I cant keep weight on Tyson? :(

Lady La La

Lady La La

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He's skinny and boney, and I can't seem to get any weight on him...

He's always been a fussy eater. He won't eat unless he is in a calm and sensible frame of mind. If he's excited because I've come home... He wont eat. If he's full of energy because he's only had 2 hours exersise, he wont eat. If he'd rather play with Bryony, he wont eat. If I wait until much later in the evening to feed him, when the dogs have settled down and he's having his evening doze, he wont eat becuase it's a change in his routine, and the time when he normally eats has passed...

I've tried to make feeding fun for him, stuffing kongs with his dry food mixed with tuna, chicken, cheese etc and getting his daily ration of feed into him that way, but if he's not in the state of mind to be interested in food he will not eat it. It also doesn't help that when he does eat, he virtually runs all his weight off.

I'm at a bit of a loss? He also seems to have an upset stomach at least once a week, if its not the runs he's sick. He seems to be very sensetive. I took him to the vets to ask about it, but as he was in such fine form on the day of the vet visit, my vet said he may have a mild touch of IBS but nothing to worry about, and to keep him on the food he is fed. (Skinners maintenance)

I'm worried about him :(
 
I would say go raw and see how you go (if he is feeling playful you could always lob chicken wings down the garden for him to "kill" :D) or if you want to try another dry food I am seriously impressed with CSJ Herbie Rings: my lurcher has always been a really skinny fusspot but is wolfing these down, putting weight on and has the best coat he has ever had on any food (and believe me, he's tried a few!)
 
Brownmare said:
I would say go raw and see how you go (if he is feeling playful you could always lob chicken wings down the garden for him to "kill" :D) or if you want to try another dry food I am seriously impressed with CSJ Herbie Rings: my lurcher has always been a really skinny fusspot but is wolfing these down, putting weight on and has the best coat he has ever had on any food (and believe me, he's tried a few!)
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Thank you, I am just having a read up now on all of the posts and advice about going RAW, my only concern is that with two huge mutts it's going to work out rather expensive :(
I'm very wary about changing his food as previously he was doing so well on skinners, and the maintenance mix doesnt make him go mental!
 
Starla Of Bethlehem said:
Thank you, I am just having a read up now on all of the posts and advice about going RAW, my only concern is that with two huge mutts it's going to work out rather expensive :(
I'm very wary about changing his food as previously he was doing so well on skinners, and the maintenance mix doesnt make him go mental!
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See when i called the breeder of my puppy for the first time and she said "they are fed raw and will only be going to homes that will continue to do so" i was abit like.. well that may work out too expensive; not sure now... but after a long chat with her and doing lots of research decided 'in theory' it would work out the same sort of price as any half decent complete food... and in fact i think it has worked out cheeper- and i have a VERY healthy happy looking puppy.. and will never consider feeds any dogs anything else tbh!! I think raw is very good for hyper dogs? although mine is pretty crazy but he is a 5 month old dalmatian puppy???!!!

have a look at ..... http://www.berriewoodwholesale.co.uk/cgi-bin/sitewise.pl?act=sect&s=148&pt=145&id=berrie for rough prices!!! although if you find a nice butcher it will be even cheaper :) !!!
 
Would definitely give raw a go - speak nicely to your butcher for bones and carcass etc and always check the reduced section in all supermarkets as well as the meat and fish sections for reduced items. I got 3 whole mackerels last week for 19p each and a tray of liver for 50p - plenty for 4 or 5 meals. I buy it when I see it and stick it in the freezer:D
 
Look for a chicken processing plant anywhere near you.

We traveled about 2 hours to one when i was in england because we would get 45lbs of chicken for 5 pounds.

Become an expert at pushing people out the way at the sell off section at the store.

You can order from landywoods or somewhere like that. They are a little more expensive but very convenient.
 
Thanks guys. I'm going to take the plunge. I plan to start of with chicken and stick with that until I am braver, and more confident that my dog isn't going to keel over and die :rolleyes:

Am I right in thinking, no weight bearing bones, no kibble at all... and things like chicken wings and thighs are alright? 2% of their ideal body weight in raw a day?
 
Starla Of Bethlehem said:
Thanks guys. I'm going to take the plunge. I plan to start of with chicken and stick with that until I am braver, and more confident that my dog isn't going to keel over and die :rolleyes:

Am I right in thinking, no weight bearing bones, no kibble at all... and things like chicken wings and thighs are alright? 2% of their ideal body weight in raw a day?
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No weight bearing bones of large animals. (although mine get trotters every once in a while as a treat)

No kibble within 12 hours of raw.

Every part of a chicken is fine. Turkey necks are FAB!
 
katielou said:
No weight bearing bones of large animals. (although mine get trotters every once in a while as a treat)

No kibble within 12 hours of raw.

Every part of a chicken is fine. Turkey necks are FAB!
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Thanks :p

I'm nervous! Fear of the unknown and all that... I'm going to stop at ASDA on the way home and stock up. Should I expect him to have the sh**s for a few days? B dog wont, she has some kind of cast iron constitution, I swear :rolleyes:
 
He may do but it probably wont be bad. Maybe just soft poops or really really hard poops for a few days.

He may detox for a while and loose condition, get a dull coat and bad breath but thats him just getting all the crap from the kibble out of his body. One of mine was like it for a good few months.
 
As a guide ..the 60lb bull terriers would have one mostly de-meated chook carcase per day,the Malinois has two or even three.Like people some dogs are high energy burners and others just are`nt.Find a factory that processes chooks into other ready meals or the like,my 10kilo boxes are a fiver.
Turkey necks terrify me ,ever since one daft bullie tried to swallow one whole..lengthways,so it was fimly stuck and just poking out.It meant an upside down dog a much sudden crushing on it`s lower rib cage by me to evict it. Put me right off them for good!Mind you .bullies and common sense don`t always go together.
 
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It's really not that dear, the bargain bins in Asda, Tesco and Iceland are brilliant.

He doesn't look too skinny from pics but some GSDs do have food absorption problems and as mentioned some huskys can't 'do' grains so you've got a right sensitive one there!
 
CaveCanem said:
It's really not that dear, the bargain bins in Asda, Tesco and Iceland are brilliant.

He doesn't look too skinny from pics but some GSDs do have food absorption problems and as mentioned some huskys can't 'do' grains so you've got a right sensitive one there!
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His hair seems to cover most of him up, he's lost rather a lot recently and to run your hand over him, he is bony. His hips stick out and there just feels like there's no 'meat' on him what so ever. He used to be a right porker as a pup, but its more his 'attitude' to food I worry about.
Needless to say, he practically bit my arm off for his chicken wings this morning... and Bryony thought all her christmas's had come at once... :p
 
Switch from the Skinners maintenance ( which is for slob dogs) to their duck & rice which is more suitable for active types and has less cereal and then only rice.


I can get cheap chicken locally and won't feed it as I know how often the plant gets a high campylobacter count.
 
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