My chihuahua is skinny. What dry food helps her gain weight?

I would recommend having her body condition score figured out first to determine if she is indeed underweight. Some pets are just leaner than others but are not considered to be underweight at all. https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&hl=en-us&ei=3essWYH8BcWXjwT5u4agBg&q=canine+body+condition+score&oq=aaha+body+condition+score&gs_l=mobile-gws-serp.1.0.0i71k1l5.0.0.0.53939.1.1.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0....0...1..64.mobile-gws-serp..1.0.0.tM15jVEPrL8#imgrc=D5srd2kpWBMU1M: If she is considered to still be underweight then I would try to find out what is causing her weight loss and treating that directly. If there are loose stools then it's best to check her stools for intestinal parasites through your vet. If her stools are normal, then she may be going through a transient period of not gaining proper weight due to a previous illness. Increasing her current food amount can help. You can also try mixing in a high calorie puppy food for a few weeks. I wouldn't suggest this unless she is otherwise healthy and nothing else seems to help, because a consistent high calorie diet can do more harm (i.e. Pancreatitis) than good in some cases. Best of luck with your pet Layla.

Have you tried to mix it with canned dog food? Also you could give her boiled or canned chicken (no bones) over her food to help her gain weight. Both of these are ok and safe. Finally, if you want to make her on food I would check out some of the recipes on www.balanceit.com to ensure she is getting all the nutrients she needs. Unfortunately chihuahuas are known for not wanting to eat regular dog food often!

Have Pebbles examined by your veterinarian to diagnose any medical causes such as intestinal parasites, malabsorption or maldigestion issues. Once she is cleared medically, you can try increasing the amount of food being fed. Switching to a "hotter" (higher protein) food should be done gradually to prevent gastrointestinal upset. Canidae, Acana, Orijen, Taste of The Wild and the Royal Canin line are all premium diets. The website www.dogfoodadvisor.com is an excellent resource for comparing diets.

If you can’t increase the volume of food the pups will eat, try to increase the calorie content. Also making sure you feed a high quality food will ensure that the pups absorb the nutrients appropriately. I like Royal Canin and Purina Pro Plan. You will find information about the calories on the side of the package. They are called Kcalories in dog food. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Weigh loss causes are multiple: insufficient food intake, increased exercise, anorexia, diseases affecting the intestine/pancreas/liver, infections, tumors....To exclude all the health related causes of weight loss a vet check up would be needed. If everything health wise is in order I would recommend to check if the amount of food he is getting is enough for his weight; consider to adjust the dose if needed and/or change the diet completely. Good quality commercial diets (Hill's, Royal Canin) are definitively the best choice to make sure you provide all the nutrients Pancake needs. Please post again on the forum if you would like to discuss it further. I hope my answer was helpful.

You can keep him on his regular diet, just feed less of it and increase his activity. The general guideline is 1 cup of dry food per 30lbs of body weight. You can divide it into 2 or 3 meals. Limit treats and do not offer any table food. If he continues to gain, consider an exam with your veterinarian. Blood work may diagnose endocrine disorders such as hypothyroidism which can cause weight gain.

Good for you for trying to help Dyego lose weight! This will definitely help him to stay healthy as he gets older. Ideally, I would recommend a prescription weight loss diet from your veterinarian, such as Purina OM or Royal Canin Calorie Control. These diets are very effective, and have a chart to show how much you should feed each day based on your dog's target weight. These can also be ordered online from Chewy.com or other online pet retailers if you prefer - just let your vet know so that they can approve the prescription :)