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High-calorie kibble recommendations?


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We adopted 'Mario', a darling little (20kg) Saluki mix from Qatar a month ago. 

He is nearly 9 years old and a recent front-leg amputee ...and the sweetest little hound ever  :)

Mario is also very very thin and but not a big eater.   We're trying to feed him 3 meals a day and he has gained a little, but I'd like some suggestions on high calorie kibbles for him.   I have not asked the Vet for any suggestions yet.  

We feed Kirkland Lamb & Rice, which he's not totally thrilled with.  If I add in a mashed up Cesars pate, he gobbles it up.

Sid & Kibo get a raw mix once a day, but Mario wasn't thrilled about that either. Sigh.

I bought some small breed Beneful and he seems to prefer the smaller sized pieces.

Would a puppy food have smaller pieces and be higher in calories?  

Or should we just stick to adding the Cesars Pates?

 

 

 

Nancy...Mom to Sid (Peteles Tiger), Kibo (112 Carlota Galgos) and Joshi.  Missing Casey, Gomer, Mona, Penelope, BillieJean, Bandit, Nixon (Starz Sammie),  Ruby (Watch Me Dash) Nigel (Nigel), and especially little Mario, waiting at the Bridge.

 

 

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Yes, puppy food will generally be higher calorie and smaller pieces.  As long as it's not a large breed puppy food.  Make sure it's a balanced food with protein and carbs.

I would caution adding a lot of weight really quickly, especially since he's a front leg amp.  Sighthounds carry most of their weight in their front half, and having only one leg to move that weight around is problematic.  Plus, he's part Saluki, and they are naturally even skinnier/thinner than greyhounds.  So be certain this is what he needs.  Better by far to be *little* on the light side than be too heavy.  You and your vet know best though!

Adding a carb may help put on the pounds faster - cooked sweet potatoes, oatmeal, overcooked pasta, even bread soaked in broth might appeal to him.  If you find a kibble he will consistently eat, adding that in might make it more appetizing.

You might also think about switching to one of the other Kirkland flavors, as lamb can be problematic for many dogs.  I know Sid and Kibo are doing well on it.  It depends on how you feel about all of them being on the same food.

Chris - Mom to: Felicity (DeLand), and Andi (Braska Pandora)

52592535884_69debcd9b4.jpgsiggy by Chris Harper, on Flickr

Angels: Libby (Everlast), Dorie (Dog Gone Holly), Dude (TNJ VooDoo), Copper (Kid's Copper), Cash (GSI Payncash), Toni (LPH Cry Baby), Whiskey (KT's Phys Ed), Atom, Lilly

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When she was still eating kibble, Su always preferred the small sized varieties. Iams Puppy Small Breed is pretty high calorie, 453 kcal/cup. I'm not a big fan of the ingredient list but as one part of the diet or a temporary diet, it might work. Iams also has a couple adult "Minichunks" varieties, the small breed has that highest kcal. Am mentioning Iams only because it was more interesting to Su than most others and she did well on it for the remaining months of when she would still eat kibble. At the end she only ate kibble mixed with canned or homemade food. Actually, I took to grinding the kibble to a coarse meal and later a powder that was mixed into other food.

For my other Greys, Victor Classic High Energy (with 412 kcal/cup) worked the best overall for palatability, GI health, keeping weight on and being affordable. Of course, that is only "the best overall" of the brands/varieties I tried so not comprehensive by any means.

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don't hit your head against the wall- salukis are really lousy eaters. i had salukis for 18 years.

purina pro plan sport 30/20(30 protein/20 fat) is ridiculously fattening and a very good food. the beef is 507 calories a cup, chicken 484 calories per cup, salmon is a whopping 527 calories per cup. of course chewy sells it and you can purchase 50 lb bags.

for a saluki- feed 2x daily, maximum. put it down, wait 10 min. max and pick it up. generally saluki breeders feed once a day- late in the day so they are hungry. i never added anything to their kibble since they sucked the juice off the kibble and spit it out- yup, that's a saluki in a nut shell. traditionally they are very thin, not as thin as an azawark, but thin.

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Thanks everyone!   I'm in Ontario...No 'Chewy' here.

My Vet warned me that Salukis were finicky (she may have said 'Neurotic' ;) )  and thinner than Greys.   

We have no idea what he is mixed with.  The rescue kennel in Qatar seems to say 'Saluki Mix' on every dog they have, but who actually knows?!   His coat is definitely not Saluki.  He's more like a long'n'lean, long-legged Shiba Inu.  

That said, he is very, very thin.  Every rib and vertebrate was very prominent, along with hip bones.   I have never seen such a skinny dog.  Ever.    He has gained some, but still needs more. 

I do know he should not gain weight too quickly.   Believe me... that isn't going to happen with his eating habits   :lol  

We are early risers here....  Sid, Kibo and ponies gobble their breakfast shortly after 6 and I'm usually done my :coffee  and cereal before 7.   Mario turns his nose up at anything offered earlier than 7:30.   And he likes that served with a Cesars pate mashed into it, please & thank you.    He'll up a mix of Kirkland/Beneful for lunch and again at supper, but clearly prefers the Beneful.    Perhaps it's the Lamb?   I haven't tried adding pasta or rice.   

And yes... if he doesn't want it with 5 minutes, then it gets picked up. 

I forgot that Iams also comes in a small pieces.

I've located the Purina ProPlan Sport at a couple of local stores.  

 

Nancy...Mom to Sid (Peteles Tiger), Kibo (112 Carlota Galgos) and Joshi.  Missing Casey, Gomer, Mona, Penelope, BillieJean, Bandit, Nixon (Starz Sammie),  Ruby (Watch Me Dash) Nigel (Nigel), and especially little Mario, waiting at the Bridge.

 

 

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If you are in Ontario you are in the perfect place! In the U.S. many of us that need the type of food you describe import it down here from Canada!  It is very good food, high calorie, and dogs love it. It is safe as it is NOT one of the grain free varieties that have been linked to heart trouble. And it is very reasonably priced.  It is used mostly by professional canine owners and trainers that have hard working dogs that need the best in nutrition and energy and maintaining weight etc. Check it out-here is the link: https://www.inukshukpro.com/

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He got a clean bill of health from your vet, right? Do they have any different parasites in the Middle East that we don't normally test for? Wiki was very skinny when I got her and I couldn't get any weight to stick on her until she started to get rid of the hookworms.

You know I love ProPlan Bright Mind. The small breed version has 487 kcal/cup and teeny tiny pieces. I don't know if you can find that up there though. I think Fromm is available in Canada and they have lots and lots of flavors, most with very small pieces and high calorie counts

Lots of treats are good for adding weight too. ;)

Lila Football
Jerilyn, missing Lila (Good Looking), new Mistress to Wiki (PJ Wicked).
 
 

 

 

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Yes...Mario had his checkup with the Vet last week and he's fine. 

I was also concerned about Middle East parasites and had a fecal done when he arrived and that was also fine.  The rescue kennel in Qatar has had him on regular deworming schedule, along with Bravecto.

Thanks for the link @racindog   I'll look into that!

Fromm is carried by a reputable pet store chain up here but I am leaning towards the ProPlan shredded salmon food.   Sounds quite delicious.  Heck---if Mario doesn't like it maybe Pap and I can eat it    ;)

 

Nancy...Mom to Sid (Peteles Tiger), Kibo (112 Carlota Galgos) and Joshi.  Missing Casey, Gomer, Mona, Penelope, BillieJean, Bandit, Nixon (Starz Sammie),  Ruby (Watch Me Dash) Nigel (Nigel), and especially little Mario, waiting at the Bridge.

 

 

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