Switched from raw to kibble, now can't keep weight on. Additive suggestions?

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Odin

Thunderpaws

Barked: Fri Dec 7, '12 8:28am PST


	Hello there I realize you've had numerous responses, but I really wanted to share our experience with you, and I hope it helps Princess Zelda! (Love the name btw! My (1st 4-legged niece) brother's Ridgeback is named Zelda hehe). We had the same weight issue with our male Weimaraner when we transitioned him from Orijen Large Breed Puppy to an adult dog food (various Acana formulas). It was extremely frightening, as he lost 7 lbs in just a few weeks, but he also had perfectly normal labwork from the vet. While were trying to search for a solution, he continued to lose weight, to the extent that he appeared emaciated (his ribs/hip bones were extremely pronounced & protruding). We couldn't cut-back on his exercise/activity, because he would become extremely frustrated, anxious & destructive. FORTUNATELY we ran into a fellow passionate Weim owner one day while we had Odin out canoeing with us, who also had the same problem gaining/maintaining weight with his male Weim. His solution: only feeds puppy food & supplements with canned food. Unfortunately the canned food supplements can be costly, let alone the cost of hollistic/natural pet foods. ** What worked/works for us: We transitioned him back to Orijen Large Breed Puppy & supplemented with 1 can of EVO per day until he was back up to a healthy weight (vet & nutritionist cautioned not to exceed 4lbs/mo weight-gain). Now we just feed him between 2c - 2.25c of Orijen LB Pup, 2x/day & he looks great! Muscular & athletic, but still has the lean-looking curves that are appropriate for his breed. If you are still searching for a solution for Zelda, then I hope this information helps your beautiful little girl. Good luck! - Libby

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Hucky and- Ringo

1184791

Barked: Fri Dec 7, '12 10:02am PST


	I didn't intentionaly try to get Huck fat but from what other people tell me,it's my fault cause peanut butter is fattening and rice sticks to the ribs. I use to mix rice with his kibble almost every night, and everyday I would stuff his kong with peanut butter.

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Eduardo

Mr. Personality

Barked: Fri Dec 14, '12 5:35am PST


	Some dogs are just genetically slim. Zelda might also just have a very fast metabolism. If she did so great on raw, why not keep her on that? Your problem may be that Acana Grasslands sources it’s thiamine from peas instead of meat sources, which is not as easily assimilated by carnivores. Maybe try topping her food with tuna to provide animal-sourced thiamine. Increasing her feed should also help. You can try feeding 3x a day, if possible. Mixing some sardines in with her food for the extra fat, oil and the benefit of additional calcium. If possible, get her back on raw. Or dog raw in the morning and kibble in the evening.

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Dave

Dr. Dave Bowman

Barked: Tue Dec 18, '12 5:26am PST


	You should try to increase her portion sizes, but very slowly. You can also try mixing raw or cooked ground beef in with her food. Is there a reason you stopped feeding raw? Acana is a very good quality dog food, so there is no problem there. Instead of adding pumpkin, which is very high in fiber, maybe try adding some ground meats. If she is underweight, increase her feed. You can try feeding more often, too. Ground beef and ground pork are fatty meats and should help put some weight on her. If you can even feed her five times a day that would be great! When you increase her feed intake, do it very slowly. If you can't feed her five times a day, maybe three? Ground beef or ground pork, either cooked or raw, would be great to add to her meals. Start by mixing a little into her kibble at first, then adding more as time goes on.

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Pepper

Got food? I- can be bought ya- know....

Barked: Thu Jan 3, '13 9:37am PST


	Pepper was very thin for the first 3 years and it concerned me a bit. I switched her to Evo red meat formula and that did the trick. I was able to cut her portions but up her calories from her previous Blue Buffalo or Taste of the Wild Brand. She is slender, but healthy weight now at 4 years old.