How to gain weight?

[Genta]

Hii, my 2 year old doberman seems to have trouble gaining weight and retaining them. I know for a fact he is underweighted since I can actually see his spine. Right now I’m feeding him 4 cups of TOTW a day with some additional raw treat (liver, heart etc). He is a low energy dog (one hour of playtime and he’s exhauseted (done twice a day)).

I’ve tried feeding him 6 cups a day but his stool was very loose. I would love to give him weight gaining supplements but sadly they are not available in my country.

Is there any other way he can gain and retain weight?

 

[Oh Little Oji]

Hi!

Well, you are not alone in this struggle. It's pretty common.

I'm glad you're feeding a quality food, and 4 cups seems a good amount. That is how much I have been feeding my Dobe for a long time now. When he was young (maybe +/- 1 year or so) I actually fed him more – like 5 cups, and I do remember feeding him 6 cups for a while. His stools have always been a problem, and I don't know just why, but I do think that he was pooping more when I was feeding that much. He struggled with putting enough weight on for a long time. He will turn 8 years old this summer and he has been in what looks like good condition now for maybe the last 2 or 3 years. Prior to that, he was always underweight.

So, I hope I've made you feel a bit better. For the most part, it's a matter of their genetic makeup. If a dog is going to tend to be slim, then that's just the way it's going to be. I will, however, mention what they call "satin balls." Did I spell that correctly? Do a search on here for that term. It's a homemade concoction that you can feed a dog (in addition to their regular feed, correct, folks?) on a temporary basis to try to bulk them up a bit.

 

[strykerdobe]

Maybe try the 6cups split into 3meals a day. Also feeding too many organs can cause loose stools.

 

[Kaiser2016]

I know for a fact he is underweighted since I can actually see his spine. Right now I’m feeding him 4 cups of TOTW a day with some additional raw treat (liver, heart etc). He is a low energy dog (one hour of playtime and he’s exhauseted (done twice a day)).

Do you have a picture showing his spine? I found my male bulked up in muscle more around the age of 3 than 2.

One hour of playtime every day is great, unless you meant each session is 1 hour, so a total of 2 hours? Which is a lot! The more active they are, the more they need to eat, so we adjust Kaiser's food on a daily basis.

Satin balls do seem to be a favorite, but I would start off slow unless you know the exact fat content of the ground beef. We find ground beef from a grocery store will tend to lead to looser stools, whereas a leaner ground beef doesn't - but nothing beats grinding your own beef at home with a cut where you can SEE the fat.

 

[Ravenbird]

In addition to what has already been said, have a veterinarian checkup for health including heart-worms and intestinal worms. A dog eating 4 cups of food a day shouldn't be so thin as to see the spine.

If your dog is indeed working hard for 2 hours a day you need added calories of protein & added fat, such as the Satin balls. If it's just 2 hours of play time or walking on a leash, that shouldn't burn that many calories and he shouldn't be exhausted.

 

[милый]

I agree with ravenbird! It can be a lot of health related issues, especially if you are already feeding him more than he needs and isn’t seeming to put on weight. it could be just worms but it could also be thyroid issues or even a stomach related illness like „Pankreas“ to where he can’t “use” the neutrinos delivered by food (German don’t know the English word but I assume it’s similar) meaning he’d be eating, not loosing weight but not gaining either, especially if you notice him „eating“ his feces with no doubt he’s not getting enough nutrients. And usually it’s due to underlying condition if he’s not a healthily weight to begin with.
I’d have them check that first, usually a stool sample done over 3 days and then blood test. aside from that if all is clear I would suggest probiotics(possibly even a stomach Regen kit- nooo clue if America has that but it’s a set of a few powders and oils and bla given over 1-3months, helps keep the stomach happy and healthy, especially with dobies it’s something I suggest repeating once a year) and then sheeps fat? beef fat powder, etc etc for weight gain. Pls keep in mind overfeeding cause he’s too skinny can actually cause a lot more damage… if hes not gained weight yet feeling him more of the same won’t do anything…you’ll either have to switch foods that are better suited for his need or supply what hes missing…dry and wet foods are full foods meaning they are designed to cover „all needs“ in each their own way…it’s kinda like if you only eat Salat every day no matter how much you eat you won’t really gain too much weight..and have other issues in long run..overfeeding can actually cause aloooot of stomach issues including stomach twists…so like raven said pls go to the vet have it checked and then if it’s all health wise okay worry about what his missing from his diet.
And hang in there! I know it’s stressful my friends foster dog had this a while ago! but a vet will at least give you comfort of knowing it’s nothing health related and or treatment if it is

 

[Genta]

Do you have a picture showing his spine? I found my male bulked up in muscle more around the age of 3 than 2.

Here is a picture of his back.

I will bring him to the vet for a stool check, hopefully there is nothing wrong with him. Regarding his playtime I would say that it is enough to exhaust him but not to the point that it is too much.

Thank you for reassuring me. I will probably try the satin ball method soon.