# Feeding a malnourished, underweight dog



## poohlp (Jul 10, 2007)

For those that don't know, I caught a stray Sunday night. I'm working on finding a more permanent home for him, but in the mean time I want to start putting some weight on him as he is very skinny.

Here's the story in reverse order (pics are in the first two). You can't really get a sense of how thin he is bc of all the fur, but you can feel his ribs and his tailbone is sticking out too. 

http://www.dogforums.com/2-general-dog-forum/19850-hansels-vet-trip-new.html
http://www.dogforums.com/2-general-dog-forum/19774-pics-hansel-my-stray.html
http://www.dogforums.com/2-general-dog-forum/19762-i-caught-him.html
http://www.dogforums.com/2-general-dog-forum/19559-help-catching-stray-dog.html

Anyway, when you are trying to get a dog to put on weight, how should you adjust what you are feeding? Should I feed him the correct amount based on what I think his weight should be (he's currently 43 lbs and I'm thinking based on his thiness that he should be at least 10 lbs heavier, if not more)

or should I feed more or less than that? I don't want to underfeed him, but I don't want to overfeed him either. He frequently seems hungry, even after I've fed him, although he's not real interested in treats. My dog could take food or leave it most of the time, so this is new for me. 

I know every dog is different so obviously, I don't need exact measurements, just some basic guidelines on how to adjust from if I were feeding him to maintain an ideal rate. 

I am currently feeding high quality grainless foods. 2 cups a day, plus a spoonful or two of wet food keeps my 55 lb dog (who is about the weight I think this new guy should be at) trim, fit and well nourished. 

Thanks for the advice!


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## MyRalphie (Jan 7, 2008)

poohlp said:


> Should I feed him the correct amount based on what I think his weight should be (he's currently 43 lbs and I'm thinking based on his thiness that he should be at least 10 lbs heavier, if not more)
> !


Hi Poohlp

I think you're right. Should feed a dog based on what his weight _should_ be (I know that this applies to overweight dogs.)

All dogs are different, and many dogs will always act "hungry" (which makes their parents tend to overfeed.)

Good Luck


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## poohlp (Jul 10, 2007)

Thanks! Anyone else have experience with this?


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## Renoman (Mar 20, 2007)

Maybe feed him slightly more than what his current weight calls for and gradually increase the amount as he gains weight.

You don't want him to gain too much weight too fast. So, maybe once you can see a weight gain, adjust accordingly so it's a slower gain until he reaches his ideal weight. 

Am I making any sense?


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## Shaina (Oct 28, 2007)

Kim was definitely underweight when I got her, though not dangerously so (like she wasn't near-death or totally emaciated). My vet told me to feed her as though she was at her optimum weight (18-19lbs) instead of her real weight (13-14lbs), and to break it up into three or four meals instead of two at first, to avoid overwhelming her system by suddenly having all this food. Good advice or not, it worked out well for us.


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## poohlp (Jul 10, 2007)

Thanks! I was looking around on the internet and found something that suggested feeding 1 1/2 times what you would feed if they were at the optimum weight....so if they should be eating 2 cups at optimal weight, feed 3. Does that seem unreasonable to anyone?


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