Is Stella too skinny?

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prosefullstop

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It has been a real battle to keep weight on Stella since December. The weather has been treacherous (21 inches of snow fell on Wednesday!) and she shivers like crazy on our walks, even with a down jacket and an under layer.

I started upping her food last week, and added a couple of raw venison patties this morning, as they tend to pad dogs out very quickly. She gets 3/4 cup fresh food morning and night, plus bits of fruit, yoghurt and dog treats.

Do you think I ought to increase her food some more until the weather gets milder? Any weight-gain foods I should consider?

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Another Boston terrier for comparison:

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Awww she is sooooooooo cute!!
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She looks lovely and fit to me - all shiny as well
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! I guess she is like every one else when its cold they just need a bit extra as they burn so many calories just to keep warm. I give mine oily fish at least twice a week - sardines, tuna, salmon, mackeral in oil or tomatoes sauce. Good sauce of calories but also lot of good omega oils which are good for their joints as well.
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She does look a touch lean to me. Have you talked about her nutrition with a vet?

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No, I haven't. I started feeding her Scooter Food back in January, largely because I adopted a pug with food allergies and it's easier having them both on the same food as they like to swap bowls (I feed Stella first and make Prince wait, so he's not stealing her food). If she doesn't put a pound on in the next week, I'm going to switch her back to her old food.

Btw, her energy levels, bowel habits etc. are all great.
 
I would say she is a bit too slim as well, she has too much tuck up for my liking. Not to the degree that i would be overly concerned about, but if you could get her a bit more covered she would look better IMO
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Re feeding... Have you considered a raw/partly raw diet? I have found it fantastic for maintaining weight and keeping skin, coat and teeth very healthy. I have all my dogs, including my pug pups, on a mostly raw diet. Its not for everyone, but thought i would mention it incase it was an option
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I would say she is a bit too slim as well, she has too much tuck up for my liking. Not to the degree that i would be overly concerned about, but if you could get her a bit more covered she would look better IMO
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Re feeding... Have you considered a raw/partly raw diet? I have found it fantastic for maintaining weight and keeping skin, coat and teeth very healthy. I have all my dogs, including my pug pups, on a mostly raw diet. Its not for everyone, but thought i would mention it incase it was an option
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You're right. I'm going to do the switch back to raw this week. I changed because the smell made me gag, but Stella's health is more important. Scooter Food is great for Prince, as it keeps him lean and really helps with his allergies, but I'm not sure it's the best choice for Stella who, as you'll recall from the video I posted, is a zippy, high-strung lunatic.
 
I'd be tempted to look at a "working dog" high energy mix (half mixing puppy and dog types)for the additional calories - and some dried tripe chews for fun/palatibility.
 
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You're right. I'm going to do the switch back to raw this week. I changed because the smell made me gag, but Stella's health is more important. Scooter Food is great for Prince, as it keeps him lean and really helps with his allergies, but I'm not sure it's the best choice for Stella who, as you'll recall from the video I posted, is a zippy, high-strung lunatic.

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She does look a little lean.

Have you got anywhere nearby you can get minced/ground beef or lamb, the cheaper fatty mince is brill for weight gain as it is pure muscle meat and fat, and it shouldn't smell when fresh? I would think that having been on raw for a bit she is simply not getting enough nutrients from the commercial stuff to fuel the antics!!

Out of interest what brand are the patties? They are not doing them here as yet and I know a lot of people would be interested if they did. Don 't they do a "portly Monarch" version for His Royal Highness??
 
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You're right. I'm going to do the switch back to raw this week. I changed because the smell made me gag, but Stella's health is more important. Scooter Food is great for Prince, as it keeps him lean and really helps with his allergies, but I'm not sure it's the best choice for Stella who, as you'll recall from the video I posted, is a zippy, high-strung lunatic.

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She does look a little lean.

Have you got anywhere nearby you can get minced/ground beef or lamb, the cheaper fatty mince is brill for weight gain as it is pure muscle meat and fat, and it shouldn't smell when fresh? I would think that having been on raw for a bit she is simply not getting enough nutrients from the commercial stuff to fuel the antics!!

Out of interest what brand are the patties? They are not doing them here as yet and I know a lot of people would be interested if they did. Don 't they do a "portly Monarch" version for His Royal Highness??

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Scooter Food is definitely not commercial. It's only sold in four stores, and is basically home-cooked and organic (the salmon formula is wild salmon, lima beans, collards, potatoes, celery, tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, oils, vits...). For a dog with a fast metabolism and high energy, I just don't think it's fatty enough.

The patties are Nature's Variety. As for Prince, he does so well with fish that I'm loathe to switch him over. It would be cheaper, though.

I have a fantastic Italian butcher nearby. Shall investigate the cheaper cuts of beef tomorrow
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I wish they would do more food like that here, That scooter menu is better than I get!! I'm a die hard raw feeder but realise that sourcing your own is not for everyone and the patties and sensibly cooked diet would be great for people wanting to choose a better diet for their dogs than sack or tinned varieties.

Go chat up that butcher and see what you can get for Stella!
 
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I wish they would do more food like that here, That scooter menu is better than I get!! I'm a die hard raw feeder but realise that sourcing your own is not for everyone and the patties and sensibly cooked diet would be great for people wanting to choose a better diet for their dogs than sack or tinned varieties.

Go chat up that butcher and see what you can get for Stella!

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Raw and organic is easy to source in NYC, but outside large metropolitan areas it's whatever they sell at Petco, with Natural Balance and Wellness (premium dry foods) being the best offerings. Manhattan is quite nutty about dogs. Some of the new apartment buildings even have in-house pet spas!
 
I would say it needs a little more weight to to give a little bit more covering.

We used to have alot of problems with some of our dogs, one of the things that worked was Tripe and biscuits - I absolutley hated the stuff and this was one of the final things we tried and it bulked them up enough.

I also find that Burns or James Wellbeloved work well on dogs and they are natural ingredients as well. Have you tried these??? There is lots of information on their website and lots of types to fit different breeds and life stages. Worth a look even if you don't try just to gain a wider perspective about whats out there :)
 
cheekymonkey24 said:
IBurns or James Wellbeloved work well on dogs and they are natural ingredients as well. :)
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I don't think that I would go as far as to describe those foods as natural dog foods, yes that's what they claim in the sales blurb, but they are both highly cooked and contain a considerable percentage of brown rice, Maize (corn), barley, oats (56% in one of Burns diets!!) or potatoes, foods unsuitable for carnivores.

Yes dogs will gain weight on these types of feeds but through the wrong bodily processes and with a high risk of problems related to carbohydrates including diabetes. I just can't understand why feed companies are now advocating high fibre low cereal diets for our horses yet continue to tell us that it is perfectly OK to feed our carnivores more cereal than we do our herbivores., In the case of pre BSE our Cattle were fed far more meat than your average dog ever had!!
 
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