Puppy Food For Weight Gain

Premium Food For Underweight Puppies

Some of the major premium brands of puppy foods are Royal Canin, Purina ONE, Science Diet and Eukanuba. These have all been extensively tested using feeding trials, so we know they work well when fed to live dogs. Foods that have not been through a feeding trial rely on calculations only to assure its safe for live puppies.

Smaller labels, regional and trendy brands of dog food have rarely been through feeding trials so we dont know if theyll truly meet a puppys nutrition needs. Look on the label for a statement about feeding trials. Thats the gold standard you should use when choosing a puppy food! If you must feed a trendier brand, at the very least, call the company and ask if they have a veterinary nutritionist on staff. Most of them dont.

Royal Canin Recovery is a high-calorie, nutrient-dense dog food that is also labeled to support the growth of puppies. If your puppy will only eat small amounts, this food will pack calories and nutrients in a few bites than regular puppy food. This is the primo food we use in the vet hospital when we need sick and underweight patients to eat!

Dont be suckered by foods labeled for a particular breed. Other than large breed puppy food, any premium puppy food is acceptable. There is no magic choice. Some dogs do better with one brand or flavor than the others, but all of these brands have successfully raised millions of puppies for decades.

What Is The Optimal Weight Gain Diet For Dogs

The subject of weight gain for dogs is a serious concern for numerous dog parents throughout the country. Thousands of searches are performed online every month for the optimal weight gain diet for their dogs, such as “food for dog weight gain,” “weight gain dog food recipes,” or “why won’t my dog gain weight?” Considering the public’s interest in this matter, we will be focusing, in today’s article, on the causes that prevent weight gain in dogs, the practices that inhibit weight gain, and the foods that will assist your canine friend in gaining some healthy extra pounds.

Overall Best Dog Food For Weight Gain: Crave Grain

Without a doubt, the #1 best dog food for weight gain is CRAVE Grain-Free High Protein Dog Food. Our first choice out of a pretty stellar lineup is CRAVEs High Protein Dog Food. With a beefy flavor that dogs love, CRAVE delivers generous amounts of protein for strong, lean muscles. Inspired by our dogs carnivorous ancestors, this protein-packed food will energize and strengthen your pup.

CRAVE is loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, and omega fatty acids to promote overall good health. Its suitable for both small and large breed dogs.

Features we love:

You May Like: What To Feed Dogs Besides Dog Food

Pumpkin And Sweet Potato

Sweet potato and pumpkin are fantastic ways to help your dog put on weight in a healthy way. To avoid excessive protein in your dog’s diet while helping him gain weight, consider adding sweet potato and pumpkin to his food. Boosting their diet with fat and fiber will help your dog’s digestion along with weight gain. You can buy 100% canned sweet potato and 100% canned pumpkin from your local grocery store. Make sure to keep an eye on your dog the first few days you put these additions in their diet to ensure their bowel movements aren’t irregular.

Purina Pro Plan High Protein Sport Dry Food

Purina pro plan dog food is a sport-inspired food that pounds on young lightweight dogs and gives your puppy a fluffy look.

Ingredients:

Real chicken, Brewers rice, Gluten cornmeal, Animal fat mixed with Tocopherols, a by-product of poultry meal, etc.

Benefits:

Offering 30% proteins and 20% fat, 475 calories per cup, Amino acids and antioxidants. So, you can rely on this one of the best foods for dogs to gain weight without thinking twice.

Don’t Miss: Where Is Pure Balance Dog Food Sold

Dog Food For Weight Gain

If your dog does not have any health issues, but is underweight it may be because he/she is a picky eater, extremely active or is getting older. Weight loss results in nutritional deficiencies and a loss of muscle mass. We’ve carefully selected foods that will help your dog gain weight. If your dog needs to put on some extra pounds you will want to feed him/her a high quality dog food that is high in calories and protein. The increase in calories and protein will help your dog replace lost nutrients from being underweight and gain body and muscle mass. This increase in calories and protein should be gradual to prevent gastrointestinal upset. In time and with proper feeding your dog will achieve his/her healthy weight which will lead to a longer & happier life.

View asGrid

Things To Do Before Trying To Put Weight On Your Pup

If you have a skinny or finicky puppy, first take your pup to visit a veterinarian for a physical examination. Youd be surprised at how often we identify problems with just an exam that cause puppies to be underweight.

Make sure to take a fresh fecal sample to your vet for parasite testing. You only need to collect about a tablespoons worth of fresh poo in a clean container . Your vet might recommend a broad-spectrum dewormer even if the stool sample is negative for parasites since fecal tests can have false-negative results.

Have your veterinarian run a basic blood panel to screen for liver, kidney, and endocrine problems. These are pretty rare in puppies but if a pup has one of these diseases, getting them to gain weight will be an uphill battle until theyre treated.

Read Also: Best Food For Beagle Puppy

Miracle Vet High Protein Dog Food For Weight Gain Is Made From High

Miracle Vet High Protein Dog Food for weight gain high calorie veterinarian-approved food is extra delicate to your dog’s or puppy’s digestion and delivers energy for weight gain or growth more efficiently. Miracle Vet Weight Gain Dog Food contains 600 kilocalories per cup. The protein, vitamins, and mineral-rich food will add healthy weight to your dog faster and helps grow puppies.

• Veterinarian approved weight gain dog food for healthy weight gain and recovery.
• Excellent protein and fat ratio for Growing Puppies â protein 31% and fat 25%.
• FOR ALL AGES and all breeds. Suitable for dogs ages 4 weeks and older.

How You Can Help Your Underweight Dog Gain Weight

There are some measures that you can do as a dog parent to help your underweight dog gain weight, especially if her weight loss is not caused by a serious illness.

Most dogs cant resist their favorite diet and treats. But it can be a challenge finding out their preferences, especially if you have picky dogs.

You can dry buying small packages of different options just to see which ones they prefer. They may prefer a particular dog food, animal protein, or recipe.

The same goes for fresh foods and treats. You can also try to add some toppers, or fresh foods like eggs, tuna, or some olive oil to make the diet more appetizing.

Sweet Potato & Pumpkin

Pumpkin and sweet potato are known to help add a few pounds to your dogs weight. You can serve as treats or toppers to regular dog foods. You can have this home-cooked , or select canned or dehydrated products that are meant for pets.

Peanut Butter

Most dogs love peanut butter on their treats or fresh fruits or veggies like carrots. Peanut butter adds extra calories to the treats. But make sure to use all-natural peanut butter or one made for pets. Artificial additives in some peanut butter products are unhealthy for dogs.

Playtime and Exercise

Your dogs need lots of exercise even when theyre skinny. Its part of keeping strong muscles and joints. So make sure you provide them with at least half an hour of exercise daily.

Hand-Feeding

Ad Libitum Feeding Strategy

Also Check: Best Dog Food For Arthritis

Why Dogs Might Not Gain Weight

Irish Setter eating out of dog bowl

As we mentioned at the start of the article, were not vets or nutritionists but dogs owners like you so you should speak to your local animal health expert to have your dogs weight assessed.

Having said that, there are some common reasons why dogs might not be gaining weight as expected and you can discuss these with your vet to understand in greater details each specific reason.

Picky eaters As someone who had a picky eater in my home, I know what life can be like if youve got a fussy pup who turns their nose up at their food. My female Alaskan Klee Kai is significantly slimmer than her brother because she can be unpredictable when it comes to mealtime. If your dog is a fussy eater, it could be indicative of a health problem or a behavioral issue.

Stress levels If youve recently gone through a big life change such as moving home or bringing home a baby, your dog may feel slightly more stressed than usual. This could affect their appetite. My Klee Kai stopped eating her food for a couple of weeks when we brought home our daughter from the hospital as she tried to figure out a new day-to-day routine.

Exercise In my experience, my Klee Kai can have a significantly reduced appetite if Im unable to give her sufficient exercise. While her brothers appetite isnt affected by his exercise levels, his sister wont eat her food if she hasnt received her customary 60-minute morning walk.

Getting A Puppy To Gain Muscle

If you want your puppy to specifically gain muscle, you must consider their breed. Different breeds develop more muscle. So dont compare your puppy to other dogs in the neighborhood. Check out how other dogs of the same breed look around a similar age.

If you are not sure, check with your vet. If your dog is not developing muscle the way they should, your veterinarian will want to make sure they dont have an illness or parasite that is limiting the nutritional content they are absorbing.

Once they get the ok from the vet, there are a couple of ways you can help your puppy gradually gain muscle.

Recommended Reading: Puppy Food For Sensitive Skin

Natures Varietyinstinct Ultimate Protein Grain

Top 5 Ingredients: 1. Duck, 2. Chicken, 3. Chicken Eggs, 4. Tapioca, 5. Ground Flaxseed

If you have a picky eater who loves poultry but doesnt gain pounds easily, Instinct Ultimate Protein by Natures Variety is a godsend. This formula is made from cage-free duck and real chicken meat and contains around 47 percent protein and 17 percent fat, which is a very high protein-to-fat ratio.

This raw recipe promises to provide your pup with all the essential nutrients from premium ingredients. Aside from that, there are ingredients to aid in the absorption of those nutrients. This way, you know that your baby is getting the most out of every meal.

How To Help Increase Your Dogs Weight

After your veterinarian confirms your dogs low weight is not due to a medical problem, ask them how to safely help your dog gain weight. They may recommend adding more calories to their diet.

The best dog food to gain weight will be complete and balanced for their life stage, energy-dense, nutritionally balanced and include high levels of key nutrients, with plenty of calories and protein.

Also, look for a highly digestible dog food formula, which allows for easier absorption of nutrients. This can also help improve their overall health while supporting healthy weight gain.

Another way to help your dog gain weight may be giving them more opportunities to eat throughout the day. If you normally feed two large meals per day, try offering three or four smaller meals instead.

You can also try leaving the daily serving of dry food out all day, which allows your dog to eat whenever theyre hungry. This method works best with dogs with smaller appetites and in a single-dog household. Dogs who quickly gobble up their food could eat too much at once and experience digestive upset.

Recommended Reading: Buffalo Blue Puppy Food Review

The 10 Best Dog Foods For Weight Gain

When it comes to choosing the best dog food to gain weight, remember that quality and digestibility are of the utmost importance. Your dog needs more calories than hes currently getting, but his diet still needs to be nutritionally balanced, so look for whole-food ingredients including premium animal proteins, healthy fats, digestible carbohydrates, and essential nutrients.

Heres our top pick for the best dog food for weight gain:

Why Is Your Dog Losing Weight

Here are some possible reasons as to why your dog could be losing weight:

• Picky eater some dogs can have food preferences that need to be catered to, and they may even need some encouragement to eat.
• Life stage some breeds are naturally leaner than others, and as dogs age, they become less active and can start to eat less as their metabolism slows down.
• Insufficient diet they might lack the right amount of calories and nutrients from their diet to keep their body at an optimum weight.
• Health issues almost any underlying health issue and subsequent medication can impact a dogs eating habits.
• Pain they simply could find the act of eating painful, especially if they have a health issue relating to their mouth or digestion.
• Stress stress is very much a universal cause behind a potential decrease in appetite, and your dog could be experiencing it. This could be due to changes in their environment.

Its important to seek your vets advice if you think any of the above reasons could be causing your dogs loss of weight before assessing how to put the weight back on.

You May Like: Is Just Food For Dogs Grain Free

How To Tell If Your Puppy Is Underweight

Consider the body type typical for your puppys breed or breed type. Some breeds are naturally leaner. Some peoples perception of ideal dog body weight is off because theyre so used to seeing overweight dogs or theyre not familiar with a particular breeds normal body shape.

For instance, an Italian Greyhound or Whippet is never going to have the same look as a Pug. Its OK if you can see the outline of the pelvis of an Italian Greyhound, as long as they have at least a light layer of fat and muscle over the bones. If you can see individual ribs, for most dog breeds, thats a good sign that shes underweight. Try searching for the breed standard at akc.org and see if your pups body shape looks normal for his breed or breed type.

Puppies from a large litter often gain weight without any special intervention after theyre adopted. Thats because there is less competition for food from littermates. The quality of the diet may be better than what they got before adoption, too. As long as he has a good appetite, give your newly adopted pup at least a couple weeks to show that they can gain weight eating their normal puppy diet.

When Should You Worry

Your dogs weight can fluctuate throughout its life. From age to activity level, everything matters. I have seen dogs lose weight whenever there is a new partner to play with. I have also seen dogs lose weight in summer and gain a few pounds in winter. Weight loss is often caused by dehydration or fluid loss as well.

Losing less than 10% of normal body weight is usually nothing to worry about. But if the weight loss is rapid and your pet loses more than 10% of its normal body weight, it could be more serious.

Recommended Reading: Purina Pro Plan Puppy Canned Food

Homemade Food Can Make A Puppy Gain Weight

Lets face it, food prepared for humans is almost always more popular with dogs than stale, dry dog food! If youd like to feed your puppy an all-homemade diet, its very possible but not easy. You MUST make sure the food is complete and balanced for puppies. There is very little room for error with puppies!

Fortunately, these days its easy get a recipe that will ensure your pup is getting all the nutrients he needs to grow normally. Ask your vet to help you get a puppy-appropriate recipe from BalanceIT.com. You must add Balance IT supplement to the recipe to make it complete. Failure to feed a balanced diet to a puppy can lead to orthopedic, heart, skin and other very serious health problems, so take this very seriously!

How To Choose The Best Dog Food For Weight Gain

Dog food for weight increase has various characteristics that make it nutritious and enticing to your dog. Here’s an explanation of what makes a dog meal ideal for weight gain.

Dog Food Appetite

When food tastes delicious, your dog is more inclined to consume it. Wet foods are frequently more appealing than dry ones, as are diets heavy in protein and fat.

Homemade diets can assist stimulate weight growth and encourage your dog to eat, but if you select this option, check your veterinarian to verify your dog is getting the right nutritional balance.

Digestibility of Dog Food

The digestibility of a food relates to how much of it can be used by your dog’s body. Fillers and fibers are not absorbed by your dog and are simply excreted. Too many fillers in food mean your dog isn’t getting the most out of what they’re consuming. While this can be beneficial for dogs that need to reduce weight, it is not beneficial for those who require all of the additional nutrients they can receive.

Unfortunately, food digestibility cannot be evaluated just by reading the label. Because fiber is not digested, you should avoid meals high in fiber.

Examine your dog’s feces as another approach to determine this. Highly digested meals result in smaller amounts of firm, well-formed feces. If your dog’s feces are loose and frequent, he is most likely not properly digesting his meal.

Caloric Density of Dog Food

Dog Food Types for Weight Gain

How to Help a Dog Gain Weight

What Causes Dog Weight Loss?

You May Like: Dr. Paul’s Dog Food