[Kaci G]

Hi Everyone,

I have a 10 month old coonhound/Rottweiler mix with a problem. Up until last week we had him on Blue Buffalo’s puppy dry food and he was eating fine. He’s very high energy and it’s hard for him to focus on anything for long so eating can be challenging but after a recent vet visit where the vet advised me that he’s underweight and needs to gain weight, he’s stopped eating his food. Now, he’s only eating his brother’s food and treats, which is an adult salmon/sweet potato dry food. Of course, this food is not what he needs to gain weight. I was thinking about maybe trying a puppy wet/dry food mix? He definitely has a sensitive stomach, he can’t eat too much or he throws up. I was wondering if anyone might have any recommendations for a good wet food, I’ve never had a dog on wet food before, let alone one with a sensitive stomach. Thank you for any suggestions!

[Susan]

Hi, does the brand his brother eats have a large puppy food? To gain weight google the food your interested in feeding & look at the Kcal/per cup Calorie content, its normally under the “Feeding Guidelines” some companies just write the Kcal/per kilo not per cup…..I always try & buy a kibble that’s over 400Kcal/per cup, that way you need less kibble to feed but I still feed a bit more then recommended, an extra cup divided between the 4 meals a day…Patch also has sensitive stomach IBD & has trouble keeping on his weight…. I have found with wet tin foods he regurgitates them back up into his mouth when he burps but your boy might be different, Patch also lost weight on the wet tin food, he needed to be feed 2 large tins a day, its seemed too much no wonder he was burping the food back up…..I was feeding 1 full cup of kibble for Breakfast & wet tin food for lunch & dinner, now I feed 1 full cup of kibble 406Kcal/cup breakfast & cooked chicken & sweet potatoes for lunch & dinner, he seems to keep his weight on better eating cooked chicken, then when he was eating the wet tin foods & its cheaper buying the fresh chicken pieces & sweet potatoes cooking then freezing weighed meals, then buying the wet tin foods & I know what he’s eating when I cook his meals….I bought one of those Dog Meat Rolls today from Pet Shop, Kangaroo & Potato, preservative free, gluten free, for skin/stomach allergies…. I’m going to give the Roll a go & see how he does….

Try & feed 3-4 smaller meals thru the day if you can….Holistic Select have a Grain free Puppy & Adult Anchovy, Salmon & Sardine kibble, its only but its only 341kcal/per cup that way they can both eat the same kibble, Holistic Select also make wet tin food but I have found its cheaper to buy a couple of kilos of chicken pieces, I remove all the skin then put them in a big pot & boil 20mins you collect all the cooked bones then slowly boil the bones over night & make bone broth, bone broth is very healthy… http://holisticselect.com.au/recipes.aspx?pet=dog

Also here’s a link for a Calorie Calculator, it’s for German Shepherds but its still works for any breed of dog, it gives you an idea how many calories your dogs needs to eat a day, work out how many calories your boy should be eating a day, email kibble or wet tin food companies & ask how many Kcal per CUP is their food..that’s what I was talking about Kcal/per cup, if I feed a kibble that’s 400kcal/cup then I feed just under 3 cups a day Patch needs around 1100 calories a day…..
http://www.german-shepherd-lore.com/dog-food-calculator.html

[Pitlove]

Vomitting from overfeeding is very common and doesn’t actually indicate a sensitive stomach. If he is underweight the problem is going to be getting him back to an ideal weight without causing weight gain which can lead to skeletal and growth problems. He’s a large breed, so he needs a large breed puppy food with controlled levels of calcium to promote slow growth. This will also aid in preventing skeletal and growth disorders. They will also be higher in calories, but you and your vet will need to determine his ideal weight so you know when to start feeding to maintain that weight.

Fromm and NutriSource both make excellent LBP formulas that are highly palatable.

• This reply was modified 9 years ago by Pitlove.

[Susan]

Hi again there’s also Pro Pac Ultimates Large Breed Puppy Chicken & Rice formula made by Earthborn Holistic, Pro Pac may be a bit cheaper & doesn’t have as many ingredients as the Holistic Select kibbles have…. also if he did well on his last kibble then find another kibble with similar ingredients & around the same fat % & fiber % if his stool were firm on the Blue Buffalo Puppy…..
http://intl.propacultimates.com/natural-dog-food/large-breed-puppy-chicken-brown-rice/

[Tammy K]

Hi everyone I have a Weimeriner and I have him on sweet potato and venison dog food he does really well on it compared to anything I have had him on his poops are loose on anything I have tried him one except what he is on now but he has lost so much weight on this how do I get weight back on him help please

[anonymous]

Add a little something to the kibble like cooked ground turkey, scrambled egg or cooked chopped chicken breast and a splash of water.
You don’t want a rapid weight gain, that’s not good. Let him fill out slowly.

This is not veterinary advice; consult your veterinarian.

[Susan]

Hi Tammy,
Adding foods may make the problem worse especially if he has food sensitivities….
Have you tried “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb formula?? the TOTW has only 1 protein, Lamb & limited ingredients Sweet potato, Potato, pea & egg, Excellent for dogs with IBD, EPI, IBS & S.I.B.O are you seeing a vet??
If your dog is losing weight & doing sloppy poos, he may need weekly B12 injections.. have you tried the Hills D/D Venison & Potato vet diet, it helps improve digestion & stool quality, helps strengthen the immune system, it’s grain free, gluten, free, soy free, high in Omega 3 & antioxidants… only has the 2 ingredients Venison & Potato + oils & vitamins etc
You need to work why your dog isn’t doing firm poos??? has he had his poo tested for Parasites?? he may need to be put on a round of Metronidazole (Flagyl) for 21-28 days to kill any bad bacteria in the stomach & intestinal tract S.I.B.O.. My vet writes me out repeat scripts of the Metronidazole & as soon as I see a problem with Patches poos, I put him on the Metronidazole for 10-14 days to fix the problem before it turn into a IBD flare….Since eating the TOTW Sierrra Mountain Roasted Lamb he hasn’t had anymore sloppy poo’s same when he eats the Hills D/D Venison & Potato kibbles. My boy has IBD he’s a rescue, when a dog keeps having diarrhea & sloppy poos they can get thickening of the bowel as they get older which turns into IBD…I’d be finding out why his poos are slop?? is it the small bowel or is it the large bowel, does he has food intolerances? does he have giardia?

[Author]

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