# How to bulk up a picky eater?



## kiminboonton (Nov 22, 2011)

Hi there everyone!

I've been enjoying reading this blog any chance I get. It's been a great resource for my husband and I with the particulars of owning and raising a Vizsla for the first time. We have an 16 month old female named Tesla. She has been so much fun and really brought our dog training to the next level. She is doing great in every way except one thing we struggle with is her keeping her weight up. Yesterday I looked up pictures of her parents and they were very well muscled and large. Tesla however is petite and extremely lean. I know she is young and will fill out, but I recently saw a sibling of hers and he was pretty well built also. 

She currently weighs 42 lbs, but that’s after us really really working on bulking her up. Right now when I look at her you can see every rib, her hip bones and 3-4 vertebrae. In the spring she had some severe allergies which in turn lead to eye infections, weight loss and these terrible staph infections. Were pretty much convinced it was a combination of dietary wheat allergies and seasonal grass allergies, which lead to her body just fighting off infection after infection. To help her diet we tried Satin balls, but I think the ingredients in there that help with weight gain- cereal, wheat germ, etc also gave her allergies and she eventually refused to eat them! We did however turn to a partial raw food diet consisting of timed meals where we give her as much as she will consume in a feeding, this usually depends on how much she exercises since she really only seems to be interested in food after a good hike or run. We kept in the dry because the 100% raw made her lose way too much weight, but I have to say her infections cleared up and her coat looks incredible. Now we just need to bulk her up! 

This is what we feed her now- If she doesn’t eat it we pick it up and she has to wait until later (we hope this helps with her pickiness)

Morning- ½ - 3/4 lb Oma’s Pride beef or Chicken with organs mixed with sweet potatoes, supplement and salmon oil. 
Afternoon (usually after a 1-2 hr hike with my husband) – 1-2 cups of Blue Buffalo mixed with raw goats milk for extra fat and this gives her an incentive to eat it
Evening- same as morning
We also feed her chicken feet as a treat here and there, and some marrow bones, beef knuckles. 

I also take her to the dog park on weekends before her breakfast and we take her hiking on weekends as well. She also takes an agility class. Perhaps she is burning more calories than she is taking in? She has beautiful muscle tone in her legs, thighs and chest, but people comment all the time to us that were not feeding her enough and that she is too skinny. I also am basing the norm on your photos and dog weights offered in this forum. How do we get that nice muscle layer over her ribs, hips and back? Any non wheat specific fattening recipes you can share? 

Thanks all!
Kim Nolan


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

> She has beautiful muscle tone in her legs, thighs and chest, but people comment all the time to us that were not feeding her enough and that she is too skinny.


Can you post a picture that shows what she looks like? You should hear my sister-in-law about my male, Bailey. In her mind I must be starving the poor dog he is so skinny. 

http://redbirddog.blogspot.com/2011/02/taking-after-master-us-pets-obese-too.html

At 63 pounds and all muscle Bailey is anything but weak and frail.

Think of tri-athletes. 

The allergies reactions are beyond my knowledge. Satin Balls work for us but then again, ours have no wheat allergies.

My dogs alwasy love some cooked cow's liver cut into 1" squares. Just a suggestion. Our food mix for our dogs is cooked ground turkey meat, high-quality kibble and green beans. No corn products. Empty garbage calories.

At 16 months old she is still growning and won't see adulthood for another 6 to 8 months. Maybe she will grow into her frame yet.

Is she still an intact female?

RBD


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## kiminboonton (Nov 22, 2011)

Red Bird Dog, so glad for your feedback. I have your blog bookmarked and always enjoy your updates! I think it was your pictures that made me wonder why mine stopped filling out. I'll find a good picture and post it tomorrow morning, I'm on my work computer right now. She was spayed at 6 months old.


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## Mischa (Feb 17, 2010)

You could try switching to 2 meals instead of 3. Knowing that dinner is 12 hours away might entice her to finish her breakfast. 

I'd like to see a pic as well, but honestly, it sounds like you are giving her exactly what she needs. 
Vizsla's are suppose to be slender and muscular. 
Think about her skills of sprinting and turning on a dime through trees or around other dogs. They're built that way on purpose.


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## SteelCityDozer (Aug 25, 2011)

We learned the long and hard way that if they're not eating the kibble, even with mix ins, and even though it's high quality, they simply might not like it. We went thru puppy chow, natures instinct, blue buffalo and taste of the wild with doZer rarely finishing a meal. The shelter received many donations from us. Switched to wellness simple solutions for allergies and he drools everytime I open the container. No mix ins necessary and I can even treat him with it and he gets just as excited. 

Tip: if you contact dog food companies and ask for samples as a decision to buy, they'll probably mail them to you. Make sure your girl loves the sample then buy the small bag to test.


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## kiminboonton (Nov 22, 2011)

Here is a link to some pictures that show her frame. 

https://plus.google.com/photos/109523692406061590594/albums/5693586457550215745

Honestly, I think she just burns more than she reserves. That's why we feed her a 3rd meal after exercise, because she will gobble it up. 

As you can see she can definitely benefit from gaining some muscle over her rib cage and round out her hips and backbone. 

RBD- when I look at that picture you posted you can see that beautiful strip of muscle that lays over the ribs, I want!

If anyone has non corn/ wheat raw or meal options that are good for packing on the pounds let me know. Thanks!


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

Kiminboonton,

Your girl got down right skinny this summer when she was ill. She is thin but she is still growing. My guess is she will fill out when she gets older. We feed two meals a day. One in the morning and one at about 7:30 at night. They eat it all. The evening meal is an hour or more after we go on our walk/run.

She does not look unhealthy and quite athletic.

I changed over to Loyale Professional Dog Food Blend for Bailey because he was burning so many calories. Chloe is on a much more lean diet. Both dogs get their kibble mixed with cooked ground turkey and green beans and both have been healthy since a pup. Never a vet visit for either dog except normal shots.

A thin Vizsla might bother a few non-dog people. A fat Vizsla bothers all knowledgeable dog people.

Happy trails and trials,
RBD


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## kiminboonton (Nov 22, 2011)

Thanks for the input. I might just ask for a trial size of Loyale Professional dog food and see how she takes to it. I'll still take recipes, or raw suggestions as far as what meats, bones are the most fattening. 

Kim


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## kiminboonton (Nov 22, 2011)

RBD- is this the brand you suggested? Doesn't seem like it, based on your comments on corn. 

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/loyall-dog-food-dry/


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

> RBD- is this the brand you suggested? Doesn't seem like it, based on your comments on corn.


Hey, I didn't *really want to know * what was in it. 

Doing field trialing and talking to the professional dog men, out there while at the base camps at night, that is what they were feeding their competitive dogs. 

I had been feeding "Timberwolf" for the first 2 years and fought to keep on pounds. With this brand it seems to be working. His energy level is great and his coat is good and his eliminations are consistant. 

When he went into boot camp last year we switched over because he ate what the other field trial dogs ate on the road. We just carried that on. I for one am very happy with this product as a base kibble.

I don't put 92 octane in my car even though I could afford it. 88 octane for .20 cents less a gallon works just fine. Bailey is doing great on this mixture so we do what works for us. 

You'll find the right one for yours.

RBD

Quotes from the website from users replying to post:


> CAROL
> We have kenneled 8 champion cattle trial border collies, that on previous dog foods, had irregular loose stools, and i was daily hosing runs, we switched to LOYALL 12 months ago, and i rarely have to hose out a run anymore, other than weekly cleansing, there coatS shine, they seem healthy & full of energy, & there stool is consistant, for middle priced dog food i would recommend LOYALL over many other types of dry dog food.
> John R.Dean
> I have Loyall Premium Pet Food to my Weimaraners for 1 1/2 years with no bad effects just GREAT RESULTS !!
> ...


.


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## kiminboonton (Nov 22, 2011)

It had one of the higher carb levels, so makes sense that they keep the weight on with it. I'm going to keep looking for higher carb food, but something without the corn and wheat. 
Also, just a fyi, my pervious dog ate food store dog food for 18 years!


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## Mischa (Feb 17, 2010)

kiminboonton said:


> Here is a link to some pictures that show her frame.
> 
> https://plus.google.com/photos/109523692406061590594/albums/5693586457550215745
> 
> ...


ok, she is definitely very Riby! 
If she is eating all her food after her daily run, make that meal double what you're giving her.

Or you could try bacon... 

This site helps take some confusion away from choosing a food.
All of the 6-star foods are grain/corn free.
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

Our breeder suggested plain yogurt or cottage cheese. I know from experience with my mother's chihuahua that cottage cheese works really well and it doesn't give them gas or bad poo.

Also, we switched Riley to Taste of the Wild (grain-free) from her previous food (Organix) and she has bulked up quite a bit, plus her coat looks amazing. 8)


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