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Rodrigo is now the proper weight of a Border Collie and it's freaking me out. So he's off to the vet for a check out to make sure all is well – his behavior is normal, his poop is normal, I'm still freaked out. And, in the meantime, I'm trying to put a little bit of weight on him. I don't like that I can feel his ribs and spine.
There are a number of reasons why my dog may have lost weight that range from the obvious (more exercise, lower meal portions) to the scary (cancer).
If your dog is losing weight and you're unable to identify a cause, please contact your veterinarian. My thought is that the earlier a dog is diagnosed (if it is a health issue) the better chance we have of healing the issue.
Digestive Issues
Rodrigo has lived with digestive issues since he was a puppy and his first rapid weight loss was several years ago when he went a month without having a solid poop. This is when I learned that he has an intolerance to several proteins (which I was feeding at the time – bye bye chicken, turkey, and beef) and the repeated rounds of antibiotics he was subjected to pre-raw did a lot of damage to his gut health.
More Exercise / Less Food
In the first few months of 2019, I hired a pet sitter / dog trainer to stop by the house to run the dogs. A career change shook up our routine and we needed help. Running and playing for an hour a day contributed to weight loss in all of our dogs. At the same time, I adjusted everyone's meals because I was overfeeding them – this also lead to weight loss.
And, of course, there is the risk that something more serious could be happening. Hyperthyroidism (which is usually something we see in cats, not dogs), Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI), or cancer. I'm kind of leaning towards some form of EPI because Rodrigo has been here before – he has larger, softer poops and he starts losing weight. I put him back on a supplement that has helped in the past and I've begun adding Olewo carrots to his diet once again.
BioCase Plus
Olewo Carrots
I also made an appointment with his veterinarian to make sure all is well. He'll be getting a wellness check and a complete blood panel to start.
Satin Balls for Large Dogs
If the veterinarian approves, I'm going to start adding satin balls to Rodrigo's diet until he puts on some weight. Currently, he's down to 52 pounds. A year ago, he was 63 pounds. I would like to see him at 58-59 pounds, but, again, this is something that I will discuss with his veterinarian.
I Googled “satin balls” and found loads of recipes and they're all pretty much the same. Here are a couple of recipes that look simple to make with ingredients that are readily available at a local grocery store:
Satin Balls Recipe #1
10 pounds hamburger meat [higher in fat]
1 large box of Total cereal
1 large box oatmeal
1 jar of wheat germ
1 1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/4 cup of unsulfured molasses
10 raw eggs AND shells
10 envelopes of unflavored gelatin
Recipe inspired by NJBoxers.com. I changed the vegetable oil to olive oil.
Satin Balls Recipe #2
1 lb ground beef
1 8-oz pkg cream cheese
1 jar all-natural peanut butter
1 jar (smaller of the sizes) wheat germ
1 dozen eggs
Small heavy cream
1 cup of flaked oats (soak in the heavy cream)
Recipe inspired by HolisticDog.org, where you can find loads of satin ball recipes.
With all of these recipes, it's recommend that all of the ingredients are mixed together in a large mixing bowl. Once thoroughly blended, create balls (or patties) and freeze in a freezer-safe container until ready to feed. Satin balls are fed raw (and thawed) and as a supplement, not a meal.
I give about a 1/4 pound each night to maintain beautiful coats, energy level, and a full appetite... no picky eaters here. Just don't try to hide it in the kibble...they will make a mess throwing out the kibble, digging for the Satin Balls!
Satin Balls are a go to recipe for owners of underweight working dogs, emaciated dogs coming into rescues, high energy dogs, dogs that need to be enticed to eat, etc. Satin Balls were designed to put weight on a dog very quickly and are loaded with calories.
For raw food, it's recommended to feed 2% to 3% of an adult dog's body weight. So if your dog is 25 lbs, that means they'll need 0.5lbs or 8 oz of food a day. The formula is pretty simple math: (Dog's weight) x 0.02 = (food weight).
Start with adding only one extra meal a day. Focus on high-fat, low-carb food. After seven days, check in with your pet and your vet to see if adding two extra meals and increasing the calorie intake is a good idea. The food given can either be commercial dog food suggested by a vet or homemade meals.
Use pet-safe antibacterial dish soap, hot water, and a scrub brush to clean your pet's toys in the sink. Unscented Dawn® soap is fine to use, as well as pure castile soap. Then, soak toys for 30 minutes in a solution of 5% vinegar to 95% warm water. Following the soak, scrub, rinse well, and air dry.
If your dog can't handle tennis balls without chomping obsessively, you may want to consider an alternative toy. A rubber ball, especially one designed for powerful chewers, makes an excellent tennis ball substitute, without some of the risks.
If your dog weighs 60 pounds, you should feed them three cups per day. This increases with your dog's weight. If your dog is 70 pounds, 3 ½ cups is appropriate. If your dog's weight is 80 pounds, 3 ¾ cups is necessary.
The number of meals a dog eats per day depends completely on the family schedule. Dogs should eat at least two meals each day, about 12 hours apart. But a breakfast, lunch, and dinner schedule is an equally great option. If more than 12 hours elapses between meals, the stomach can become hyperacidic causing nausea.
Preparing cooked dog food provides enhanced safety by eliminating the risk of bacterial contamination from raw meat, extends shelf life, allows personalized dietary choices, improves digestibility, eases the transition from commercial kibble, and offers variety, convenience, and better nutrient absorption.
Chicken, turkey, lean ground beef, and chuck steak or roast are animal-based proteins, which help dogs grow strong. A few rules apply: Always cook meat well. Never serve it raw or undercooked.
According to most raw feeders, dogs should eat muscle meat (hamburger, chicken, turkey), as well as a healthy array of organ meat (heart, liver, kidneys), whole fish, and raw meaty bones (aka RMBs).
Many folks do not know how much to feed their dog when it has lost so much weight. Each dog is different, but as a starting point, try feeding the newly diagnosed EPI dog 150% of whatever percentage of food is normally required for that dog's size.
Yes. Wheat germ is a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids, which have many benefits for keeping your dog healthy. They include easing dry, itchy skin; boosting the immune system; and helping fight against allergies, asthma and inflammatory diseases.
Due to it having the highest sugar content, it should not be served to dogs. Dark molasses comes from boiling light molasses down even further. This does lessen its sugar content while upping its nutrient content, but not enough to be healthy for dogs.
Introduction: My name is Tyson Zemlak, I am a excited, light, sparkling, super, open, fair, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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