Getting Foster To Eat

[Guest Amberm5151]

I have a new foster that is 93lbs abd I know he should be eating more to maintain weight. I offer 6 cops to him to start and he will only eat about 4 I offer more at night and no interest in it. What can I do to get him to eat more ad he is losing weight.

[Guest Swifthounds]

93#? What dis he race at? Even for a large greyhound, 6 cups of food per day is a lot. That's a lot of volume for the stomach to hold.

[Guest Amberm5151]

He retired at 93 too big for box. He is only 3, I also have a 6 month old puppy eating 5 cups a day. I have had smaller fosters eatting 6 cups. The vet said he should be getting from 6-8 a day to maintan weight. My concern is he is losing, were talking in a week 10lbs. He was only 83 at the vet today. This worrys me.....

[MaryJane]

One of my greyhounds was over 100 lbs and he was getting a bit over 4 cups a day when he was fed kibble - so 6 cups may be too much if you are also giving treats. Also, you don't want to give that much at one feeding - break it up over two or three feedings a day.

 

If you want to get some extra weight on him, try a slice of toast with either a bit of peanut butter or regular butter. I have used this countless times to put some weight of fosters.

[GeorgeofNE]

What are you feeding him?

 

Even at four cups a day he should not be LOSING weight unless it's a very low calorie food.

[Sambuca]

I have an 86# hound who eats 6 cups a day to maintain his weight because his metabolism is insanely high. Most hounds, even really big ones, don't need 6-8 cups of food a day. I'm a dog walker and I don't know of any 100# dogs I walk that eat more than 4 or 5 cups of food a day. Has he been checked for worms and thyroid issues? Has he had a full checkup with blood work?

[Walliered]

In my humble opinion try feeding him a premium dog food (if that is not a $$ problem). Also, try mixing about 1/3 can of premium food with the kibble..TOTW kibble is good and Dick Van Patten's Venison and Sweet Potato or Bison and Sweet Potato would be good choices. My hounds would eat dirt if I put the canned food in it!

[Guest Amberm5151]

He is a foster they provide food and it is strongpoint chicken. I have some organic treats he gets. He turns down all people food we have offered. Was in for his dental today and was clear of anything.

[Guest krystolla]

It seems counter intuitive but you might try more exercise. He might need to work up an appetite.

 

What did the vet say about the weight loss?

[Guest manawatugal]

Bloody hell that's huge. Are you sure the dog isn't obese? that's a terrible weight for a greyhound isn't it or am I just an ignoramous. My friend has a biggish retired greyhound at 39kg/85lbs and he is overweight, can't see any ribs on him at all poor thing.

[Guest Amberm5151]

Nope not overweight we had another one this size before. Just comes from breeding, he is just large frame and very tall! Sleeps a lot so I can so see hin not haveing a large appitite. Vet said nothing causr it was his first trip in since he was pulled from track 4/23.

[Guest sheila]

I would try some mix ins

Jack Mackerel (by the tuna in the grocery store) , sardines, wet food, yogurt, parmesan cheese to name a few. Anything that you can mix in really well so the dog can't just pick it out.

[JJNg]

IMO, healthy dogs don't lose weight just by being picky eaters. There's probably something else going on, and I would second the recommendation to check him for worms, or even just deworm him with Panacur just in case. With a dog just off the track, another common reason for a lack of appetite is simply stress and adjustment. If this is the case, just give him a chance to settle in and his appetite should pick up, and he'll gain the weight back.

 

As I've mentioned in other thread, I really don't believe in adding in a lot of extras to tempt healthy dogs to eat. This just makes them even pickier, and it gets harder and harder to get them to eat. In a dog who is already a little stressed (and this may not be obvious just looking at the dog), making a big deal over their meals and worrying about it each time food is presented will also make things worse because dogs are so sensitive to our moods. Not saying this is the case with your boy, but just something to keep in mind.

 

I agree that 6 cups is too much food all at once. I would only feed 2-3 cups per meal, and feed 2-3 times a day depending on how much your dog needs. Any food that isn't eaten right away should be picked up and not offered again until the next mealtime.

 

Another thing to keep in mind is that dogs will lose muscle mass once they are off the track and no longer in training. My male grey was very muscular when he retired and raced at 72 lbs. He's now in good body condition but has lost a lot of the muscle, and only weighs 65 lbs. It's probably too soon for this to explain your foster's weight loss in 5-6 days, though.

 

I do have to wonder about 10 lbs loss in less than a week. Even a dog that wasn't eating at all shouldn't lose that much in a few days. When's the last time he weighed in at 93 lbs? Are you sure the 83 lbs was accurate? How is is body condition - are you seeing ribs, hips, spine? That amount of weight loss in such a short time, in a dog that is eating daily, even if not what you'd consider a normal amount, is a concern that something else is going on.

 

Bloody hell that's huge. Are you sure the dog isn't obese? that's a terrible weight for a greyhound isn't it

Some greys over here really are that big. Here's a photo of my 57-lb girl (in front) standing next to a friend's newly adopted boy who raced at 91 lbs (the white and red). The other brindle dog is an oops puppy who is about 14 mo old and not neutered yet, but almost as tall.

 

[Guest BrianRke]

Bloody hell that's huge. Are you sure the dog isn't obese? that's a terrible weight for a greyhound isn't it or am I just an ignoramous. My friend has a biggish retired greyhound at 39kg/85lbs and he is overweight, can't see any ribs on him at all poor thing.

We have a boy in our kennel who raced at 104