how can i help an old dog gain weight?

Question

shes 8 (which is old for her large breed) and in the past few months ive noticed her coat condition drop and you can feel her bones on her head and back.

what foods can i add to her biscuit mix to help her gain weight? and will feeding her in the morning and a night be better than just feeding one large meal a day?

i dont want to buy any fancy food just household stuff i can add (like meat dairy etc) anything like that work?

oh and btw she has all her teeth so its not that she cant chew, and she eats almost all her biscuits every night

its a english dog mix for large dogs. and shes a bernese mountain dog. and to my first answer OF CORSE I FEED HER

im not sure of the name my mum buys in then sticks it in the food bin. but her duaghter gets the same and her coats brill. im not sure of the weight of what she gets but its a large bowl full

Answer 1

When my children were younger, we rescued a Grey Hound. She was 11 years old and so thin it made you cry to look at her. The rescue agency had us put her on a high protein diet, with higher than normal protein and more canine calories than most dog food. I went to our local feed store (PetsMart would work..) and read lots of labels. We fed her twice a day, and added a tablespoon of high quality olive oil over the top of her food. She also took vitamins. She recovered beautifully and lived a long time. I've given you a link to the Bernese breed page. Maybe you'll find information there. Best wishes with your girl!

Answer 2

im very intrigued by this "biscuit mix" that you speak of. what is it? and you need to specify how much you are giving her a day. if her coat condition is dropping and she is getting skinny then you need to change her food. she should be on a high quality senior food, like canidea, innova, evo, wellness, natural balance, california naturzal. look at the website dogfoodanalysis.com. it lists the ingrediants in most dog foods, which can help you make your choice. meat should be first on the list, and no corn or wheat. without a good food, anything you add will probably not do much, since your kibble should be the main source of food. and yes, feeding twice a day is much better than once a day.

Answer 3

Feed him a diet higher in fat then he is currently receiving. You could try some hamburger and rice, or some recipes found online for baking homemade biscuits for senior dogs.

Answer 4

The idea to gaining weight is that you don't want it to be put on too quickly, as she can take ill. Feed her smaller meals, several times a day. I'd say about 3/4 cup of kibble 4 times a day, which is equivalent to one large 3 cup meal. This will help her put weight on slowly.

Answer 5

This sounds more like there is an underlying condition
Try taking her to the vets before it's to late.
any kind of pasta or rice an chicken often puts on weight.

Answer 6

Any elderly dog who is losing condition should see a vet asap. Kidney disease (infection or failure), liver failure, cancers, oral infection (which will cause kidney infection), cancer, diabetes, and Cushing's disease are all very common ailments of aging dogs.

You should have your dog's blood drawn for a full chemistry and blood count, as well as urinalysis and a complete physical evaluation by your vet. Many of these diseases are treatable (kidney and liver failure, Cushing's and diabets) and some are curable (infection, cancer, etc).

Please don't delay by trying to enrich her diet, have her seen right away!

Answer 7

get a high protien dog food

Answer 8

Feeding it is always a good idea!!!