My new rescue dog is underweight. How can I help him gain weight?

Well done on making such progress! Be sure to keep him dewormed monthly for at least 3 months and feed him up gradually, I would tend to feed at the feeding guideline for his actual weight plus 15-20%, reassessed every 14days in order to encourage gradual weight gain and strength whilst allowing his system to adjust. A probiotic/fiber supplement such as fortiflora can be helpful to promote healthy digestive balance also

You should treat him for intestinal worms to start with as this condition can prevent him from gaining any weight, if this doesn't help try feeding him 3 times a day with a high quality food such as Acana for example.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It's great that you are adopting a dog, congratulations and have fun with her! Start by feeding a bland diet (boiled/boneless/skinless chicken breast and boiled rice) in small frequent meals. Do that for 2-3 days, and then introduce puppy kibble to her. The puppy food is higher in fat and energy that she needs. Transition to this puppy food over about 2 weeks. Keep her on the puppy food for about 2 months, and then slowly transition her over to adult food. Best of luck with Macy!

Hi there and thank you for using PetCoach to address your concern. I would increase the amount of food being fed per day. Science Diet Adult maintenance would be a good choice or something high in protein and calories. If you would like to feed a homemade diet to see if he eats better with home cooked food, I would recommend visiting www. balanceit.com If he continues to lose weight or does not gain any weight with the diet switch, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine him so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I would definitely consider testing his thyroid to make sure he does not have hyperthyroidism, which can lead to weight loss or difficulty gaining weight. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Gentle feeding with a high quality, high calorie food such as royal canin gastrointestinal is very effective in regaining body weight and muscle mass. Ensure she is wormed regularly and monitor for any vomiting and diarrhea which may indicate bowel issues

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lucy. I recommend starting by making an appointment to see a veterinarian. It is a good idea to have a general check up when you acquire any new pet. Dogs typically are done teething by 6-7 months of age. So that is quite different from what the rescue group told you of her being 1.5 years old. It is important to have an accurate age on her to determine if she should eat puppy or adult food. Her veterinarian will assess her body condition score as well and let you know if she still needs to gain weight. In many cases, it is ok to see the last couple of ribs. I hope this information helps and congratulations on her adoption!

Awww. It's very nice of you to take on this type of responsibility. The first thing you should do is to take him into the vet for an initial examination. They will be able to make sure there is nothing seriously wrong, versus simply malnutrition and dehydration. If this is the case, Champ will likely require something to eliminate gastrointestinal parasites. He belly looks very round in that picture, which in young dogs is usually associated with worms. This can be a very common cause of weakness and malnutrition, and the nutrients that he is consuming will not be properly absorbed until the parasites are eradicated. The veterinarian will also probably want to give some fluids, either subcutaneously or directly into the bloodstream. The method of delivery will ultimately be decided based upon the level of dehydration the vet detects. Champ will require a healthy, high quality large breed puppy food eventually. However, in the meantime, I would provide something like a Purina Critical Nutrition or HIll's A/D. These are prescription diets that are very high in fat and high calorie, and are typically not easily turned down by even the sickest of pets. Lastly, Champ probably needs your love, warmth and support. I am sure you have plenty of this.