Does anyone have any suggestions to put weight on a lab, I already use a higher protein food, I guess I am looking for supplemental things. TIA

Worm them.

Every dog has their own bone structure and ideal weight. I agree with the last post regarding removing potential health issues such as worms. However, I also think that you need to be cognizant of your dogs structure when you look at its weight as overweight can also be a health issue. Good luck.

Tell the butterflies to migtate! I have 3 girls, from 3 different bloodlines, thay were all chunky little pups. I now call them the "String Bean Girls", because they are long, lean, and lanky from spending hours chasing butterflies. Actually, I think the butterflies are finally gone, so I expect to see the girls put on weight.

To funny Gail! My girls chase the bubbles when the kids blow them! Their expression when they "catch" them is priceless.

Satin Balls help tremendously. I do think you should rule out a medical issue, like worms, first to make sure there isn't an underlying problem. I've used Satin Balls in the past to put on weight. They work wonders and the dogs go bonkers for them!

10 pounds hamburger meat [the cheapest kind]
1 lg. box of Total cereal
1 lg. box oatmeal
1 jar of wheat germ
1 1/4 cup veg oil
1 1/4 cup of unsulfured molasses
10 raw eggs AND shells
10 envelopes of unflavored gelatin
pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients together, much like you would a meatloaf.

Divide into 10 quart freezer bags and freeze.

Thaw as needed and feed raw!

From this link:
http://www.njboxers.com/satin-balls-recipe.htm

Try feeding Eukanuba small breed puppy. The fat level is quite high and it helps when they are going through the ganglies. I would also try some Tripe. Add it to the dry food.

I think it really depends on the protein to carb ration, vs. just increasing protein. Higher protein tends to build lean muscle not gain weight. It's kind of like going on the Atkins or South Beach diet. Many people LOSE weight by increasing protiens and reducing carbs. If you think about it, dogs that are fed high carb diets (mostly grains and fillers) like Ol' Roy, Purina Dog Chow, Pedigree, etc tend to be on the heavier side. These foods are low in protien and high in carbs. But then again that is just my observation. However, I would not recommend putting your dog on these foods LOL Increase of calories will help as well. I like to use a supplement called Enervite which is a high calorie supplement. I have used it when I was showing a Chinese Crested male that did not want to eat because of all the girls around. It put the weight on him and increased his appetite so he held good weight while being shown to his Championship.

Just my $0.02 worth,

Dianne

Dianne is that like Nutri-cal?

Yes it is very close to Nutri-Cal except it has an appetite stimulant in it which is good if the dog is off their food. Some dogs tend to "fill up" on Nutri-Cal and not want to eat their regular food after a while.

You can get the Enervite at Petsmart stores or on Petsmart.com.

Dianne

For a bit I kept thinking mine were too thin. I added some smelts and eggs as treats and kept the regular feed and now I need to back off as both my younger pups (year olds) seem to have blossomed overnight:)
I think that some are just thinner for a bit and maybe that is how they should be.
I took a couple to my brothers house last weekend and he kept commenting about how thin my dogs were and I kept thinking how overweight his were *grin*


Best of luck,
Annie

I have to agree with Melissa with the satin balls. When Ciara had her pups I supplemented her regularly with them and she nursed her litter until they were 6 weeks old and she actually weighed 3 lbs more after nursing than when she was bred. They smell so good I almost was tempted to eat one.... JK of course.

I had a professional handler tell me Mac n cheese or pasta and they love it

Increase, fat content as well.

I switch mine to puppy food and pasta to help with weight gain when needed , fortunately that is not usually a problem for me here.

OK made the Satin Ball recipe, how much do you think per day?... I don't want my lab to get sick, only used to a kibble diet and the last thing we need is for me to cause MORE issues! I also go that supplement Dianne per your recommendation. Here goes nothing

You can also use mashed potato mix. I used 1/4 c., mixed it with water, and put it on the food. It's nice because you can adjust the quantity as necessary. It does add weight pretty quick--it was noticable to me after under a week.

A vet friend also reccomended yams or sweet potatos. But it's a heck of a lot easier to do the mashed potato mix!

Skinny Minny,
I would separate the feeding of the raw satin balls, and their regular kibble by a few hours. Raw meat and kibble take different digestions times, enzymes and move through the digestive system at different rates, (The raw will move faster) and may cause digestive upset, or fermentation. Start with about 4-6 ounces to see how your dogs tolerate raw beef, then up it as needed to add the desired weight.

Good luck, mine love raw hamburger.

Are you sure you are feeding enough?

innova regular food (not evo) is great at putting on weight and coat

Issue is a picky eater, no worms. Its very difficult to switch to other kibble b/c of the pickiness. We have tried them all, believe me. I am trying proplan performance, and when my lab does eat, it can be anywhere from 4 cups twice a day (8 cups) to maybe a cup or two over the course of the day.

Thanks Shelley about separating the raw and kibble suggestion. It just makes us so upset b/c its a great lab, just too skinny b/c of the eating issues

If it's a young dog, being thin at this age can be good for their long term health, especially their joint health. For my dogs, I just feed them more to put on weight. Sometimes I feed them 3 times a day.

What age first ? Males or females. Some males between 1 year and 2 or 3 are so hard to fill up. They just blossom about 3 years. Think you would be careful in this growing period to just let them grow and not make them look heavy. Joints issues. Up to 18 months they can really go through alot of looks. Female with a heat or two will really fill out also. Sounds like enough food if it is 8 cups a day. They must really be active. Might give them a rest time during the day. JMO

You also should look at the k/cals per cup. I had a teenage male that I was finally able to get some weight on by using a high protein, grain free food that had 596 kcals/cup.

male, two years old. More interested in bitches and the environment then eating. This is a long standing issue, not anything new, just trying to take a new look and approach to it.

oh and the 8 cups a day is an occasional thing... for example yesterday MAYBE total I got him to eat 3 cups. He is very odd. He just doesn't care to eat... I tried the Enervite, he wont take it

I have a skinny girl. Every time I try and up the volume of her food she gets loose stool. She been checked by the vet including blood work and rads. Thyroid was normal too. I just stared adding baby rice cereal and baked potato to her food. Labs with ribs are not pretty.

I agree...when I had my labs on Purina Selects my kids were chunks. When I put them on Evo, they lost weight and gained muscle. It certainly seemd to me to be a canine version of the Adkins diet. Slowly they have gained weight, but not too much - they look great. Healthy, fit and athletic

First thing, however, is to check out any underlying health issues - worms, etc

A

Put on more muscle. If it is a mature dog, Work the dog! Throw bumpers, do hill work, swim, swim, swim!

It does more wonders than feeding more calories and making them fat.

My girl is very active. She has a border collie's activity level. If she was a chicken you would have to stew her a long time before you could eat her. You still need food to build bulk of any kind. I worry about IBD.

Have you tried frozen Bil-Jac?????? Worked on my boy. Just add to the kibble.

I went through the same thing with my boy. When somebody came in heat, he would shut down completly for 2 or 3 days at a time. I tried different foods, adding canned food, etc and nothing worked. I did find that he liked yogurt added and some warm water. It is very very frustrating, to say the least. He finally accepted the girls being in heat, and only misses an occasional meal. He started accepting the girls about the time he turned 3. He'll be 4 in April.

My advice is LOTS of patience and try to look the other way. He will change.

Boxed macaronie & cheese... works wonders..and cheap.

frozen Bil-Jac. My guy couldn't keep weight on at all until we got him on B-J.

After worming add vitamins and mineral supplement, sometimes they are just lacking something. B-complex also stimulates the appetite.