Too skinny? Another weight and diet question...

[T Doll]

A little while back, I posted a thread about how much (raw) food I should be feeding my little furbaby and was assured that even though the amounts looked small, it was still an adequate amount. For reference, my baby is 3lbs and he gets 2 Nature's Variety medallions a day (one in the morning and one in the evening). According to his weight and activity level, NV suggests a serving of 1.7oz daily, but he gets a full 2oz. He gets various treats throughout the day (Yorkie Yummies, Yogurt Drops, Buddy Buscuits to name a few) and he chews on bully sticks regularly.

What's frustrating for me is, everyone seems to think that I'm depriving him of food and are always encouraging me to feed him more. My uncle was visiting the other day and told me that Mocha is too skinny and that I need to feed him more. He also told me to feed him milk (I forget which percentage he suggested). Does anyone here feed their furbabies regular milk (from the grocery store)? With all the hormones in milk and the debate of whether it's even good for humans, makes me a little wary

I do admit that he does look rather skinny, but I wouldn't want to over-feed him either. He has a really small frame/structure and thin/tiny bones, so I'm worried that if he gained too much weight, his body/bones wouldn't be able to support it. I've read on here about somebody's baby who had one of her ribs burst because her tiny body couldn't support the extra weight she had gained

I'm not really sure what I should do. I don't want to stray too far from the recommended feeding guidelines (they must've been made for a reason, right?), but I also don't want him to be/look so skinny either. It also doesn't help that he has thin, silky hair which makes him look even thinner as opposed to a thicker, fluffier coat.

I don't really want to increase his feeding to 3 medallions a day, as I think it might be a little too much for him. Is there something else that I can feed him throughout the day to plump him up a little without going overboard?

[BonBon]

I wish I could help you with your questions. I'm sure one of these knowledgable members will be able to answer. Good luck!

[Wylie's Mom]

All recommended feeding guidelines are just that: guidelines for the average dog. An "average" means there are always those who are outside the average (on both sides). All types of feeding should be done as "feeding to condition" - in other words, start with the guidelines for whichever food you're feeding - then adjust according to how your dog's body feels to you. If your dog feels too bony and you're feeding NV, then I'd probably feed an add'l 1/4 medallion at each meal and wait 2-3 weeks, and adjust from there.

Personally, I wouldn't feed milk if a dog was a bit skinny - I'd feed it food.

[kalina82]

how old is mocha?

[Wylie's Mom]

More options: feed 1/2 medallion in the middle of the day. Or, free feed a certain amount of kibble per day (leave it out, let him eat what he needs/wants and see if that helps.

[T Doll]

Originally Posted by kalina82

how old is mocha?

He'll be 2 years old in July....jeez, where has the time gone?

[kalina82]

Originally Posted by T Doll

He'll be 2 years old in July....jeez, where has the time gone?

wow 2 years already?

Is he really active? If so he might need more food. The NV chart on the site is just a guideline. If you think he's too skinny you can up his food by 1/2 a medallion to see if he puts on some nice weight.

I was feeding NV raw for a while too and morgan was still skinny. Some yorkies are just naturally skinny sticks. She eats like a pig and then begs for people food whenever she sees someone else eating. i don't know where she puts it honestly.

Just recently tho, i took her to the vet for something and she weighed 4lbs 15oz. this is a first. She just turned 3 years old on 4/15. She was holding steady at 4.5lbs for a year and a half so her metabolism might be changing.

[T Doll]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

All recommended feeding guidelines are just that: guidelines for the average dog. An "average" means there are always those who are outside the average (on both sides). All types of feeding should be done as "feeding to condition" - in other words, start with the guidelines for whichever food you're feeding - then adjust according to how your dog's body feels to you. If your dog feels too bony and you're feeding NV, then I'd probably feed an add'l 1/4 medallion at each meal and wait 2-3 weeks, and adjust from there.

Personally, I wouldn't feed milk if a dog was a bit skinny - I'd feed it food.

After my other thread, I started feeding him an extra 1/2 medallion a day. But everytime I see the feeding guideline on the NV bag, I always get worried that I'll end up over-feeding him. So that stopped about after 5-7 days and I went back to feeding him 2 medallions a day. I guess I'll just have to get over the fact that the guideline just doesn't apply to my furbaby lol.

About the milk though, is it beneficial at all to feed it? Not just to plump up a skinny dog, but for overall health/nutrition wise?

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

More options: feed 1/2 medallion in the middle of the day. Or, free feed a certain amount of kibble per day (leave it out, let him eat what he needs/wants and see if that helps.

I was actually thinking about this, but I was worried it might upset his tummy? I've read that you should transition them into different types of foods and that you can't switch from kibble to raw immediately, so I don't really understand how it's ok to feed them both at once?

[kalina82]

dogs are lactose intolerant so i don't see how milk would help at all. it would probably just make him sick especially since he's not used to getting it. the only dairy products my yorkie gets is yogurt and cheese and only in small amounts. she's been getting it her whole live so it doesn't bother her.

If your worried about adding the extra bit of medallion you can try getting dry food to leave out. You can try Wellness Core, NV instinct, or innova evo if you want to give high protein kibble to supplement the raw.

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by T Doll

After my other thread, I started feeding him an extra 1/2 medallion a day. But everytime I see the feeding guideline on the NV bag, I always get worried that I'll end up over-feeding him. So that stopped about after 5-7 days and I went back to feeding him 2 medallions a day. I guess I'll just have to get over the fact that the guideline just doesn't apply to my furbaby lol.

About the milk though, is it beneficial at all to feed it? Not just to plump up a skinny dog, but for overall health/nutrition wise?

I was actually thinking about this, but I was worried it might upset his tummy? I've read that you should transition them into different types of foods and that you can't switch from kibble to raw immediately, so I don't really understand how it's ok to feed them both at once?

I feed both of my boys a little more than what's on the guidelines - bc they're active, and their bodies were telling me they needed it (from "feel"). Guidelines are really just an average. I mean, not all humans who are 5'4" should eat the same amount of calories bc everyone's body is slightly different - and it's the same for dogs, they are all different.

I don't feed milk at all, but it's not "bad", per se - although some dogs may be allergic to it. And I do agree about all the potential hormones in it etc., so I just don't use it for them. I think cow's milk is mostly meant for calves.

A lot people free feed kibble and then feed raw for meals - and it's just fine. The tummy doesn't know if food is raw or not, so that part doesn't matter - the tummy only knows if it's a fat, carb, protein, or toxin. You may want to pick a grain-free kibble though since he's not eating much grain at present, if you go that route.

[T Doll]

Originally Posted by kalina82

wow 2 years already?

Is he really active? If so he might need more food. The NV chart on the site is just a guideline. If you think he's too skinny you can up his food by 1/2 a medallion to see if he puts on some nice weight.

I was feeding NV raw for a while too and morgan was still skinny. Some yorkies are just naturally skinny sticks. She eats like a pig and then begs for people food whenever she sees someone else eating. i don't know where she puts it honestly.

Just recently tho, i took her to the vet for something and she weighed 4lbs 15oz. this is a first. She just turned 3 years old on 4/15. She was holding steady at 4.5lbs for a year and a half so her metabolism might be changing.

He's not really active. Which is another reason I wouldn't want to end up over-feeding him...he wouldn't be able to burn it all off. He walks (or runs) around the house, but most of the time he's a lazy little runt and prefers to sleep I should really take him out for walks, but I'm such a worry wart . One time when he was out for a walk, he poked his face into a stick/branch on the ground and let out a big yelp. Then there was this other time when I thought he was going to get stung by a bee I also worry about him stepping on something in the grass that might hurt him. I know I'm being overprotective, but he's so tiny that every little thing worries me to death

[bellita07]

i have a 4 pound 8 month old and have her on eagle pack. i leave the food out because shes home alone most of the day so i feel like im gonna starve her. i feel her also boney and she looks really skinny. she eats pretty normal but still n yet i feel her little ribs when i hold her. any suggestions??

[suda]

My George is 3.75lb at nearly six months old, he has only just started putting on weigth as I have finally found food he likes, so in the morning and evening he has raw and kibble to browse on all day, but lately he hasn't been eating his raw in the morning so I might stop it, I did give him some milk and rice but the milk disagrees with him so not more of milk either. Another question though what time does your furbabies get up in the morning, George doesn't really wake up till nearly 10am do your furbabies sleep this much.

[bellita07]

my baby sleeps almost all day, i leave at 8 so she wakes up with me but then i dont come back untill 6 and im pretty sure she sleeps throughout the whole day when im not here,,, ive been taking her to the dog park pretty much everyday to get some energy into her and she plays for like an hour and comnes right back to sleep but even when i dont take her she just sleeps all dayy!!! that worries me

[mscat]

What my understanding is with milk is that dogs are not able to digest it. I would not give it to your baby.
I would though, start free freeding a high protein, grain free, kibble to your little one. I am not familar with the raw diet feedings. However, since you are working most of the day, make certain your dog has free access to the food and water. Kibble is safe to be left out, with no problems. Find one that he really loves to eat.
I am thinking others on YT can give you more advice about the Raw diet feedings when your home, and you can still feed him that too w/o any problems. I went through the same thing with Suzi. I did not know that she was too thin , with all her hair > However i had her clipped, then I saw that she was thin, and felt terrible. She had energy though and never behaved differently. I did not like how she looked though, not the cut, just that she was thin!
This is when I began feeding her more canned food, and it has the high protein that she needed. Since than she looks so much better and beautiful, and stronger too! Anther thing to keep in mind, is that if your Dog was to become ill, it will be a lot safer for him to have the extra protein and heavier muscle to fight off illness then if he were a thinner, weaker dog. This is also true for humans.