help me fatten up my Fergus!
I have posted a couple of times since picking up our OES pup Fergus. At first our vet found a heart murmur and a really fast heart rate (200 bpm!), but those issues seem to be under control. Poor little guy was absolutely infested with worms and Giardia, causing the other issues. We've had him on a series of meds and are doing our best to ensure that we don't have any recurrences. Fergus is full of spunk now and is eating well - I have him on the Acana large breed puppy food. However, our vet is concerned that he is quite underweight. She said that he would look like a toothpick without all that fur! I am letting him eat to his hearts content, which is helping him to grow "up", but not "out". Any suggestions on fattening up my super skinny pup? I was thinking of including scrambled eggs in his bowl... Happy New Year everyone! jen |
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I'm glad Fergus is feeling better  I feel bad and angry that Fergus (and littermates too, I'm assuming) got such a bad start in life.  A couple thoughts on weight gain... If you look on most dog food bags (or you may have to contact the company) it will list as part of the nutritional information "Kcal/cup". That is the number of calories each cup of food provides. I would be looking for the one available to you that has the highest number possible. (and assuming other stuff is good, it's in your budget, etc). That way, for every serving he eats, he's getting the most calories possible. Another thing to look for is a higher fat content in the food. Fat, not protein, is going to help him gain some weight. It may not likely be the food he needs long term, but it sounds like he needs a boost right now. Adding a fatty supplement - either as simple as some oils, or an actual supplement marketed for dogs. Or there are recipes out there for dog weight gain that are rich in fats if you like to make stuff yourself. One thing to be aware of - as you stuff him with the richer food, he will most likely have mushier poop. And likely get gassy too  ...and this is the voice of experience speaking.  I have several dogs who burn large amounts of calories and keeping weight on them is always a concern...and then I have another couple who always are needing to lose a bit, and that's a whole nother issue! Good luck with your boy |
| First thing that came to mind was Satin Balls. Used them on Paige when she'd really get in a snit about eating, especially when she first came here. The recipe has been floating around the dog network for some time: 5 pounds ground meat 5 cups Total whole grain cereal 5 cups oats (slow cooking type) 2½ cups raw wheat germ ¾ cup oil ¾ cup molasses (some dogs don't like molasses, start with just a dab to see how the little one reacts.....also being a sugar it also promotes softer stools) 6 egg yolks 5 packets gelatin 2 ½ tablespoons Solid Gold Seameal supplement (or other dog supplement powder) Mix up, form balls, freeze, feed as treats or food supplement. |
Those satin balls certainly sound like they would fatten me up, so they would be sure to work on Fergus!  I'll give the recipe a try - thanks!Yep, all of his littermates are also sick. I thought we were using a reputable breeder, but we've had WAY more health issues than with Mojo (our Bernese), who was definitely from a top notch breeder. I'm hoping that none of Fergus' bug friends transfer to her. Sigh. Hopefully none of the issues are long term either. It's well below freezing here now and I hear that kills the Giardia parasite (at least the cysts outside the house). As long as we can beat it completely before spring, we should be ok. I'm just hoping that his heartworm test comes back negative... BUT I'm not going to worry about that right now!! jen |
| my cappi had giardia which took weeks to confirm, he was all skin and bone. i put him on a raw diet and never looked back, he gained about 4lbs a month, fed 4-5 small meals a day to make sure that food wasnt sitting in his stomach too long and therefore not getting parasites attached. his poo became solid within 2 days, which was a blessing from the awful mess prior to that. my new dog also had giardia, but she wasnt allowed to leave the rescue until it was under control, that took 8 weeks, she arrived with me last week weighing 24lbs at 18weeks, which is on the small side but getting there. its a slow battle but well worth it. |
| Hi Charlysez: With your first pup, did you give him the meds as well as start on the raw diet? Fergus just finished his second round of meds and has really fattened up. Finally ribs aren't the first thing that I feel when I touch his side! I am concerned that it will come back through as that is pretty common. I feed both my pups some raw (although not exclusively). Do you think that an exclusive raw diet helps to get rid of Giardia? I guess the enzymes etc in the food must help their gut flush out the parasite. Just curious to hear how you managed to beat it... j |
| hi I actually put Cappi, my first dog on to raw before the results came back from the vets. I was at my wits end thinking he was practically starving to death as no food seemed to be absorbed. So, in short we didnt bother with the meds, he was on the way to recovery before we went back to the vet. I am a bit of an all or nothing person, so once i started him on raw and I saw the results, that was it for me. I have since met another vet who had giadardia (can never spell it) herself, she was in hospital for weeks, but said that once it was under control it was highly unlikely to come back. There is a possiblity that it could be "caught" again if there was exposure to dirty water. Not sure how I beat it, I believe it was the small raw meals not giving time for the parasites to grow, and as my second dog is also doing well I am more convinced. If the meds worked for you, all you need to do is keep him away from infested/dirty water and you should be ok, diet is a personal choice |
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