how do i keep weight on my saluki x?

Question

i have a saluki x whippet puppy,14wks today,i can't keep weight on him,any suggestions.

he is fully upto date with his worming,i have had saluki x whippets and saluki x greyhounds,in the past,they are sometimes,his weight,but a few i have had were really muscular,i just wondered if there was a food you could recommend...
thanks anyway

Answer 1

No healthy dog will starve himself. As long as he has no worms, and you feed him a high quality dog food don't worry about it.

Answer 2

Saluki X

Answer 3

Sighthounds are not known to be easy keepers. Feed a high quality food. Do not feed crappy food like Science Diet, IAMS, or Eukanuba, nor anything you can buy in a grocery store. Generally, Sighthound puppies do fairly well on a good adult kibble (with Protein about 26%, fat 15%), puppy food can be to 'hot' for sighthound puppies and can lead to structural problems.

They often eat better with competion, especially when he gets older. They will also steal food, so some left where he can steal it will help. Stolen food is always better than given food!

He will eat, it just may not look like it. I assume he has been checked for worms? Don't put poisons in his body unless he actually has worms, I do not even have to worm my pups, although I do have them checked.

Saluki puppies and Whippet puppies are the wildest pups I have ever seen, and I have been teaching dog classes for 25 years. It is hard to keep weight on when you are flying around the house, smashing and crashing!


20% protein would not be enough for either Salukis or Whippets. They have a very high metabolism and most would not do well on a that. I have NEVER seen 20% fed to ANY Sighthound in my 30 years in dogs.

Answer 4

I have a 1yr old saluki x greyhound - he always looks thin too! But then again this breed is supposed to, so firstly do not worry.

Make sure he is wormed regularly and the higher the protein is in the food the better BUT unlike the others I would still keep the puppy on puppy food, check with your pet shop for working dog food which tends to be higher in protein. If you cannot increase his protein this way then rice/pasta with meat (ox kidneys etc - quiet cheap) once or twice a day will help.
Keep to the 3-4 meals a day.

Good luck.
P.S. has yours got the saluki feathering? Mine has and is often mistaken for a pure breed.

Answer 5

are you worming regularly? be sure your dog is the corrct weight. A rough guide is that you can feel his last three rib bones, but cannot fit your fingers into the gaps, you should also be able to feel his hips. This is normal for a sight hound of this conformation, and if you can feel this, your dog is fine. If he is skinnier eg feel more ribs and fit fingers between, then he may have worms or a digestive problem. Check the quantities of protein in his diet as a saluki only needs about 20%. If you are still worried then go to the vets.

remember, these breeds are supposed to be skinny, you can't have an overweight one as the bones will not cope with the extra weight.

Answer 6

You should definitely rent and watch a few episodes of The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan. It is some of the best insight into dog behavior I've ever seen. In the mean time, scaring the dog when he bites you isn't necessarily the worst thing that could happen. If it means that he is scared of biting people, then is that really such a bad thing? My puppy bit me once, and I shouted ouch and bopped her on the nose. I've never hit her except LIGHTLY that one time (and I probably shouldn't have). She hasn't bitten anyone to this day (not even an attempt at the vet). Even if it is in play, you have to stop it right there. I've heard from others that a loud "Ouch!", standing up as big as possible and raising your arms to make yourself bigger often works. This is something you need to stop. He can bite his chew toys, but he can't bite you or the lead since this is a show of dominance. He is attempting to take over the leadership role in your home. You need to step up and fill this role so that he can't. If he is old enough, I would suggest getting him neutered. This will help to reduce his urges to take over. Also, walks with you in control are a good way to take on the leadership role yourself and reduce his energy levels so he doesn't have as much reason to get into trouble. Of course, these walks have to be done correctly or the have the opposite effect. If he's leading the walk, then in his mind, he is your pack leader. Good luck!

Answer 7

Salukis and whippets are very lean dogs - like Greyhounds. Definitely take a stool sample to the vet to check for intestinal worms. Ask someone who knows sighthounds if his weight is correct - vets are used to seeing blimpy dogs like Labradors and may not know the proper weight for a Saluki x.

Answer 8

Both those breeds tend to be light. If you have had him wormed and de-flead, and if he has a normal healthy appetite I wouldn't worry about him.
If he is a faddy eater don't make a fuss at mealtimes. Feed the best quality food, put it down and leave the room for 15 mins to let him eat in peace.
If you have any other pets make sure he is getting his food and not being mugged.
They have small stomachs and you could put him on 3 or 4 small meals a day. He needs a dense, high nutrient food with as little filler/bulk as possible.

Answer 9

hiya,I would personally suggest keeping him on a good puppy diet, as he is still young and needs more protein etc for his growing body!
Have you tried hills puppy large breed?
If you take him along to your local vet, most will usually give you a free sample to try.
Pets at home and jollys also stock these foods.
Pups have a lot of energy and usually around 4-5 months go through a gawky looking stage so I wouldnt worry too much.
As long as he is wormed reg, has a good diet and appetite then there is not too much to worry about.
hope that helps
good luck!

Answer 10

You need to be feeding the most calorie dense foodyou can find.
Look at things like very expensive high end dog food.
Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul, California Nautral,
Innova, Merrick, things of that nature.
You have a high energy puppy and they are slender anyway.
You need to make sure the diet you feed is very high quality so that they get enough nutrition to support the fast growth and build the muscle mass they need.
What a wonderful breed of dog. I love sighthounds. They are so sleek and elegant and fast.

Check out this web site for great food information
www.spoiled-rotten-pets.com
They have the best dog food available today and you can order it from them.

Answer 11

I'm on my sixth lurcher and am always being told (by people who don't know better) that they're skinny. As long as your pup is fit and healthy (get him vet-checked to make sure), has a good appetite and is eating good quality food, don't worry.

Not sure about the protein situation - had a chat with my vet about this recently and couldn't get a satisfactory answer. My lurchers do better on a lower protein higher carb diet - too much protein gives them the sh**s! They seem to have a fairly inefficient metabolism and anything to slow down the rate at which the food passes through their body is good - plenty of roughage.

Good luck!