[thedogmother]

My boxer Murph, 1.5 yrs, 45lbs can't keep his wt on. You can see all his ribs & spine & hip bones. I feed him raw, 1.5 lbs/day.Which is actually more than needed for his 45 lbs. My AB/APBT Bruno, 8 mos, is at 50 lbs, fed raw, 1.5 lbs/day and I think he looks good can see some ribs, but looks good, not emaciated. My boss, Chris Fraize, www.k9sts.com just gave me a 2 yr old AB, Betty, who is close to 90 lbs and looks great, has been feed raw and I will continue to feed raw.

What can I do to fatten Murph up?????


Thank you!
Claire

 

[SisMorphine]

I would do some research into different ways of feeding raw. There are some diets that also include grains, which can bulk up a dog (I'm not a fan, but it just may work and it's healthier than kibble). OR you can do a bit of over feeding. When I think my boys are getting too thin they get an extra chicken quarter a day for two weeks. Sometimes the dog just needs a jump start in the weight gain.

There are also things called "Satin Balls" which rescue organizations use to bulk up their skinny fosters. If you just do a Google search for it you should have no problem finding a recipe.

And some dogs just have a higher metabolism than others. When I first got my Grey and he was on high end kibble, he was eating close to 8 cups a day and not gaining an ounce of weight, yet my friend's Grey was on 3-4 cups a day and looked a little tubby. So if your pup needs two pounds a day then so be it! Even if he's much smaller than Betty you may find that he needs to eat more.

And I didn't know he gave you Betty. She's such a pretty girl. I want to say that you and I met briefly at the Nationals up there, can't remember, though. Either way it seems that the only days I'm up there are the only days you're not. LOL!

-Sis

 

[thedogmother]

Sis

WHO ARE YOU????


Claire

 

[thedogmother]

Sis,

Thanks for the great advice. Murph will get an estra chix leg for a while, we'll see how that goes!

Betty is really a sweet dog. She sure gets excited when she sees a bite sleeve! We did some training with her Saturday afternoon. She is very athletic!

 

[SisMorphine]

Sis

WHO ARE YOU????


Claire

I'm Lys, I have dark brown hair (usually pulled back) glasses and a septum piercing (bullring). The dog I work up there is the infamous Mike Hunt (used to be Charlie when he lived up there), the brindle pit bull/Akita mix. But other than Nationals I don't think we've ever been up at the same time.

 

[thedogmother]

AhHa! I know who you are! You are a member of the club,(Maine Assoc of Dog Sports) aren't you? I'll probably be joining very soon!

Claire

 

[CowBella]

I agree with Sis... feed whatever your dog needs to maintain good weight. You can add more rich meats, lamb, duck, liver's, and green tripe. I'd make sure you had some green tripe in the diet 3 or 4 times a week anyway, the dog's love it, and it is great for digestion.

Satin balls are awesome. I fed 1/4 lb to my Giant Schnauzer who was very skinny, and very difficult to get weight on, and she rounded out nicely. I knew it was what was doing the trick, because when I took her off, she dropped weight again. She was not on raw exclusively, either, she ate 4cups DVP in addition to a chicken back or thigh, PLUS the satin balls recipe. She should have been a porker!

Good luck with fattening him up. Some dogs just are thin with high metabolism.

 

[Beatvdub]

Satin balls would prolly do the trick

 

[SisMorphine]

AhHa! I know who you are! You are a member of the club,(Maine Assoc of Dog Sports) aren't you? I'll probably be joining very soon!

Claire

Yup that would be me

 

[thedogmother]

I fed my boxer & AB/APBT double the amt of chicken leq 1/4s for supper. It was a very gassy nite! :lol: I thought odors could not wake people up from their sleep, but we were proved wrong last night!

Does anyone know the recipe for Satin Balls?

Thanks!
Claire

 

[BullyJack]

chicken 1/4's?

Please excuse the ignorance, but when you say chicken 1/4's, do you mean actual chicken? I have an eleven week old AB who is going to be a huge boy and would love to get him the best diet to make sure this is muscle! We exercise daily, but is there a way to develop that thick look with exercise that won't make him overly aggressive. (I also have 2 kids) Thank you

 

[thedogmother]

YUP,

Chicken leg quarters. There is a small family grocery store near by that has a great meat dept. I call ahead to order a case of chicken leg quarters. I don't have big freezer, I have one which is stacked over my fridge, but a case fits! I feed my AB 2 leg quarters, and the rest get one. You have to watch their bodies, if they get skinny, I just add an extra chic leg 1/4 to the meal I feed 3 dogs raw, so depending on the size of the leg qtrs, I put 3 per zip lock bag, & freeze. I usually pull out 2 bags a day in the fridge to defrost, so they'll be ready by meal time. I feed once a day. http://www.njboxers.com/faqs.htm is a great site with lots of info. Check it out!