Is your canine friend looking thin or persistently losing weight despite what you do? If that relates to your circumstances, this article is here to help. We will be exploring common causes for a dog’s inability to gain weight and how to correct these issues.
Weight Loss: Why is My Dog Losing Weight
A dog can only lose a certain amount of weight before its body begins to break down muscle from the inside, which causes it to “lose weight” even when eating. When you have a dog that weighs 50 pounds but seems like he’s not getting any bigger, despite being fed well, then he’s likely in this state.
Here are some of the most common causes for a dog to lose weight:
Infections
If your dog has an immune system that is functioning poorly, it may not be able to fight off infections as effectively, leading to chronic vomiting and diarrhoea.
Food Intolerance/Sensitivity
Not all dogs can tolerate grains, dairy, soy, or any number of ingredients present in commercial pet food. Overweight dogs can also have problems with some ingredients.
Excessively Low-Quality Food
Dogs are omnivores and do not need to be fed grain primarily. This is a prevalent problem with pet store-bought food, which is often supplemented with cheap fillers like corn, or even worse, by-products. Dog’s digestive system needs time to adjust to new foods, which means it will take some time for the dog to figure out if it can handle the new food or not. If you add new food and diarrhoea, it might be wise to switch back to the old food for a couple of weeks before trying again.
Parasites
Before dogs develop an intolerance/sensitivity toward certain foods, they usually have parasites first. That is because parasites cause a dog’s digestive system to be off-balance. Parasites come in many different forms and cause various problems, but they are all fairly easy to treat with medication.
Medication Intolerance/Sensitivity
Sometimes, dogs that have been adequately treated for parasites develop reactions to the medications used to kill them. This can happen due to an allergy or some other factor, but in any case, it usually means that the dog needs to be treated with a different medication.
Excessively High-Quality Food
If your dog isn’t used to having his digestive system constantly overloaded with nutrients, then having extremely high-quality food can cause diarrhoea at first. In these cases, it’s always better to start with food with a lower protein content if switching from low-quality to high-quality food or with a slightly higher fat content if switching from high-quality to even higher quality.
Obesity
A dog’s inability to gain weight can be caused by obesity as well. This is common in middle-aged dogs and breeds, particularly those with short snouts (e.g. Bulldogs or Pekingese). When a dog is overweight, it typically has fatty tissue growing on its back and underside, which can cause the spine to curve into a hunchback shape. This also happens when dogs have lots of loose skin after losing weight.
The excess skin is just extra weight on the dog, and it can’t gain muscle underneath. This is extremely common in old overweight dogs that are put on a diet and lose weight but become even flabbier than before because of all the loose skin.
To determine whether your dog is overweight or not, you need to look at his waistline from above. If you can’t see it, then he’s likely overweight, but if you can see a waistline and it has an S-shaped curve to the side, resembling the letter “C”, then your dog is probably underweight and needs some weight gain without becoming too obese.
Bacterial infections
These are very common in dogs that aren’t fed enough. This is because when the dog has an infection, it may not feel like eating. To treat these infections and get the dog to start feeling better, it’s often a good idea to give antibiotics (usually Amoxicillin). Still, first, we need to make sure the dog actually eats something while taking them.
By giving low-quality food, wet or raw food, we can get the dog to eat a little bit, and then it will usually also be in a slightly better mood, which means it might start eating more on its own.
There are several reasons why dogs may not want to eat. They could be sick or feel too weak from being underweight. Sometimes they’re not hungry because they’ve already been fed recently. If a dog isn’t hungry, it will often just leave its food bowl full, especially if it’s underweight and doesn’t feel like eating. This is why you need to make sure that your dog eats when you feed it.
Help Your Dog Gain Weight
Dogs naturally lose weight during the cold winter months, and it is not uncommon for them to lose up to 10% of their body weight in some instances. When an older dog or a small dog has endured this kind of rapid weight loss, vets recommend adding caloric supplements like canned pumpkin, warm water with honey and chia seeds, and canned dog food mixed with water and pumpkin.
Closer monitoring can help ensure that your pup doesn’t show signs of any serious illness, such as gastroenteritis or pancreatitis. Preventing a dog from losing weight means that you need to ensure your dog has the appropriate amount of nutrients.
You can help your pup gain weight by feeding them more calories each day, but just like humans who eat too much junk food, overfeeding them with unhealthy foods and treats can lead to obesity. You also need to make sure your pup gets exercise and stays active.
Since most dogs will enjoy the increased attention, they get when they’re plump, your dog will likely feel better when they have gained some weight. Just remember to pay attention to your dog’s diet to don’t cause any major health issues.
What to Feed a Dog with a Sensitive Stomach
When your dog has a sensitive stomach, it is important to understand the different foods that make your dog feel better. The sensitivity of a dog’s stomach may be due to an infection or may be related to a food allergy. Regardless, it’s important to provide your dog with a type of food that they will digest well without any adverse effects. When taking care of a dog with digestive issues, here are 5 tips for you to keep in mind.
Give your sensitive-stomach dog low-fat, high-protein food
One way to lessen the symptoms of canine colitis is by giving the dog low-fat, high-protein food. The reason this works is that “high-protein foods are densely packed, so there’s less space for water to escape.” Less space means that the food is harder for your dog to pass through their system. This will help prevent diarrhoea in dogs with sensitive stomachs, and it can also help them gain weight if they’re underweight.
A low-fat diet should consist of approximately 25% protein and less than 10% fat. If your dog is overweight, you should try to maintain its weight without adding more food or treats. You should also ensure that they’re not being overfed at mealtimes and have an appropriate number of meals throughout the day.
Canned pumpkin for dogs with sensitive stomachs
Canned pumpkin or sweet potatoes are great sources of fibre for dogs with sensitive stomachs. Not only do they provide essential nutrients, but the fibre in these foods can help bind your dog’s stool together, making it easier to pass through their system. They may also help soothe your dog’s stomach lining as well if they actually have canine colitis.
Add some healthy fat to your dog’s diet
Dogs with sensitive stomachs often have difficulty digesting the large amounts of fibre present in vegetables. One way to help balance out their diet is by adding other high-fibre snacks that are easily digestible. Healthy sources of fat include extra virgin olive oil, omega-3 fatty acids, and flaxseed. Small amounts of avocado are also beneficial for your dog’s sensitive stomach as well.
Supplement with digestive enzymes
If your dog is having trouble digesting their food due to stress or underlying infection, you can consider adding a digestive enzyme to their diet. These enzymes should be added right before feeding to ensure that they’re being digested instead of just passing through your dog’s system. If you do this, you should first speak with a veterinarian about the best type of enzymes for your dog and how much they should be given daily.
The enzymes will help break down the components in your dog’s food, allowing them to digest their meal easier.
Increase the amount of fibre in your dog’s diet
In addition to adding canned pumpkin to their diet, you can also add some other high-fibre foods such as brown rice, green beans, squash, sweet potatoes, and carrots. Adding these different healthy sources of fibre to your dog’s diet will help keep their stool regular and healthy.
Using these 5 tips, you should be able to make small changes in your dog’s lifestyle that will allow them to gain weight without developing some of the health complications associated with obesity.
Reasons Why You Need to Walk Your Dog
- To make sure they have enough exercise every day (this is important for dogs that live in urban areas)
- To get stress relief from their owners and the people who walk them
- To provide socialization opportunities with other dogs and people
Preparing Food for Your Dog and What Kind of Ingredients to Use
If your dog has food allergies, you may need to switch out its diet for something more appropriate to avoid reactions.
Dogs are designed to have a higher metabolic rate than humans. This means that they need more calories per pound of weight than us to maintain a healthy weight.
Their digestive systems are also different from ours, so the types of grains they eat will differ. For example, grains like corn and wheat are less digestible for dogs than vegetables and fruits.
Vegetables should be cooked thoroughly before feeding them to your pets as the vegetable cannot be properly digested when raw and can lead to bloating.
Dogs have a higher water requirement than humans, so they must drink water daily.
To avoid obesity, one must ensure more calories are expended than ingested.
Dogs should not eat lean meats (chicken breast, fish) as their systems cannot digest them very well.
Dogs require carbohydrates for energy, so they have to be provided in their diets. However, too high of a carbohydrate content can lead to obesity.
If you are cooking for your pet, all ingredients should be cooked thoroughly. This is since food poisoning can occur if meats are not cooked thoroughly.
If you have a senior pet, they may need more food than younger ones as they may not handle the same exercise.
The best way to know your dog needs more food is if their ribs/bones can be seen easily from the outside. On the other hand, if your dog is getting fat, it can be difficult to gauge these changes.
If you are cooking for them, the ingredients should be healthy and rotate often. You should also avoid adding spices as they may upset your pet’s stomach.
The same guidelines humans use when buying their food (organic foods) should be used for dogs. However, it is important to note that you should feed your dog more than humans with a higher metabolic rate.
There are also types of foods that you should stay away from in general, such as chocolate and onions (found in many products), as these may contain compounds toxic to pets and can lead to illness.
When it comes to raw food, there is a debate about whether or not this is good for your pet. Most agree that the benefits outweigh the risks and that ensuring you are buying quality meat should be a priority.
It may be wise to avoid feeding pets foods like grapes, raisins, chocolate, onions, macadamia nuts, etc. These foods can cause illness if ingested by your pet.
Conclusion
The best way to ensure your pet is getting enough food is by giving them a variety of healthy ingredients that their system can easily digest. When it comes to raw foods, most agree the benefits outweigh any risks, and you should be careful about what type of meat you are feeding them so as not to upset their stomachs or cause illness. Keeping these guidelines in mind will help ensure both pets and owners alike lead happy lives!
