# How to Fatten Up a Dog



## Faulkner&Lola

My pup has no apparent medical reason to be skinny. He's just skinny. He's 4 months old and about 45 pounds, but his ribs stick out. The vet said that he wouldn't feel comfortable neutering him until he is more robust.

Faulkner is on Blue Buffalo Wilderness blend which he likes no more or no less than any other dog food we've fed him. He gets a good amount of peanut butter and cheese in his kong every day. We free-feed him so he has access to his food all the time, but he doesn't seem to eat all that much of it, at least not as much as I would like him to. However, he dives at dinner plates and counter-prowls as if we haven't fed him in months. 

So, how to I get this boy to chunk up? Are there things I can put on his food, or supplement his food with, to make him eat it? Is it okay to feed table scraps (we're wary of this, because we do have young children and I don't want Faulkner to see the kids' food as an easy target)?


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## Kibasdad

Do a search for Satin Balls recipe.


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## Loki Love

Kibasdad said:


> Do a search for Satin Balls recipe.


I would not recommend Satin Balls for puppies - at least that's my experience with Dane pups!  The last thing you want is for your pup to gain too much weight too quickly - never a good thing. What kind of dog do you have? 

Can you increase his food or potentially change to one that has a slightly higher calorie intake? I would also stop the free feeding - that often creates a picky/fussy eater and may in fact be doing the exact opposite of what you want (allowing him to eat as much as he wants - instead, he doesn't bother eating as much because it's always available). Feed him 2-3 times a day, leave the food down for 15 minutes only.

You can add toppers to his kibble. If you're going to feed table scraps, they should go into his bowl with his food (and not from the table or while you're eating so he doesn't make the association).

4 months is a bit young for neutering anyway, in my opinion - give yourself a bit more time and I'm sure he'll get to a more healthy weight


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## Sparrow

So long as there is no arthritis or medical issue to avoid starchy foods, then we use mashed/boiled potatoes. I take some fattier ground beef & boil it with some chunked up white potatoes & a small spoon full of minced garlic. I've never used sweet potatos so I can't comment on what they'd do. When they're about 10 minutesI strain out the meat & the potatoes. I throw a can of green beans in the boiling water for 10-15 minutes I mash up the potato/meat. Then I strain out the green beans & put it in with the mashed mix. On the farm, nothing goes to waste so the boiled water off this is used to keep the potato mix from being too thick. I also have just set the bowl out & let the dogs drink it (small amounts).

I feed this to the skinny dogs who are too thin. Speaking from personal experience only, I've not seen any of my dogs have issues with this & it helps the hard-keepers to gain weight.

When I had 7 dobermanns working full time... this was a weekly stable.


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## Faulkner&Lola

Thanks! Except for the ungodly amount of ground meat, I have all the ingredients already (I don't even remember why I bought wheat germ, so I'm glad to have a use for it!). Score! Now to keep my Fatty McFatty pants dachshund away from them LOL.



Loki Love said:


> I would not recommend Satin Balls for puppies - at least that's my experience with Dane pups!  The last thing you want is for your pup to gain too much weight too quickly - never a good thing. What kind of dog do you have?
> 
> Can you increase his food or potentially change to one that has a slightly higher calorie intake? I would also stop the free feeding - that often creates a picky/fussy eater and may in fact be doing the exact opposite of what you want (allowing him to eat as much as he wants - instead, he doesn't bother eating as much because it's always available). Feed him 2-3 times a day, leave the food down for 15 minutes only.
> 
> You can add toppers to his kibble. If you're going to feed table scraps, they should go into his bowl with his food (and not from the table or while you're eating so he doesn't make the association).
> 
> 4 months is a bit young for neutering anyway, in my opinion - give yourself a bit more time and I'm sure he'll get to a more healthy weight


Ooops, didn't see your reply. He's a lab/shep mix. Could I feed him maybe one ball a day just to help him along a bit? I wouldn't want him to gain weight quickly, but slowly and over time. I can see how taking unfinished food away will make him really want it at mealtime. I'll start doing that.

We're shooting for around 6 months for neutering. He's just always been skinny. He was never a chunky guy, even as a very young pup. I just don't see his skinniness changing without help. But maybe it will.


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## Deeken

I would stop free-feeding. It's been my experience that dog's who are free fed (who don't gulp everything) actually sometimes eat less as they just graze little bits throughout the day. I would start feeding 3X a day and adding some wet food or meat scraps etc to fatten him up and entice him to eat all his food.


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## kafkabeetle

Deeken said:


> I would stop free-feeding. It's been my experience that dog's who are free fed (who don't gulp everything) actually sometimes eat less as they just graze little bits throughout the day. I would start feeding 3X a day and adding some wet food or meat scraps etc to fatten him up and entice him to eat all his food.


That was my experience with free feeding. I would put down the amount of food she could have each day and just leave it out and she would almost never eat it all and ended up getting a little thinner than I'd like. I started feeding a food she liked better and used the 15 minute rule (whatever isn't eaten in 15 minutes is gone until the next meal) and now she eats just what she should.


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## KuroSaya

Some dogs go through lanky stage.. Bella my boxer was a bit thin and lean I could see a bit of her ribs and hip bone not bad or anything she did have some fat on her and muscle. Being a boxer she is lean and all muscle. We never rushed her or over fed her to get her to gain weight..

I do give her caned kind in water sardines, mackerel, salmon, and sometimes cooked meat in her kibble. I also give her one raw egg a week and three days a week she gets a raw meal for dinner instead of kibble. like a chicken quarter with a bit boneless, heart, or tongue. 

Maybe adding a bit cooked ground turkey and beef in rotation be good. Variety is always good for dogs anyways. Do you have pictures of your dog?


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## ThoseWordsAtBest

Unrelated, but interesting your dog is named Faulkner. That is my last name.


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