While the cases of obesity in dogs are pretty much prevalent among a great big number of breeds, there are also those that experience otherwise. You are reading this article right now because most probably, you are looking for tips and tricks on how to fatten up a dog quickly.
You may be thinking that your dog is skinny and underweight by the way it looks, and almost always, your judgment might be right.
Why is your dog thin and sickly? What is the quickest possible way you could fatten up your dog? Are these questions you are trying to find answers to? Then, you must continue reading below to know amazing tips that will surely help you add a little weight to your fur baby.
Table of Contents
1. Determine Whether Your Dog Needs To Gain Or Reduce Weight.
If you’re just concluding that your dog needs to gain weight by its look, the first most important step to take is to determine if it really needs to gain extra weight by performing a simple test of feeling his rib cage.
A healthy dog with the proper body mass will let you feel its ribs just right under its skin.
If these ribs are obviously noticeable, then your dog might be underweight. After all, you may also stand behind your pet and look at its body.
If your dog is skinny, you will see a curve in his waist to the rib cage. A skinny dog does not carry noticeable body fat, so your observations are important.
2. Consider The Type Of Food Your Feed Your Dog.
Food is the main source of nutrients in your dog and the food that your pet eats give a significant impact on his body mass. Always remember that dog food with high quality contains a bigger percentage of vitamins and minerals that help your dog build up body mass and not be underweight or thin.
These types of foods provide all the necessary ingredients that your dog needs to eat in order that it is healthy.
However, if your dog food is not of good quality, you are basically feeding your dogs with fillers and this causes the malnutrition of your pet. These fillers are the primary reasons why dogs are sickly–because their body exerts extra effort in breaking down the little nutrition they get from it.
In order for you to help your dog gain weight and fatten up, consider giving it dry instead of wet food because these contain a larger number of carbohydrates, which triggers weight gaining.
3. Never Give Them Food Intended For Humans.
While there is truth in human food giving your dog extra body mass, this may cause more harm than good to your pet.
Human food is not intended for dog consumption because the nutrients and minerals that this type of food contains do not match the nutrient requirements of dogs and even other animals.
Human food usually contains higher fat than dog food, and a bigger percentage of fat consumption can cause pancreatitis in your dog.
4. Give Your Dog Small Meals Often.
Just like the human diet, the best most effective way to fatten up a dog is by allowing it to eat a couple of times throughout the day.
You must however keep in mind that overfeeding your dog will not help. Set up a meal schedule you can follow so that you’re assured that your dog eats 3 to 4 times per day, compared to giving it 1 to 2 big meals.
Better digestion and faster metabolism will help your dog obtain extra body mass and will start to fatten up. However, you should keep in mind that the maximum number of meals per day is limited to six.
5. Food Bowls Topped With A Little Something Special Makes A Difference.
Like people who love a little extra something on their plate, it also increases the appetite of your dog if you top its food with a little something special like raw meat, stew, or wet food. Salmon oil works well and also does the trick of making your dog eat more.
Occasionally mix wet food with dog food and you’ll see a difference in the amount of food your dog eats.
6. Walk Your Dog Daily
While giving your dog extra food intake, it is important that you do not overlook its health and well-being.
Overfeeding your dog will not help it gain weight properly, instead, it will make your dog obese and overweight.
That is why you should always give your dog exercise daily in order for it to keep active and healthy.
It is not impossible to increase your dog’s body mass while exercising it. Truth is, exercise helps your dog absorb more nutrients and minerals from the food it takes, therefore, allowing food conversion into body mass.
7. Give Your Dog Supplements
B vitamins increase your dog’s appetite for food and help in energy metabolism by breaking down fats, carbs, and proteins.
To make a long story short, giving your dogs vitamins and supplements will help in the conversion of energy sources like those mentioned earlier and thus, giving them extra body mass.
The excess energy from the increased appetite of your dog will then be converted into body fats which helps prevent your dog’s muscle strain, catabolism, and waste.
8. De-worm Your Dog With Veterinarian Prescribed De-wormer.
Regular de-worm of your dog is necessary because worms that live inside your dog’s digestive tracts compete for food and nutrients. This causes poor health and sickly condition in your pet. Dogs with heavy worm burdens may seem fat but only the abdomen is protruding.
A de-wormer that can expel all types of worms works well. Safe-Guard Canine Dewormer is a good example. It can be used for small to the large size of dogs. If it is your first time to de-worm your dog, do it thrice at bi-weekly intervals.
9. Consider Your Dog’s Basic Health Issues
Apart from your dog being skinny, it is normally possible that it also faces abnormal health issues which you should consider in the process of allowing your dog to gain extra body mass.
You have to observe your dog and take note of the things you find unusual about it. Have an expert check your pet, should you be unsure of its condition.
10. Seek Professional Attention
While it is okay to do weight gaining on your dog without the aid of a veterinarian, it is still best to seek out their help in order for your dog to gain weight in a healthy manner. There are things that vets will let you know, and their expert opinions on your dog’s condition matter heavily.
Your vets will probably ask you to do “satin balls” made of raw meatballs. Fatty hamburger, ½ cup wheat germ, gelatin, and molasses comprise these balls.
You just need to add egg yolks, vegetable oil, and oatmeal to finish the trick and you now have something your dog will surely love, which aids it to gain a little extra body mass.
Different dog breeds require different body weights and mass. You should always consider these things when you look into the idea of fattening up your dog.
There are a lot of many formulas around which you might find, but remember that not all these works wonders, most especially on your precious dog.
Do not be too complacent about fattening your dog up on your own. We suggest that you seek expert attention regarding this matter but we also do believe that the above tips will help you out, one way or another.
Keep the process short and sweet. Regularly monitor your dog’s progress and be strict about the food they take.
Figure out a target and work towards the goal. We hope this article helped you out!