# dog food



## chesneygirl007 (Nov 5, 2007)

Hello guys

I need to put some weight on my dog. I feed him raw food and eagle pack now. No matter what I do he wont gain any weight. Can someone give me some good quality pet food that will help my dog put some weight on him. Thanks.

Kim
NJ


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## Cathy B (Feb 26, 2007)

*Sorry I can't help*

I've never had THAT problem, just the opposite. Boomer is on Artemis Fresh Mix but we are getting a pup next weekend and the breeder feeds raw so I wanted to "convert" Boo to raw so both guys would be eating the same. Problem is Boo didn't take to it. Go figure. So the breeder recommended Innova Evo, which I have yet to try. Is your dog a picky eater in general? If not, could there be an underlying reason why it won't put on weight. And does it really NEED to put on weight- has your Vet suggested this would be a good idea?


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## chesneygirl007 (Nov 5, 2007)

No hes not much of a picky eater. But yes the vet recommended a commercial dog food to put some weight on.


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## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

Satin balls might be a good option for you since you already feed raw. Have you tried them?

http://www.njboxers.com/satin-balls-recipe.htm


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## Cathy B (Feb 26, 2007)

And the vet has ruled out worms, parasites, etc. or anything else that might affect his weight? If so, maybe just increasing the volume of food and or adding supplements/goodies to the mix. Like I say, our problem has always been the opposite. Good luck!


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## Jersey's Mom (Nov 25, 2007)

Just out of curiosity, how long have you been trying to put on the weight? Jersey lost 8 lbs on me this summer (which he really didn't need to lose) and it took _months_ to get it back on. In fact, he finally weighed back in at 64 lbs earlier this week. Please keep in mind that although the dog needs to gain weight, it is far safer and healthier to do it slowly. And if you could give us an idea of the portion sizes you are feeding it might help too. 

Julie and Jersey


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## chesneygirl007 (Nov 5, 2007)

Just went to the vet today. She said she didnt agree with raw food diet and that raw food gives dogs parasites. We tooka full blood workup on him and will have the results tomorrow. They took a urine test as well. They wanted me to bring a fecal down today before noon. Like thats gonna happen. My dog is laying down after the vet stretching his legs like she did cause of his arthritis now hes hurting again and laying down so the last thing hes gonna want to do is poop. When I get it I will call them ask if I should bring it down now. Cant force the dog to take a **** they should of told me to bring it when I came there and I would have.

Kim


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## Jersey's Mom (Nov 25, 2007)

There's nothing wrong with a raw food diet as long as you are following some plan to make sure the dog is getting everything it needs nutritionally. My father has some excellent books I could recommend if you are interested (he's been feeding raw for years... and I'm sure he'd be more than willing to give you some advice if you need it. He's AmbikaGR on this board, but he's at a dog show today). Our dogs have never had parasites from eating a raw diet. Even Jersey, who is not accustomed to it gets some scraps every now and then when my mom is cooking chicken or something of the like, has never had a bad reaction to raw food. It is, quite literally, their natural diet and if you do it correctly it could be the best thing you ever did for your dog. I'm also a fan of EP Holistic... that's what I feed Jersey. And now I'm rambling. My point was, there's nothing wrong with what you are feeding your dog. Perhaps in the switch to a partially raw diet, his calorie intake has gone down without you realizing it. I think if you increase portions a bit, keep an eye on his weight, and make adjustments accordingly you guys will do fine. Worked for Jersey (but again, it took a while). 

Julie and Jersey


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## Jersey's Mom (Nov 25, 2007)

Sorry for the double post; I figured I'd give you that book recommendation now. The main resource my father has used is "Give Your Dog a Bone" by Dr. Ian Billinghurst. I'm pretty sure he has others, but I know he refers to this one quite frequently and I'm not sure where the others are. 

Julie and Jersey


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## chesneygirl007 (Nov 5, 2007)

When the vet tech took my dogs blood she said it was like water. I read up on this and thats a symptom of diabetes or kidney disease as hes been drinking excessively.


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## Jersey's Mom (Nov 25, 2007)

Sometimes the internet is as much a curse as a blessing. What I mean by that is, try not to jump to any conclusions or worst case scenarios until you hear back from your vet about the blood tests. Just give your boy some cuddles and resolve that you're going to face whatever it is head on, whether it's tweaking his diet or treating an underlying issue. Good luck, and I'll be thinking about you and your boy hoping for good news.

Julie and Jersey


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

I agree...don't get upset with information on the internet. There are some good info, but everytime I have my "disease" figured out on the internet, I find the real answer at the doc or vet.


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## chesneygirl007 (Nov 5, 2007)

Yes I know I am just searching trying to find the answer to help him. Diabetes isnt that bad and something I can help him deal with. I want somethign that wont take him away from me and if diabetes is it I will be happy. I will update you guys when I hear from the vet tomorrow.

Kim


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