my dog is a shepherd mixed! not sure on age or histery, she was a stray! treated for mange a few weeks ago! only weighs 55 lbs! has 2 times more waste then my other 3, but is normal, not loose! has 2 pupies, vet. says is 5-6 moths old! i use to use Nutrena river run-21% protein & 8% fat dog food> changed to the same brand and name, but is 27% protein & 12% fat, no soy, low waste! she has been one it about a week! dose any one know if this dog food relly help put on weight? if so how long should i wait to see if it helps, or take her to vet. to see if there is some medical proble!?? can she have a fast digetive system causing all this(lots of waste)! if anyone has any information to help, i will greatly aprecia it!!!
2006-11-09 05:53:48 · 8 answers · asked by rblankenship_rblankenship 5 in Pets ➔ Dogs
mom is shep. mixed and she has 2 pups 5-6 months old! and she has already been to the vet.
2006-11-09 08:45:38 · update #1
They have dog food out their for almost anything now a days lol. Look for a brand and a type that is specifically for weight gain. There has to be something. They have food for weight management so they must have it for weight gain. Maybe look online and see if you can find a brand for weight gain. I think Purina has one like that. My dog is a chow german shepard mix. Some dogs just don't gain weight as much as long as the dog isn't scrawny I wouldn't worry too much. Leave food out at all times instead of feeding them at meal times, which I do but that is because I'm house training, but that can have an effect on weight gain as well. On also they tend to have a lower weight in the summer, you might see your dog start to put on some pounds as it gets colder.
http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/health/diet4.htm
here's an interesting site as well.
2006-11-09 08:14:50 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A shepard mix that's 55lbs at 5-6 mos old definately needs a better food that 21%protein 8 % fat. That isn't a puppy food, that's an adult food. You need to get it onto a large breed pupy dog food. The one you say you switched to is definately a better choice than what you had her on. You need to give her a good month to be able to tell anything. The other thing is that right around 5-6 mos old larger dogs hit a growth spurt and start looking lean even if they are getting enough food. They start using the nutrients to grow their skeletal structure and aren't putting weight onto the bones. Make sure you are giving her enough. If you don't notice any changes and you still think she looks thin, increase the amount you are feeding her. If she isn't interested in eating more then she's probably at a healthy weight. Some shepards are just thin looking and you can see their ribs, no matter if you are feeding them ultra high quality food and they are eating their fill. Some dogs are just naturally skinnier than others. Hope this helps.
2006-11-09 06:21:52 · answer #2 · answered by Meggz21 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My great pyr lost a lot of weight this summer, never did figure out why. I changed her feed to a high protein, fat diet and give her a pet tab every day. She is gaining weight but it took almost a month to notice any difference. Unless you can weigh yours weekly, it might be hard to tell the gain. I have just started to cut back on her feed some but still give her the daily pet tab. Her hair has grown in nicely and she has about 1" of fat on her. She is outside, so I am glad she has the fat. Are the puppies still trying to nurse, because that will keep her skinny. Good luck. A cheap additive is to add vegetable oil to her feed. It won't her her and it will make her hair shiny.
2006-11-09 06:10:05 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well give her more time after the mange treatment. That will really drop the weight. But we have a Papillon that just couldn't put on the weight for nor love than money. It was a problem because we show and her being underweight wasn't helpful. We talked to other breeders and a judge suggested cottage cheese. She loved it and put weight on quickly. You can mix it into her food--try Science Diet for food its very good at keeping weight on for our Shelties. We also will put in ground beef with our Papillon's food which also helps. Have you treated her for worms? Good luck!
2006-11-09 06:33:29 · answer #4 · answered by ForeverFriendsObedience 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I use to use a product called "Bloom" is kinda of like the weigh gainers mixes you find in a health food store.......I haven't bought it in years.....but it works, to add calories and weight to a dog.............Good Luck
2006-11-09 05:56:35 · answer #5 · answered by Diamond in the Rough 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
go to a specialty pet food store an tell them
and the food may cost more but it will work
good luck
2006-11-09 06:04:58 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Take her to the vet.
2006-11-09 06:15:45 · answer #7 · answered by Philosophical Fred 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋