i need some help with a skinny dog

[heathersboers]

I have a 4 year old boxer named Ginger. I got her from my parents at 6 months old.when i got her she was almost dead....she survived cocci and parvo . I have had her since. She has always been boney...you can see her ribs...hip bones and all.she is very energetic and happy and eats like a horse......I give her all she can eat and tried everything I know to try...eggs...high dollar dog food....the raw food diet.....I just don't know what to do with her anymore. Animal control has been making rounds close to our house and I do not want to get in trouble over her and lose all my animals....I love her so much and can't bring myself to euthanize her...I don't think it would be fair considering she is so happy...even though skinny. Is there anything I can do? ?? Tricks to weight gain??? I have even wormed her And tried the egg mixed in....any suggestions are greatly appreciated

 

[un-named]

Quote:
Next vet trip, at least ask of a printed out medical history of your visits so you can protect yourself from any people who call animal control or humane society on you.... If she is energetic, uninjured and eats alot and is getting documented care, then I doubt she can be taken from you and she should not be euthanized until old age or the thinness catches up with her and causes problems!

 

[fancy]

Has your vet done a maldigestion panel? Some dogs lack the ability to digest their food properly and need an enzyme supplement. I have seen MIRACULOUS results. Good luck with your issue, you have been through a lot already!

 

[Kitt]

Try satin balls. You can find the recipe online. But first make sure nothing serious is going on with your vet. A good dog food to try is Taste of The Wild. It is kind of expensive. I had a foster dog I couldn't keep weight on and I used the satin balls and TOTW.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Quote:
Next vet trip, at least ask of a printed out medical history of your visits so you can protect yourself from any people who call animal control or humane society on you.... If she is energetic, uninjured and eats alot and is getting documented care, then I doubt she can be taken from you and she should not be euthanized until old age or the thinness catches up with her and causes problems!

Exactly! My one girl is very thin. She had to fight for every bite of food she got before we rescued her. She is every active and eats 4 cups of Taste of the Wild Dog food every day. She's only suppose to have 2-2/12 based on her size but due to her activity level we basicly let her eat what she want. We have tried everything to put some "fat" on her bones. You can just make out her ribs and between the ribs and hips she gets really skinny. I have had her vet tested and test and tested, everything we can think of but she won't put on weight. Get documentation from your vet!

 

[adgcountrygirl]

Some dogs look way too thin if they run constantly. Hamlet was ALWAYS lean when he was younger and only put on a "healthier looking" (according to my grandpa) weight in the last two years. Hamlet no longer runs all day every day though... Coon dogs and other dogs that hunt constantly during certain seasons also look "too thin" during the seasons they hunt. There was even a case in our area where the humane society was called in and it went to court. The man who owned the hunting dogs luckily had documentation of vet visits and verifications from neighbors who witnessed that he fed his dogs well every day.

Our vet recommended raw ground hamburger meat wrapped in a slice of bread once a day for a week for my husband's bird-dog during hunting season when she ran off more weight than what was healthy.

Note: Hamlet never looked boney or too thin. He has always been well muscled with great confirmation, but Papa liked dogs to look very well fed to the point of almost being fat. I miss that man! He would have loved to see our chickens...

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Try a high protein high fat food. Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete may help. Its $31 or so for 40 pounds.

 

[coreybee]

Some dogs are just leaner than others. I have a friend with a white boxer who we could not keep weight on. We tried everything. He was healthy, parasite free, and in excellent condition. Just destined to be skinny. We could make out his last rib or two. According on how to properly body condition your animals, you should be able to feel ribs easily through the skin. Some dogs, should have ribs showing (i.e. most sighthounds). Many people tell me my dogs look skinny... which tells me all they have seen are FAT Ridgebacks. I see far too many fat dogs.

Here's the link on seeing your dog's body condition: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-evaluate-your-dogs-weight.html

I hope you can get some weight on your girl! Good luck!

 

[KFox]

I worked with a Boxer rescue for nearly seven years and satin balls will help! Also, Dyne weight gain works. It adds calories if you add a tiny bit to the food every morning. Boxers tend to be high energy and sometimes it's hard to keep weight on them.