How to Get Dogs to Gain a Healthy Weight
Record your dog’s weight., Consult a veterinarian., Determine your dog’s ideal weight., Deworm your pet., Ensure that your dog is getting appropriate exercise.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Record your dog’s weight.
If you believe that your dog is underweight, you need to begin keeping track of the dog’s weight so that you can track the dog’s weight loss, and then his weight gain as you implement weight-gaining strategies.
Be sure to share this information with your vet. -
Step 2: Consult a veterinarian.
You need to be sure that there is nothing causing your dog’s weight loss that needs medical attention.
Your dog may have an illness or parasite that isn’t immediately obvious to you that your vet will be able to determine.
Illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, hepatitis and inflammatory bowel disease may manifest as weight lost,but require additional treatments and medications.
Therefore, a pet with an undiagnosed condition will not improve with food alone.
In fact, they will get much worse without proper treatment. , Talk to your vet about using body conditioning scoring (BCS) to help objectively assess whether your pet is too thin, too heavy or just right.
A sample chart can be seen here.
If your dog seems underweight based on the BCS, you should talk to your vet about an approach to help your dog gain weight.
In general, your dog is at a healthy weight if you can see their waist, you can feel their ribs when petting their sides without actually seeing the outline of the ribs and their belly curves upward to meet their hips.If you can easily see most or all of the ribs, the backbone or hip bones, your dog is likely too thin.
Some breeds, like Greyhounds, and some hunting and herding dogs (Border Collies, Pointers) tend to be leaner than other breeds like Mastiffs and Labrador Retrievers. , It is best to have your vet do a fecal test for intestinal parasites, but if you are unable to do that, you can diagnose and treat your dog for worms from home.
A dog that has an intestinal parasite infection may be underweight because the parasite is sapping the nutrition out of the dog’s food before the dog is able to process it. , A dog’s weight is related to his overall health, and part of your dog’s health is getting adequate gentle exercise.
Make sure to consult your vet before embarking on a rigorous exercise plan.
Some dogs suffer from arthritis, neurological difficulties or metabolic diseases that lead to muscle wasting which would require special treatment under the guidance of your veterinarian to improve your dog’s health without additional injury.
Gradually increasing controlled walks on leash is usually safe for most dogs and less likely to cause injury.
Swimming is a great no impact exercise for dogs who don’t mind getting wet.
Make sure the entry and exit from the water are set up to prevent injury getting in and out of the pool, lake, or river. -
Step 3: Determine your dog’s ideal weight.
-
Step 4: Deworm your pet.
-
Step 5: Ensure that your dog is getting appropriate exercise.
Detailed Guide
If you believe that your dog is underweight, you need to begin keeping track of the dog’s weight so that you can track the dog’s weight loss, and then his weight gain as you implement weight-gaining strategies.
Be sure to share this information with your vet.
You need to be sure that there is nothing causing your dog’s weight loss that needs medical attention.
Your dog may have an illness or parasite that isn’t immediately obvious to you that your vet will be able to determine.
Illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, hepatitis and inflammatory bowel disease may manifest as weight lost,but require additional treatments and medications.
Therefore, a pet with an undiagnosed condition will not improve with food alone.
In fact, they will get much worse without proper treatment. , Talk to your vet about using body conditioning scoring (BCS) to help objectively assess whether your pet is too thin, too heavy or just right.
A sample chart can be seen here.
If your dog seems underweight based on the BCS, you should talk to your vet about an approach to help your dog gain weight.
In general, your dog is at a healthy weight if you can see their waist, you can feel their ribs when petting their sides without actually seeing the outline of the ribs and their belly curves upward to meet their hips.If you can easily see most or all of the ribs, the backbone or hip bones, your dog is likely too thin.
Some breeds, like Greyhounds, and some hunting and herding dogs (Border Collies, Pointers) tend to be leaner than other breeds like Mastiffs and Labrador Retrievers. , It is best to have your vet do a fecal test for intestinal parasites, but if you are unable to do that, you can diagnose and treat your dog for worms from home.
A dog that has an intestinal parasite infection may be underweight because the parasite is sapping the nutrition out of the dog’s food before the dog is able to process it. , A dog’s weight is related to his overall health, and part of your dog’s health is getting adequate gentle exercise.
Make sure to consult your vet before embarking on a rigorous exercise plan.
Some dogs suffer from arthritis, neurological difficulties or metabolic diseases that lead to muscle wasting which would require special treatment under the guidance of your veterinarian to improve your dog’s health without additional injury.
Gradually increasing controlled walks on leash is usually safe for most dogs and less likely to cause injury.
Swimming is a great no impact exercise for dogs who don’t mind getting wet.
Make sure the entry and exit from the water are set up to prevent injury getting in and out of the pool, lake, or river.
About the Author
Beverly Jones
Creates helpful guides on pet care to inspire and educate readers.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: