Hi,
I am looking for a food that will add weight to my 2.5 yr old male.. he was a very large puppy, great bone... He was fed Pro Plan until he was 1 yr old at which time he got yeasty ears so I stopped feeding any corn. He has been on Grain free for a while, and now on Merrick for a few months... He is soooo skinny. He is fed 3-4 cups per day.. If I add more he gets loose stool. I tried adding different wet foods and he gets loose stool. I generally have the opposite issue with my Labs... I am looking for a food or company that has never been on any recall . Oh he has been on Innova but it was too rich.... Any ideas? He was gorgeous,, now he is skinny......
And yes he is an active dog,,, loves to retrieve.

Think you'd be happy with Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete. No corn, wheat or soy. 32% protein and 25% fat. Really helps to maintain weight when dogs are in work and add back after a girl whelps too.

You could add an egg a day :-) My labs love them. Crack them over their food or rinse them and hand them to him to eat outside.....

You can try the satin ball recipe, I have used this in the past with a finicky eater to put on weight. You do need to be careful, this will put weight on quickly and you can easily end up with a fat dog!

Satin Balls:
10 pounds raw ground beef, 70%-85% lean
18 ounces Total Multi-grain cereal (or other vitamin-fortified, unsweetened cereal
2 pounds oatmeal, uncooked regular or quick oats (not instant oats)
20 ounces wheat germ
1 ¼ cup canola oil
1 ¼ cup unsulfured molasses
10 raw eggs and shells, crushed and minced
10 envelopes unflavored gelatin
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Divide into freezer bags in daily ration portions (some divide into 10 equal portions, others 14. Feed raw as a meal or supplement.

My girls do not loose coat after whelping since feeding Diamond's Extreme Athlete. Mine get tons of exercise and maintain a good weight. I went to this 3 years ago and have loved everything about it. One gal tends to get a little overweight, but then I just cut back slightly and she's all good. Coats are unbeatable as is general vitality.

Thank you for the replies...2 questions...
1. Are you not concerned with foods made by Diamond since the recalls?

2. I have heard of the Satin Balls but was afraid of loose stool... has that been an issue for anyone?

Thank you again.

I think the recalls make Diamonds all the more careful, they probably are scrutinized more now than ever.

With satin balls I shaped into large meatballs to store and would take out one meatball and add to the kibble. Did not have any issues with stools. I did not give raw, I did cook them, I used this recipe a long time ago, before raw feeding was so popular, so back then worried about salmonella. But the recipe has always said to feed raw.

I feed satin balls not only to my Labs, but the rescue Shepherds that I deal with daily. They are FANTASTIC for putting weight on a dog. Depending on the dog they can be mixed with kibble. Do a Google search and you can come up with grain free versions.

If your dog has digestive issues with mixing raw and kibble, give a satin ball as a mid-day treat or as a bedtime treat (separate from any kibble meal as much as you can). Kibble and raw digest at. Different rates, but I have not found much of an issue in more then 100 plus dog's that I have given that combination to.

Acana Wild Prairie is grain free with good amount if protein and fat :) Orijen is also very good.

Evo is grain free and very high calorie.

I use it to add weight to my non-Lab and it works very well.

to put weight on my youngsters that seem to burn through calories - I've both upped the fat content of the foods they eat and I've added cooked potatoes and oatmeal. this works for my dogs. Be mindful of this caloric increase as some dogs will gain quickly -

. Going by the protein, fat and lack of fillers the Diamond Extreme Athelete sounds just right for what's needed. I don't like Pro Plan at all, for adults, bitches in whelp in nursing, or litters. Its just not my cup of tea. Coat gets cruddy on all ages and sexes, puppies don't gain well and all of my boys didn't gain properly on it.

Elizabeth's recommendation sounds good for the situation, especially with her long time experience. JMHOfwiw

Have you tested for giardia?

Barking Over The Moon made by SOlid Gold. It has 42% protein, grain free,. I also like raw but if you don't want to go that route try Barking Over The Moon.