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Helping a Dog Gain Weight

Greyhounds are all individuals, and much like people certain dogs seem prone to being either over or underweight. Obviously it is important for your dogs health to try and keep him as close as possible to his ideal weight, although this can be easier said than done. I don't think I ever fully appreciated the difficulty involved in getting an underweight dog to gain weight, until we adopted Jerry. When Jerry arrived he was clearly a few kilos underweight, and I naively assumed he would put that on in no time at all! Despite having a reasonable appetite and loving his new diet, Jerry didn't put much weight on at all. There comes a point where simply adding more food to the dish just doesn't do it, and this is when it can be useful to have a high calorie alternative to give your dog a quick boost, without filling him up so he will still eat his regular food.

Below is our favourite recipe which I have used over the years, and found to be irresistible (to the dogs, not me!) I have it with great success at various times including:

• putting weight on Jerry after he arrived from kennels
• tempting various dogs back into eating after surgery or general anaesthesia
• feeding George after a serious leg injury, when a lack of exercise meant he just wasn't interested in eating
• getting Buttons to take food from my hand when he first arrived and was too nervous to eat from a bowl
• keeping Jerry eating in the later stages of his cancer, when medication dulled his appetite
• encouraging Tegan to eat after having 13 teeth removed

Please remember that the recipe below is quite rich, and may contain ingredients your dog isn't used to. The best way to introduce it is to start giving a very small amount at a time, until you are certain it isn't going to cause stomach upsets.

Peanut Butter Fat Balls

• 2 cups dry dog food
• 2 packs cream cheese
• 1½ cups Peanut Butter
• ½ cup corn oil or sunflower oil
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 lb raw (or lightly browned) beef mince (with grease)

1. Blend dog food until finely crushed, and add remaining ingredients. Mix until you have a doughy lump. Add more dog meal as needed if mixture is too thin.
2. Roll out into a log shape on waxed paper. Refrigerate and slice as needed, or form into ping pong sized balls.

This can be fed a slice or two at a time several times a day. It is very high in calories so should put weight on fairly quickly, and if the beef is lightly cooked it shouldn't be too hard on your dog's stomach. The best beef to use is the really cheap stuff, because it is so high in fat.

You will also find a selection of various weight gain recipes at Chinaroad Löwchens of Australia, which contains some great suggestions for fattening treats.

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