How to add some weight?

blueweim

blueweim

New member
So I have a weim that is skinny. He weighs in at 63lbs and is taller then an average weim. about 29" to the withers. I seem to have tried everything to get some weight on him but no luck. It concerns me this time of year when we hunt. He never slows down in the field but after a couple days of hunting you can tell he has lost weight. You can see every rib he has after this weeked. I have been feeding him the highest calorie food I can find EVO and its 42% protein & 540kcal a cup. I feed him 4 cups a day which according to the bag is what a 100lb active dog should eat. He just won't eat more then that. Any ideas?

Oh and he is allergic to grains of some kind. I have not narrowed it down but no rash or ear infections since we switched grain free. So no pasta which has worked pretty well at putting pounds on me.
 
I don't know the specific brand name but if you go to a pet store like Petco they have this stuff that is alot like summer sausage for dogs I guess you could say. Try supplementing some into his diet throughout the day and if you are really worried you could go buy chicken breast in bulk and boil a couple and give to him as well during hunting season. I would think he is fine though and he will let you know when he is not. Good luck with the weight gain. Too bad beer is made from grain because it seems to help even the smallest of men put on good amounts of weight and it makes them think they are ten foot tall and bullet proof :)
 
I have had success with a mixture of ground beef, brown rice, and squash or pumpkin. Good balance, highly digestable, pumpkin and squash have beneficial gut flora, and are soothing to the stomach, rice and hamburger will stop diareha in a couple of meals, best part dogs will eat it even when worn down. I cook it up and store it in snaplock containers. As an aside, you might want to check for hook and/or whip worms. Even dogs which are regularily wormed and treated sometimes carry these because they can be real difficult to get rid off, are not always obvious in fecal tests, and re-exposure is routine. I don't know how this works for the allergy implications, but, worms also cause skin irritation in some dogs, as well as other allergic symptoms. Some breeds have less resistance to certain parasites. Weims being from a small, tight, gene pool, may be one of those. I try to keep it simple first, low cost,low stress, on everybody. failure here would lead me to the vet for blood work. Mostly my guess is he's a happy, if rangy hunting dog who burns through calories with a big motor.
 
Whip worms might be a problem. Hard to detect and most wormers won't get them. Also how are the dogs stools? If loose you might check for giardia.
 
Have you had your vet check your dog? What does he say? I think that's where I would start. I'd have him checked for parasites and worms. About all we can offer on this site is a lot of speculation, some good and some maybe not so good. If you feel there is a problem take the dog to a vet for a professional, hands on opinion. Good luck.
 
I have asked my vet and he says the dog is healthy and there are no issues. Says he is on the thin side for a weim but that is not a medical problem. The issue is that during hunting season he gets so thin you can see every rib through his coat.

I did call the food manufacturer today and got some good information. The rep I talked to has 2 gsp's that she had the same issue with. She said the food I am feeding "EVO" is the highest calorie and highest protein. 540kcal/cup and 42% protein but it is the lowest in carbs 8%. She said I need to switch to a higher carb diet during hunting season like 45-50% carbs. Looks like I have had the dog on the atkins diet and didn't know it. :eek:
 
just a reminder

that dogs don't use carbs like people use carbs - there is no such thing as carb-loading a dog
that means with a high carb diet the performance level of your dog may diminish - your dog may put on weight but it may "slow down"

take a page out of the performance sled dog circuit and add a little fat to the dogs diet - a very little to start, be acutely aware of the onset of pancreatitis some dogs just can't tolerate above about 25% fat in their diet - a little fat goes along way

I have the exact same issue with my GSP (16 months); no medical issues, just a high metabolism - you can see ribs, hip bones and even his backbone after a day in the field - he eats like a horse but just doesn't put on any weight
 
Every time I wanted my dog checked for worms and parasites. I had to take in a freshly dropped stool sample. Did your vet have you do this? If not I'd get a new vet.........Bob
 
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