# Good food to put weight on a picky dog?



## LynnetteY (Oct 22, 2009)

I have a 3.5 year old Siberian Husky, she only weighs about 45 pounds and is very very picky when it comes to food and she gets bored easily. I have had some success adding rice cooked in broth with veggies, and meat/fat scraps to her food along with some "moist and meaty" which I refer to as "doggie junk food". She is healthy UTD on shots, never been sick and vet is not concerned but to me she is too skinny. She eats her kibble better when I add all the extras to it, but still doesn't gain weight. I have increased her portions considerably, but nothing works. She is moderately active but is not overly active. I am looking for a kibble that will help put weight on her, if there is such a thing........ Once I find that I can add things to it to keep her interested in eating it. Thanks!


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## LynnetteY (Oct 22, 2009)

I should also add that she gets eggs in her food when I have an excess of them. I feed her a premium kibble without fillers or a lot of grain. Is canned food an option as an additive? Should it also be a premium or can I go with a cheaper brand if she is getting her premium kibble. I want her to gain weight but cost is definitely a factor as well. I need to be able to afford her vet care as well and she like everyone else has a budget


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## gapeach (Dec 23, 2011)

If she likes peanut butter it will put on weight along with cheese.
Some canned food is ok, just be sure and read the labels to see what is in it.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Sibes really do not like grain. I would give her a grain free food. Sibes are thin dogs. and I've noticed that unless they are on a poor food, prefer to keep themselves trim. Is she just thin, or is she really underweight?


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## LynnetteY (Oct 22, 2009)

She is just thin, her weight isn't an issue for the vet, it just worries me because she never "filled out". I am concerned that if she ever got sick she would quickly become "underweight" She could easily put on 10 pounds and be no worse for it, I guess I would just feel better if she had a little "buffer". I don't want her fat by any means, just a little more filled out. She loves her rice mixture and her kibble is a meat based diet, I just wonder if one kibble is better for her then anything else I have tried. The only kibble she ever ate well was "kibbles and bits" it was like doggie crack to her for about a month and a half which is a long time for her to stay interested in a food, but to me it is just very poor quality and I refuse to let her eat it long term. She only got it then because I was desperate to get her to eat, that was before I started with human food.


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

I have never had a dog (and I have had a couple really picky eaters) who did not love canned cat food. All of them sure steal as much of it from the cat bowls as they can get away with. To encourage the picky underweight eaters I make a gravy out of about a quarter of a can of cat food (tuna can size) an pour it over their high quaility dry dog food. I have also had success with sick dogs who don't want to eat. Also, try feeding her twice a day - small meals instead of one big meal.


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## akane (Jul 19, 2011)

Taste of the wild would be a good choice. It's one of the least expensive grain free with 3 flavors to rotate. BG-before grain is another that I think has 2 or 3 flavors and isn't real expensive. Slightly more expensive we have canidae and Fromm with grain free various flavor versions. FROMM has a ton of flavors which is what we are using now for my picky akita. These are all denser kibbles with more calories so it will take less to get more energy and fat.

For a supplement and good chewing practice while frozen try satin balls Satin Balls Original Recipe. Includes Substitutions for key ingredients for when you do not have everything you need. Heartland Great Dane Rescue, Inc.
You can substitute in lower fat meats as the dog gains weight and other useful things. I've put horse coat conditioner in there, pumpkin for digestive issues, used venison when we had a deer in the freezer instead of hamburger, etc... Also useful to slip pills in. My akita refuses heartworm meds and we used to just shove the tablets down her but they quit making those and I don't feel like measuring out my own so I cut up the logs really small and mix one in to a thawed ball. She also took capsules for urinary problems when we used that food which gave everyone urinary tract issues.


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## fellini123 (Feb 2, 2003)

If you want to keep her on a kibble, use puppy food kibble. It has more calories than adult maintance food. Do not use anything for "large Breeds" it is only filled with fiber no additional nutrition.
If she still doesnt want to eat there is always mac and cheese. The cheepest ones you can find. Mix it with her regular kibble.
Wet food or any kind is fine to mix with her food, as long as you only use a little bit, 1 or 2 tablespoons is plenty. Mix it well.
Truthfully it is MUCH better for a dog to be a bit underweight than a bit overweight.
Alice in Virginia


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## LynnetteY (Oct 22, 2009)

Thankyou everyone! I will try some of your ideas and see what works for us, she will atleast love the variety while I am finding her "favorite".


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## Wolf Flower (Dec 21, 2005)

Personally, I wouldn't worry about putting a "buffer" on her. Dogs are healthier when they're on the lean side. Picky eaters are made by humans catering to dogs--they'll hold out for the good stuff if they know it's coming--and the more you cater to her, the pickier she will get. I've never had a picky eater; I feed raw and/or good quality kibble, offered once a day to the adult dogs. They eat what I put down. If they don't, they go hungry. But honestly, I've never had a healthy dog allow themselves to starve!


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## akane (Jul 19, 2011)

A dog getting raw and good kibble is of course not going to be picky. Usually picky eaters are just dogs that have been on cheap kibble and often one flavor of it only. Would you like to eat one flavor of the same texture food all the time? How about if it's cheap boxed food? If you just rotate flavors and preferably feed high quality kibble it usually solves that problem, even just increasing the quality might fix a picky eater, and personally I actually think it's beneficial to rotate brands of kibble if it is the main part of their diet rather than sticking to one brand. Nutrition classes and experience has taught me the more variety the better the diet because the more likely you'll cover all their needs.

Personally I do not give dairy of any kind to adult animals. They are all lactose intollerant and maybe even allergic. It will cause intestinal swelling and block the ability of the intestines to release enzymes for digestion. This doesn't always lead to symptoms if the animal is not real sensitive but it still always happens to some extent. It's only going to lessen the nutrition they get and cause them to poop out more of what they eat since it doesn't get broken down or increase the odds of gas and problems like bloat because of bacteria breaking it down instead of the enzymes produced by the body.


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