Skinny Rescue Puppy

[J&C]

I've always had good doers so this is a new one for me and I'd appreciate advice!

We recently got a rescue puppy (had her from 6 months old she's now 11 months). She was in a bad way when we got her, obviously starved and mistreated so she was really skinny with hips sticking out, her coat was terrible condition, very thin with a few bald patches, etc.
Since we've had her she has put on Weight and her coat is lovely and thick and glossy now and I think she has built up muscle too where before she would be knackered from a 30 min walk - we now walk for hours she has so much more energy.
She is doing fab but it worries me that she is still quite thin and when people stroke her they comment that she is skinny and can feel her spine and ribs.

When we first got her she had very lose stools and I have managed to get her to have nice regular solid ones but as soon as I increase the amount of food she gets the runs again! I have tried to persist in the hopes that she will get used to the increase but it gets worse and as soon as I cut her down again she's back to solid poos within a couple of days.

I found the dog food market a bit of a minefield with lots of conflicting advice so I'm prepared to be told I should change her food completely rather than increase the quantities.
I feed her a mixture of wet and dry - adjusting the feeding guides of both to allow for the other. She also gets plenty of treats at the moment as we are training her.
She never seems hungry and would definitely choose to go and play instead of eat (which is not what I expected from a dog which had been starved!). She often leaves her food if she gets distracted by something more exciting.

It has also crossed my mind that maybe she is fine and other dogs are overweight! She has boundless energy, healthy coat/eyes/teeth, just a bit bony around the ribs/spine. It just bothers me that so many people comment on her weight - I feel like I'm starving her!

She is a good old mongrel so it's hard to compare her weight with her breed so I've no idea what her "ideal" weight should be but she is around 9.5kg at the moment.

I will be asking my vets opinion at her appointment next month but would appreciate any advice from knowledgable owners!

 

[SusieT]

what type of dog is she? some are boney.

 

[Sarah_K]

My pup has no health problems has never been starved or mistreated but he just doesn't have a big appetite. He was a little on the skinny side, so I upped the amount of the food he got. It either got left, or if he ate it all he had loose poops. I changed the food to one with a higher calorific value. Same nutrient and caloriewise per portion, just a lot less volume. It means I can up his food a little without causing any tummy upsets. I think he's at an ideal weight for him now, can feel his ribs easily and he's firm not bony over his rump and shoulders.

I feed Akela dry dog food and a little green tripe (for kongs etc). He's happy, active and full of energy. Have you checked
http://www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk/ Lots of good info on there about different dog food.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Most dogs I see out and about are too heavy and some are obese.

If she wasn't consuming huge amounts as a puppy then her system has probably adapted to cope and you run the risk of making her ill or at least of food running straight through her if you give her too much or too rich of a food.

 

[Alec Swan]

……..

She is a good old mongrel so it's hard to compare her weight with her breed so I've no idea what her "ideal" weight should be but she is around 9.5kg at the moment.

…….. !

what type of dog is she? some are boney.

Perhaps you could have read the opening post? Just a suggestion!

J&C, some dogs only seem to take up the food that they want to maintain their needs. Often, though not always, it's a mark of youth. I've had collies and we now have a lurcher and they're all-but walking bags of bones with all giving a full day of work, despite their intake of food and apparently poor physical shape. If her energy levels are 'up' and she seems well in her coat and eye, then I really wouldn't worry. It's most probably all to do with her metabolism, I'd suggest.

I would exercise extreme caution when asking any Vet other than those who've made a specific study, regarding the correct diet for dogs. It generally isn't their field, surprisingly. You may well find that quite by chance they carry the most perfect and recommended diet for dogs, it's often of excessively high protein, it's mind numbingly expensive, and when fed, it goes straight through the dog. :wink3:

Perhaps the best indication of a dog's gut performance is to have a close look at what comes out.

Alec.

 

[Snuffles]

If dog is very active and a cant keep still type, maybe just burning it off. Used to work for a man who ate like a horse but was as thin as a whippet, he was constantly on the go and a terrible fidget.!

 

[Cinnamontoast]

You said you've tried feeding more, but did you just add food to regular meals? Have you tried offering little and often, several meals a day? Lamb is a good weight increasing ,eat, maybe try some raw? My lot had lamb breast for tea.

If you use the fab website Sarah_K linked, check for high protein, low or no grain. I think Akela is meant to be good. My lot burn off the weight, they're active dogs and as babies were really skinny, despite tons of food. She might be similar and may become easier to keep weight on as she ages.