Weight Gain

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Hello! My sweet baby Yeti needs to gain weight. About a month ago the vet said shed like to see him gain about 10 pounds. Im afraid his eating habits have only gotten worse since we brought Phin home 3 weeks ago. Ive got to believe that he has lost a couple of pounds considering he hasn't eaten a full meal in 3 weeks.

Yeti got his hair cut today and our groomer (who has groomed Yeti since he was 4 months old) mentioned that he is feeling skinnier than normal. Im trying not to panic because I know its better to be under weight than over but I'm worrying that he's becoming way too under weight.

Im not sure how you go about getting a dog to gain extra weight besides obviously getting them to eat more food.  That is out of the question at the moment. I was thinking about giving him a frozen kong full of boiled chicken or boiled ground beef once or twice a day. I know it might be a little expensive but id love to see him gain some more weight and I'm willing to do whatever I have to.

Someone mentioned that to me at work while talking casually about it that I should let Yeti eat some of Phin's puppy food. I feel like this is not a good idea but figured id throw it out there just to see what people say.

Yeti currently eats Wellness Simple LID. For treats, he eats Bravo freeze dried dog treats. Besides a small (and by small I really mean a tiny piece here and there) besides cheese, and various fruits (his favorites are watermelon and strawberries.

Any suggestions are welcome and very much appreciated!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

This is a tough one, because of Yeti's sensitive stomach. Higher fat foods, which are the most caloric, are also hard on the digestive system. That's one reason I wouldn't give him puppy food, which is usually very high in fat. It's also not an LID food, which we know he needs. 

I think your best bet is going to be lean protein, but you do run the risk of creating a monster if you start adding toppers to his food. The kong with chicken might work; I'm just afraid it will make him eat even less of his kibble. 

Are you willing to have to add toppers to his meals forever? 

Maybe you could try a different Simple Solutions formula? Something different might get him to eat. 

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Do you have any recommendations for other SS formulas?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There are only 4: salmon, turkey, duck and lamb. I don't remember if Yeti has any sensitivities to any specific proteins, but they are all pretty similar in the nutritional profiles.

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Ahh I see what your saying ... we round robin the formulas and he doesn't seem to eat more of a particular formula. He used to eat really good after a formula change for about a week (I chalked it up to him being excited about the new flavor) but even that has died off completely. I was considering switching brands. Is that a stupid idea in your opinion?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Not necessarily, but I don't think it's going to do any good, because Yeti seems to clearly be one of those dogs who is going to love anything new for a week or two, and then go back to turning up his nose at whatever it is. I don;t think you're going to find some food out there that makes him fall permanently in love, lol. 

If you do switch, you must stay with an LID formula. You can look at Acana Singles or Zignature. Just don;t go through every single different protein they make, because Dog forbid he ever develops IBD, and there is no novel protein you can feed him because he's already tried all of them. Then you have no choice but Rx food for the rest of his life.

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Im sure your right *sigh*. I just feel like im failing him lol but I suppose he eats when he is hungry so im trying not to worry too much.

[Andrea, Belle and Honey]

I don't know if this is a good idea, but it once worked for me in my pre-doodle days.  Years ago, when I was teaching, I had the summer off and in an effort to lose weight I walked my cairn terrier, Nessie, for 5 miles twice a day (basically all day with a few hours break in the middle).  I only lost a few pounds, but poor Nessie got so skinny that my vet became alarmed.  When I tried increasing the amount of food I was giving Nessie, she just ate her regular amount and left the excess, so I reduced her walking and started feeding her 3 times a day instead of twice. About twice a week, I hid a treat or piece of chicken under the kibble. She gradually put on the pounds the vet thought were necessary, and then we resumed the twice a day feedings, with the occasional hidden treat, without difficulty. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Hiding something in the food bowl on a random basis is a great idea, and one I haven't heard before. It's a form of intermittent reinforcement, which can be a very powerful motivator. 

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Thank you ladies for the suggestions!! Im going to try hiding treats in his bowl every once in a while!!