My eleven year old, toy poodle needs to gain weight. She has been to the

[patricia92243]

vet and her urine and blood work are fine. But she has lost a full pound. She has weighed 6 pounds all her adult life and now weighs 5.

She has always eaten dry dog food. I thought I would start giving her canned food, but then I thought maybe I would just cook her a portion of whatever meat we are having - with no salt, etc.

Does that sound like an ok thing to do or should I stick strictly to dog food?

Thanks for any help

[KC]

1. I would check

with your vet. You have to be so careful about what human food they can eat. I would think chicken breasts,no seasoning at all, maybe cooked in no salt chicken broth would be ok. Hamburger is much too fatty and I've read steak and similar are way too rich.
I started getting Wellness canned and dry. They have different ones /flavors and one is nothing but chicken. But they need to continue to eat some dry or they won't get the vitamins they need. They also have Simple which is good for sensitive stomach.
Anyway, that's what I've done.

[OnyxCollie]

2. Old-fashioned, steel-cut oatmeal. (Not instant oatmeal.)

Be sure to let it cool down before serving.

I mix in tuna fish or canned chicken, although you might want to avoid the sodium in the chicken.

My dogs are in the 50-60 pound range, so I mix in canned salmon or chub mackerel with all the gross guts and stuff.

I splash a little Almond Breeze almond milk on it, but you could use water, too. (I don't drink milk, so I'm not going to recommend it.)

It puts weight on quickly and my dogs love it.

[IrishAyes]

6. Would you believe...

Regular oatmeal is also good to bury in the dirt around your plants? Kibble is too, but I'm always afraid it will encourage my dogs to dig even more, and it's in their breed's genes to do that enough already. Also, every single really old but relatively healthy person I've ever known has eaten a lot of oatmeal. It's truly a miracle food. Probably one reason my Chows lived so much longer than average, too.

Just sayin'.

[Voice for Peace]

3. what is your own instinct? I bet you know what she needs.

[Kali]

4. what did your vet say?

you can cook (or mostly raw) for your dog but she will need more than just meat. Lots of info out there, I did use recipes from "Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats" at one time, too lazy now so I buy the best I can afford for the cats (Wellness) and usually Iams for the dogs.

[IrishAyes]

5. Cooking for her is fine, BUT...

You want to study any of the fine recipes online first. Just plain meat is not enough. She needs a more balanced diet.

It would be okay to mix a little premium canned food with her kibble just to encourage her appetite, though. Is she getting enough exercise these days? Otherwise that might figure into the reason she's lost weight, lethargy, because her appetite is off.

I'm sure you'll figure it out.

[Mr.Bill]

7. My daughter had a miniature poodle that lived to be 20.

In her later years, she was not eating well and losing weight. They started feeding her eggs and she gained a little weight and did well for a few years more.

[douglas9]

8. B-12 injections

Inexpensive monthly b12 injections have greatly improved the appetite and quality of life of my elderly pooch.

http://seekyt.com/top-ten-benefits-of-vitamin-b12-shots-for-dogs/

[OnyxCollie]

9. This is an average meal for my dogs.

Mashed potatoes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts (love 'em), carrots, chub mackerel, cottage cheese, and a dollop of peanut butter.

Mmm, mmm. That's good eatin' (Well, when I make it with canned chicken it is. The fish is pretty gross. The dogs enjoy it though.) Pumpkin is good to add, too.
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I'll alternate between that and two frozen, raw chicken backs.

For breakfast lately they've been getting a hard-boiled egg, and boy do they love their egg.

[sinkingfeeling]

10. Older dogs tend to lose muscle mass and weight. My Samoyed went from 76 pounds

at age 10 to 48 by age 13.

[Curmudgeoness]

11. I would stick with dog food.

I would also ask my vet what is suggested to put some weight on my dog. Did the vet have issues with the weight loss, or is it just you who is concerned? Does your dog just eat less, even if there is food available? You probably can find a dog food with more calories. And it may be a good idea to try canned food, because it is possible that your elderly dog has lost teeth or has tooth pain that keeps it from wanting to eat more.....worth a try before you get into making your own foods.

At least that is my thought.