Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 2: Determine underweight
• Method 2 of 2: Add calories to your dog's diet
• Warnings

As a dog owner, it is important to help your dog maintain a healthy weight. Even healthy dogs can be under- or overweight, but you may be especially concerned your dog has lost weight due to an illness or injury. First, visit the vet to rule out any underlying issues. Many underweight dogs can gain weight by making diet and lifestyle changes.

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Method 1 of 2: Determine underweight

1. Keep track of your dog's weight. If you think your dog is underweight, you should keep track of how much the dog weighs. This way you can keep track of how much weight the dog loses and how much the dog gains after applying the strategies below. Make sure to share this information with your vet.
2. Consult a vet. You should make sure that your dog is not suffering from any medical condition that is causing the weight loss. It could be that your dog is suffering from a disease or a parasite that you can't see at first glance, but that your vet can detect.
   • Diseases such as diabetes, cancer, hepatitis, inflammatory bowel disease can manifest as weight loss, but require additional treatment and medication. A pet with an undiagnosed condition will therefore show no improvement through diet alone. In fact, without medical treatment it will only get worse.
3. Determine your dog's ideal weight. Ask the vet about the use of body conditioning scoring (BCS) to objectively assess whether your pet is too thin, overweight, or just right. You can find an example of such a score here. If your dog appears to be underweight based on the BCS, ask your vet about how best to make the dog gain weight.
   • In general, the dog is healthy at weight when you can see his waist, feel his ribs when you pet him (but you can't see them sitting), and when his tummy pulls up towards the hips.
   • If you can clearly see the ribs, spine or hipbones, then the dog is probably too thin.
   • Some breeds, such as greyhounds and certain hunting and sheepdogs (Border Collies and Pointers) are generally a bit slimmer than other breeds, such as Mastiffs and Labrador Retrievers.
4. Deworm your dog. It is best to have the vet test the dog's stool for intestinal parasites. If you are unable to do that, you can diagnose yourself and treat the worms at home.
   • A dog with a parasitic infection can be underweight because the parasite draws nutrients from the dog's food before the dog can process it on its own.
5. Make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise. The weight of the dog is related to its overall health; In order to maintain that health, it is important that the dog gets enough exercise.
   • Consult your vet before establishing a rigorous exercise schedule. Some dogs suffer from arthritis, neurological issues or metabolic disorders that could cause muscle atrophy. In such cases, it is important that the dog receives special treatment under close veterinary supervision - this way the dog's health can be improved without causing additional damage to the dog.
   • Walking a little longer on a leash is generally safe for most dogs and involves little risk of injury. Swimming is great for dogs who love water because there is no pressure on the joints while swimming. Make sure the dog can get in and out of the water easily so that he does not get injured in the process.

Method 2 of 2: Add calories to your dog's diet

1. Add an extra meal per day. If you feed your dog once a day, do it once more in the future. If your dog is feeding in the morning and evening, give him a bowl in the afternoon as well. You don't necessarily have to adjust the nutrition you are feeding now - just add a few extra calories by serving your dog an extra meal every day.
   • Remember, now that the dog is eating more, it will likely need to go to the bathroom more often. It may therefore be necessary to adjust the walking schedule.
2. Assess the quality of your dog food. Dog food comes in various shapes and sizes, and there is also a lot of difference in terms of quality. Make sure to feed your dog a diet that provides adequate calories and well-balanced nutrients.
   • You can easily check the amount of proteins and fats in the food by looking at the label on the side of the bag.
   • The calories per container are not always stated on the packaging. If not, you could contact the manufacturer to get that information.
   • You will also find a list of ingredients on the side of the bag. Look for foods that begin the ingredient list with a protein, such as "beef," "chicken," or "lamb"; make sure that the ingredient list does not begin with a carbohydrate such as "corn" or "wheat".
   • You can check the quality of the ingredients of your current dog food here.
   • Ask your vet about your dog's nutritional needs. Consider, for example, the recommended daily amount of calories. Additional information can be found here.
3. Supplement the dog food with suitable human food. Adding some delicious and safe "human food" to the dog's diet can make the dog more excited to start eating. Fat- and salt-free chicken, beef, or vegetable stock is very tasty - especially if you warm it up for a while before pouring it over the dog's food. Fat and salt-free broths can be found in the supermarket and are not expensive at all. A few tablespoons of broths are enough to give a delicious taste to the dog's food.
   • A few tablespoons of roast chicken (skinless), boiled egg, or sardines (or mackerel) can stimulate most dogs' appetites, as well as being high in healthy protein and calories.
   • Dogs can get sick if they take in too much fat. So stick to protein and carbohydrates to add healthy calories to his diet.
   • Other foods you could try are the wet from canned tuna, fat-free cottage cheese, and fat-free yogurt.
   • Do not give the dog human products that can be harmful to its health, such as chocolate, raisins, grapes, onions, garlic and moldy foods.
4. Try a different food. If your dog is not responding well to the food it eats, try offering it different dry or canned food. You can also put your dog on a diet of foods that you prepare at home. In high quality dog ​​foods, the first ingredient on the ingredient list is usually a wheat, such as "beef" or "chicken".
   • If you are preparing the food for your dog for a longer period of time, it is extremely important that the diet is nutritionally complete and balanced. It is recommended that you use the recipes from a reputable source. Make sure not to leave out ingredients when cooking.
   • There is no single diet that is "perfect" for every dog, so be sure to check with your vet before serving your dog exclusively homemade food. For more information, visit the websites of De Voerwijzer and Het Beste Voor Mijn Hond.
5. Add water to the dry food. If your dog doesn't get hot or cold from his dry food, try adding some warm water to it. Let it cool so that it gets a little mushy. Often dogs suddenly find the food a lot more interesting.

Warnings

• Know that drastic dietary changes can upset a dog's stomach. Ask the vet how to make the transition to a new type of food as safe as possible.
• If you add human food, such as pumpkin, to the dog's diet, his stool may be quite soft. If this is the case, you will need to slightly limit the amount of human food you feed him.
• Do not start with a detailed exercise schedule if the dog is not used to it. Like us, dogs should gradually get used to increased activity.
• Don't force your dog to eat. You can seduce him, but never force him.