Q:Any tips for helping my dachshund put on some weight? My 4 year old red dachshund, Wyler, had worms about 1-2 months ago and hasnt gained much of his old weight back. He wasnt very heavy to begin with, but after his worms he just hasn't looked the same. We took him to the vet, ect, and he hasn't lost more weight.. Any help? He's totally fine aside from being a little thin. I just want my boy to be 100%.

westtexastown

Have you been feeding him extra and he’s still thin, or have you kept his intake the same? I would definitely suggest increasing his intake. For example, ~10 pound Ginny gets 1/4 cup twice a day for maintenance in the winter, but during the summer when she’s more active I increase it to 1/3 cup 2x/day for maintenance. I don’t know how much your guy weighs or ought to weigh, so I can’t give you any precise measurements, but I would start by feeding him slightly more, and perhaps adding in a few spoonfuls of grain free wet food (such as Blue Wilderness). If he is a finicky eater, the wet food should entice him to eat. You can also mix in a spoonful of canned pumpkin (not the pie filling) to get him to eat (it works wonders for my picky standard poodle)!

I also did a quick Google for “putting weight on a dog” and several sites came up that listed recipes for “satin balls” which are full of healthy fats + protein. I’ve never heard of them before, but if you feel Wyler is severely underweight you might look into supplementing with such a mixture for a week or two.

If you haven’t already consulted your vet specifically about his weight, I would do so before starting any new meal plan for your pup. Good luck! :)

7 Notes/ Hide

  1. jmecannon said: Definitely talk to a vet but it sounds like you already have so I would say wet food. It made my stringbean-skinny young/non-neutered dachshund gain over a pound! I am talking Newman’s Own and/or Blue Buffalo wet food.
  2. toodoxiesandtwomanyshoes said: Maybe ask your vet? Don’t increase the amount of food you give him until the vet clears it first.
  3. westtexastown said: We took him in about his weight and they didn’t have an answer for us. They tested him for more bugs but he was negative. We’ve started giving him more food, but I’ll try those satin balls and the wet food. Thanks! :)
  4. dachshunds posted this