How do I get my dog to gain weight?

What kind of foods have you tried?

We tried Science Diet for puppies both wet and dry food, Iams puppy chow both wet and dry, Purina puppy wet and dry, Eukanuba puppy, Table scraps mixed in like eggs, beef, and rice... I have done all that the vet asked me to try and we have been doing this for over a year. I have people asking me if she was a rescue or if she is being neglected. My dogs bowl is never empty and she eats like a horse. I just wish she would gain the weight and keep it on. Right now she is looking boney. I will do what ever it takes to get her back to the way she was before her surgery.

I already paid over $1600 for the surgery and another $1200 in blood work and exrays I need help nothing we have tried is working and we were wondering if there might have been something that went wrong during her surgery that may have caused this problem. She is the love of this household and everyone is worried about her. I have never has a dog that was this way or looked the way she does right now. I am very concerned she will be two years old in October and I want her to be able to live to see it.

When you say she had her stomach pumped do you mean that she had a bloat or torsion that required gastric lavage? Has your vet been able to pinpoint a digestive disorder related to absorption or motility maybe?
With all the blood work was there a thyroid test done? Blood sugar?
I know more questions, sorry just trying for a little more information.

Have you tested for hyperthyroid?

Hyperthyroidism Symptoms in Dogs | eHow.com

I know its more vet costs, but if she matches any of the symptoms listed on that website, it may be worth looking into...

As far as the food you fed... Even though it is "name brand" puppy foods, doesnt necessarily mean it is a good food. I'm not a fan of Science Diet.. Its got a lot of fillers and is chemically altered to make your dog like it. Its also not that high in fats.

The dog food I have had the best luck with weight gain is Pro Plan adult high preformance. It is for working dogs and is full of calories and fats. My mo runs a rescue, and our skinny, starved dogs get that food for weight gain.

Another food I like is called EVO ... It is an alternative to the RAW diet and is full of calories as well. It is expensive, but it will put weight on your dog. Blue Buffalo carries a food similar to the EVO brand... not sure if its cheaper.

There are supplements you can feed.. Its not table scraps.. but an actual reciepe for skinny, starving dogs. It was designed for rescue dogs that are losing weight due to stress... and stressed dogs have a really hard time keeping weight on.

Holistic Dog - Satinballs Satin Balls

For now, you would feed this with the high protien and high calorie diet.

I realize your frustration and feeling of going broke... but try the satin balls and maybe sample some of the higher quality foods. Table scraps only put fat on a dog. Dogs cannot use fat the way we can. They need protien. Eggs are good for coats, but they're not going to put weight on your dog... Any type of veggie is a fiber source and will just make your dog poop more. Follow a recipe that is designed to put weight on dogs that are having problems putting weight on.

I hope I helped.

I took her into the vet a few days after my huusband went back east for his dads memorial service. I thought she had stoped eating because she missed him. When we got ther the vet said she had a hard mass in her stomach and that she neede to have surgery or she would die. So we went through with the surgery. We found that she had 2 pounds of dog food that had balled up in her stomach and she was unable to digest it. THe vet had her for 24 hours said she was fine and we could bring her home. We took her back after a week to see how she was doing and noticed that she had not gained any weight. The vet sent me home with a perscription and The science diet puppy food and said to try it for two weeks and bring her back. We took her back two weeks later still no weight gain. She started to walk as if her tendons in her front legs were strained. We were given more medication for her and another High Calorie diet that we follewed to the Tee. Still no luck on any weight gain. We did blood work. We did exrays and still no answer for her not gaining weight. There was no show of worms or disease. We have been going throught the motions for over a year. My dogs name is Lilly and she is the most rambunctious, playful silliest dog. My kids would be so devistated if any thing was to happen to her.

Lucky098 I will try the holistic dog food to see if it helps. I would do anything to see her back to her normal weight. Before surgery she was a stocky healthy dog. She was 14 weeks old when she had the surgery and she weighed 38 pounds. Now she is 28 months old and if I had to guess maybe 30-35 pounds but very skinny. I just want my dog back to normal she is scaring me. She looks almost anorexic.

Keep us updated!

I will keep you guys updated