# How to FATTEN up a dog?



## Sheltielover25 (Jan 18, 2011)

I have a foster dog right now and have had him for three weeks. He ate chicken the first week and did fine and since then he's eaten beef and elk and deer. He hasn't had any tummy issues. yay! His fur is growing in and he isn't anywhere near as itchy as he was when he first got here. He should weigh around 40lbs and he weighs about 32lbs. He was almost starved to death when he was brought into the pound and his blood glucose was TEN! Scary. He's gaining weight though and right now I feed him a pound a day, once a day. I'd like to find a way to put some weigh on him that's not too expensive and won't make him ill from too much food. Any ideas? Should I add extra food/treats over and above the one a day lb or should I add something fattier into the mix and make it account for the lb a day?


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

If he's gaining now the way you are feeding, I would continue. It sounds like whatever you are doing is working. You could try another small feeding each day as well and see how it goes.


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## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

I agree. There is no need to add anything else if he is gaining weight with how you are feeding now. You want him to gain weight at his body's own pace. You don't want him to gain weight too fast. If he is gradually looking better and not worse then you are doing it right. The red meats tend to help add weight faster and it sounds like you are feeding him lots of red meat. I would stick with what you are doing.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

I agree with the others. There's really no need to rush him gaining weight, if he's doing great already on what you're doing. You could slightly increase the size of one of his meals...but adding fattier things in is a recipe for disaster!


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## Sheltielover25 (Jan 18, 2011)

Okay! He has put on some weight and his coat is becoming thicker and softer. He's only been at it three weeks so it's a decent amount of improvement in such a small period of time. I've always seen him come to life more and get more of a sparkle in his eyes. He's making himself at home and I think him having someone to love/care for him and a good diet was just what he needed! The rescue people were very pleased with the updated picture I sent of him today and said they could see his fur getting thicker and him filling out. His spine isn't as pokey anymore!


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

Please keep going slow, we focus on weight and there is so much more being rebuilt in this poor dog. He is hopefully adding muscle mass, rebuilding his immune system and growing a lovely coat. Give his body time to cleanse and repair itself. Red meats and game meats are fattier and maybe you could feed more of that. I don't know how far along he is with proteins but duck necks are nice with some heart and that would be a pretty rich meal. Turkey hearts, pork heart or beef heart would be good. I also dehydrate heart as a rich training treat - I take a heart that is still pretty frozen and slice thinly, dehydrate in oven at the lowest setting til it is real dried out.,


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## Sheltielover25 (Jan 18, 2011)

Okay! I do feed my guys a lot of hearts --pork/kidney/chicken but I haven't had any come up lately when I reach in the freezer. Right now, I've been feeding through a brisket (is that okay to feed even?! someone gave it to me.. haven't opened it yet) and elk/deer/buffalo steak. That's what they've been eating for probably the last two weeks. Oh, I have some pork loin in the freezer too. Are all those good for him?! He's coat is growing in thicker and he's filling out, slowly but surely. He hasn't had any bowel issues and we're going into the fourth week now. He had an awful ear infection, his ear has what the vet called "cauliflower ear" so he was on antibiotics for that.... should I be giving him yogurt or something since he's on that? Mine have neve been on medication so not familiar with that


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