretty fatty, but a lot of dogs want to bury them and dig them up a few days later, which is fine by me but a lot of people don't like it.

The protein in processed food is usually pretty bad. It is so denatured by the time it gets put in the bag or can that it is essentially worthless. As a weightlifter I have an appreciation of good quality protein for keeping weight on as lean muscle mass.

The fats in processed foods are even worse. Dietary fats are essential in dogs (and humans), but it's a short step from healthy to unhealthy fats once you start trying to make them last for months.

So my suggestion, take it for what it's worth, is to increase the amount of good, raw fat and protein in your dog's diet to help maintain a healthy weight. But first get a vet check to make sure it's not something medical, and let them give you an opinion on whether he is too thin or not. I don't even trust my own judgement when it comes to my own dogs!

Regards,
Aidan
http://www.positivepetzine.com

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