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I'm going to be sharing 22 tips for helping your old dog put on weight, but before we go started, you need to know the reason for the weight loss. If y'all already know, feel gratuitous to skip to the appropriate section, but if y'all don't keep reading.

It's non uncommon for an erstwhile dog to drop a flake of weight considering his appetite inverse, or gain because his activity level has dropped but non the type of nutrient or his intake.

Assuming nada has changed in terms of blazon of nutrient and amount, weight loss is a concern. You can't know if it'due south due to aging or an underlying health status, only your vet can tell you that.

What Does It Mean If a Domestic dog is Losing Weight?

Dogs tin can lose weight for half dozen reasons

They're not eating/not eating well
Eating usually only notwithstanding losing weight
Came from an abusive dwelling house where food was denied
Lost or stray and had to fend for himself
Depression – over the loss of his animal friend for example
Inverse foods and you've been unintentionally underfeeding

If your dog is non eating or eating very fiddling, possible causes are:

Y'all changed his nutrient and he doesn't like it
Dental problems causing hurting
Diabetes
Cancer
Kidney disease
Cushing's disease
Liver disease
Heart failure
Pancreatitis
Recovering from surgery
Has go a picky eater – possibly due to dementia
UTI
Nausea (every bit a event of some of the weather to a higher place)
Hurting (as a result of some of the conditions above)
You've moved recently and he isn't used to the new environment
Some other dog he lives with has become ambitious or is bothering him
Changes inside the home are causing him anxiety

If your dog is eating ordinarily, but still losing weight possible causes are:

Parasites
Hormonal imbalance
Difficulty breaking down food/trouble absorbing nutrients
Underlying medical issues like those mentioned above
Not eating a consummate diet
Not eating enough food

If your dog is malnourished because he was a devious or came from an calumniating home:

If you got the domestic dog from a shelter or rescue group, I'm assuming the dog will have been seen by a vet. If he hasn't the showtime thing you must do is take him checked urgently. He could exist suffering from some serious health issues.

Not eating because of depression:

Dogs can get depressed merely like humans can, and so it'due south upwards to us to help get them through.

For helpful tips to get your domestic dog feeling better and eating, read this ⇒ "x Effective Means to Care for Dog Depression.

Your dog is losing weight due to being underfed:

You may have switched brands, and although you're feeding him the aforementioned amount or what'southward recommended on the package, it's non enough.

Because weight loss can happen gradually, you wouldn't take realized it until it was obvious. Please don't beat yourself up, it tin can exist stock-still.

Start by feeding an extra meal, simply bank check with your vet most whether this is really the best food. Likewise ask if calculation some human food from the lengthy listing below will help.

Start Stride – Brand an Appointment to See Your Vet

To make your appointment as productive as possible, brand a list, in advance, of things you lot've been noticing and bring information technology with yous.

Helpful information to provide your vet:

How long ago yous realized your domestic dog was losing weight
When you realized it, what did you exercise – add an extra meal for example
Has your dog'due south appetite changed? If yes, when and in what manner
Any other behavior changes? Aggression, anxiety, whining…
Has your dog been drinking more
Has your dog been peeing more than

During the appointment yous'll hash out your list, and your vet will weigh your domestic dog. He will desire to compare his current weight to previous numbers. It'due south likely he will recommend claret and urine tests.

In one case the test results come up back, he will explain what he found, and depict up a treatment plan if necessary. If weight loss is a result of an underlying wellness condition, getting it under control tin can resolve the problem.

Since I accept no idea what diagnosis your dog volition receive, the rest of this post will focus on various tips to help a domestic dog put on weight.

They won't all be correct for your item situation, so always consult with your vet before trying something new.

Ways to Help Put Weight On An Old Dog

Below are several things you tin can try to help your senior dog gain weight.

Add an extra repast

If your canis familiaris only eats one time a solar day, add a 2d repast. Twice daily feedings? Why not add a tertiary! It's better for digestion and he'll eat more than.

Give him canned nutrient

If your canis familiaris has eaten dry kibble all his life, he may be fed up. Adding some canned food could add involvement and entice him to eat more.

Put your dog'due south bowl where it's easier to reach

Your dog may have trouble reaching his bowl.

Joint pain may be one reason your canis familiaris his having trouble reaching his bowl. Elevating it will make it easier to get to his food, merely not likewise much so he has to stretch his cervix.

Although my dog Red was modest and didn't have far to accomplish, I still elevated both her food and h2o bowls which made a departure in her comfort level.

Add a food topper

Whether information technology's gravy or freeze-stale chunks of meat, adding an succulent food topper to your domestic dog'southward foot can entice him to heat more.

Make mealtime fun

I call up it's off-white to say the most we practise is plop the food in the bowl and put it on the floor. What if we made it more interesting and fun?

How almost putting part of his meal in a Kong? It's something new and he might like the challenge, and freezing information technology will make the fun and food last longer.

Putting food in a puzzle toy will work too!

Switch to a college quality domestic dog food

Helping your domestic dog put on weight is more than just shoving extra calories down his throat. You know I don't hateful that literally…right?

Scarfing down empty calories or adding too much fat to a nutrition can cause digestive bug, vomiting and even pancreatitis.

Check the ingredients and nutrients in your dog's current food closely.

A quality dog food will:

Contain protein as the get-go ingredient
Contain real meat, not animal byproducts
Have a limited list of ingredients (not be a mile long)
You will exist able to understand what the ingredients are (some vitamins have confusing names just the primary ingredients will exist listed out, they won't just say "protein" or "carbs".

Warm your dog's nutrient

I notice warming the nutrient slightly in the microwave makes information technology more than palatable. It certainly does for my dogs.

Gradually increment your dog's practise

It may seem counter intuitive to exercise an already likewise thin dog, but you aren't hiking miles with him for weight loss.

Taking him out more oftentimes is not only needed for physical and mental wellbeing, it can also increment his appetite.

Change the bowl

Believe it or not, 1 of the tricks senior canis familiaris parents utilize to get their dogs to eat is to modify the bowl.

Maybe it'south a unlike material or shape, or information technology could be a plate instead.

I used to feed Jack in a regular bowl, but I decided to try one with sections to see if it would make a difference. Information technology did! I bought a pack of 3 in the babe section and it's worked well e'er since.

Try a new flavor

Each specific dog food ordinarily comes in a diversity of different flavors.

Your dog may be tired of the aforementioned one and welcome a change.

Cut downward on the treats

Plenty of dogs will ignore their food but practically inhale treats.

If you lot've been giving your old dog a few as well many treats lately, cutting back.

As well expect at the quality. Many are nothing more than the doggie version of junk food.

If he must become treats consider making them. There are tons of super easy recipes on Pinterest, and if he's getting nutritious snacks information technology's really just another version of his meal.

Agree the bowl or hand feed him

The defoliation that goes along with dementia often affects your domestic dog'due south eating habits. They may non be able to find the bowl, or they find it but aren't quite certain what to practise.

A dog'due south sense of smell can also be affected as he ages, and if he'due south blind as well…

Belongings the bowl up to mouth tin brand a large difference, and that's what I used to exercise for Red. She was blind, simply never had trouble finding her food until she got dementia and that was a more challenging situation.

Holding the bowl made things a lot easier for her.

Try a new brand of domestic dog food

One of the reasons to switch canis familiaris nutrient brands is to avoid your domestic dog developing nutrient allergies, another is information technology could aid keep him interested.

Rotating your dog's food can likewise provide a more rounded-nutrient profile because one domestic dog food may contain something another is missing.

Never merely showtime your dog on a new food, you take to change it over fourth dimension to avoid stomach upset. Over the class of about a week, gradually add in the new nutrient until he's completed switched over.

Speak to your vet, or if he's not that familiar with diet (as many aren't), find a qualified and experienced canine nutritionist who will aid. Keep your vet upwards to date on what y'all're doing.

Brand homemade meals for your dog

If you lot desire to have more control of what goes into your dog'due south food, and the nutrition profile, consider preparing your dog's meals yourself.

Inquire your vet for ideas, or consult a canine nutritionist or holistic vet. They will offer the all-time communication about creating nutritionally counterbalanced diets, and tin recommend beneficial supplements that can exist added.

You can find an unlimited number of recipes online, Pinterest too every bit FB groups dedicated to home cooking. Once again, you need to exist sure they are nutritionally balanced so seek professional advice before you feed it to your domestic dog.

Bake canned dog food

Another trick that works well for my dog Red is to bake the canned food.

Baking to food tin can alter the texture – which your dog may find more highly-seasoned – and it volition help really bring out the season and smell of the food.

The length of fourth dimension you bake it will depend on how soft or hard you want it.

To be honest I don't know if it affects the nutritional quality of the food, so I would call the company. I mainly used this for treats equally another mode to assistance my dog proceeds weight.

Feed in a different location

A change of scenery may make shake upward your dog's routine enough to entice them to consume more than.

If you ever feed your dog in the kitchen, what about the dining room? If the weather is good how about in the backyard, or during a break from his walk in the park?

Endeavour feeding your dog by hand

Manus feeding is another thing that has helped my senior dog eat more than or her nutrient.

I tin't say exactly why information technology works. After all it's the same food.

I practice know that many trainers recommend mitt feeding a puppy to aid build a bond with your dog. Perhaps your dog feels more connected to you and intent when you hand feed him.

The reason doesn't actually matter every bit long equally it works!

Slice upward the salami style roll food

I take no idea what this type of dog food is chosen, but yous've probably seen it in pet supply stores. They come in rolls like a salami.

I do know one brand that sells food like this is Red Barn.

Anyway, cut them in pieces and feed it to your dog throughout the 24-hour interval. If he likes the taste, he may meet it every bit a care for and be more inclined to eat it.

Whether you cutting up a day'due south supply or just enough for i repast depends on how well, or not, he's eating.

Meliorate his digestive health

Some old dogs may have trouble digesting their food, so they don't fully absorb the nutrients they need from their nutrient.

Adding things like prebiotics and probiotics can help your dog digest food ameliorate. It noticeably helped my dog.

Inquire your vet for recommendations, or ask other senior dog parents you know.

Cheque with your vet to make sure the brand y'all're because is okay for your dog.

Stop feeding senior canis familiaris food

About senior canis familiaris foods have a lower fat content than adult food. This is because old dogs are less agile and then brands assume they need fewer calories to prevent obesity.

Of form, plenty of old dogs are all the same very active and take enough of free energy so a senior dog food could make your already skinny domestic dog's problem worse.

Note: If your domestic dog has pancreatitis, a low fat is what's needed then a low fat senior canis familiaris food may be advisable. Always check with your vet before switching.

Add more than protein to your dog's food

Over again, senior diets may comprise lower protein levels due to the belief too much protein can affect the kidneys.

It'due south more about the quality of the protein rather than the corporeality.

Here is what PetMd has to say near poly peptide in an commodity chosen "How to Feed Older Dogs."

"Older dogs can… have trouble maintaining their lean torso (muscle) mass, and some senior dog foods contain less protein than those designed for young adults. I assume this choice is based on the misguided supposition that lower protein levels volition protect an older canis familiaris's kidneys from damage.

In fact, many dogs really need a footling more protein in their diet as they age if they are to maintain a salubrious lean body mass. Avoiding backlog protein is important if a dog is in kidney failure, but research has shown that feeding reduced protein foods to older dogs "but in example" is a mistake."

Can I Give My Canis familiaris Human Food to Help Him Gain Weight?

Yous may exist thinking that human food may be more nutritious for your domestic dog and incorporate more calories.

Y'all would be right in some cases!

Adding human food will not but add more than nutrition to your dog'south diet, it may also encourage him to eat more and so put on weight.

So what human foods are safe to feed your senior dog?

Here's a listing of some foods that are rubber for dogs to consume:

Note: They may or may not be prophylactic for your dog depending on any health problems he is experiencing, so cheque with your vet first.

Boiled craven breast
Cod
Sardines or mackerel in water
Broccoli
Green beans
Peas
Quinoa
Raw apple
Cooked carrots
Skyr (a type of thick yogurt)
Cottage cheese
Scrambled eggs (no oil) but could top with a bit of cheese
Canned pure pumpkin (not pie filling)
Sugariness potatoes
Ground turkey

…and the listing goes on because there are so many human foods dogs can eat.

One other matter that helps is freezing the chicken water in water ice cube trays, then defrosting and adding to a meal.

Because I want to modify upwards the protein source, I'one thousand going to try organ meats and any other meat my dog doesn't normally eat.

Hopefully some of these tips assistance your senior dog gain some weight to improve their strength and wellness. Good luck!

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