BassetDude29

Hello. I have recently rescued a basset from a shelter and she was somewhat thin. I guess it was kind of bad on my part because I was feeding her Alpo , but was only giving her 1 cup a day. she's a year old and she is thin, so I don't know what to do to put some weight on her. Can someone please help me. I mean i can somewhat see her ribcage. The last week I have increased her food to 2 cups a day. How long will it be before I see a difference in her weight?? Also is it bad that I am feeding her Alpo?? Someone help please. Thank you

roscolaylamommy

It will take some time for her to put on weight. When we first got Layla she was thin and after a couple months she filled out nicely. We feed our dogs about a cup of food twice a day. Alpo isn't necessarily bad but there is better food out there. I always say to feed them what you can afford. No since inputting yourself in the poor house if your dog does well on a less expensive brand. If she eating it and not having issues with it (like runny stool, or breaking out in hives) I would say stick with it.

Also be sure to have her fully screen by a vet for worms and parasites. If she has an infection of them, it can keep her from gaining weight. Don't be in too much of a hurry for her to gain weight. You don't want her to become overweight as that can lead to other health problems.

Also thank you for rescuing this hound! If you have any other questions ask away. The people on this board are very helpful and friendly.

mhvonalmen8908

Good on you for rescuing your pup! She's pretty lucky and probably more than a little grateful you were willing to take her in.

We don't feed our dogs the most expensive food we can and they're doing great on it. They get fed Iams Naturals because it has what I'm looking for both nutrientwise and pricewise. It's not top of the line food but it's also not the cheapest brand out there. I say if your dog is doing fine on Alpo then continue to feed her Alpo.

As for how much to feed her, I would say look at the back of the bag to get an idea of how much the company thinks she should be fed for her weight and age and then tweak it for your particular dog. If your dog is more active then she'll probably need a little bit more. Or less if she's more of a couch potato. It all depends on your dog and her activity level.

Good luck with her and I'm sure she'll eventually put on weight and look all sleek and svelte.

P.S.-I would also take a poo sample to the vet and make sure she doesn't have a heavy load of parasites or worms. Good luck!

__________________
Megan & Chris
-Mom & Dad to Doppler (2 year old Basset/Redbone/Golden mix) and Virga (1 year old Basset)

Mikey T

rather than thin she is propably of ideal weight. The average dog in the us is overweight. This effects people perceptions of what a dog should look like. Most basset do not have a heavy undercoat , if such is the case under certain circumstanse you should be able to see the rib cage. Hell I/m over weight and you can se my rib cage just fine the ribs are the last place extra fat is depositied on most dogs.

see Corpulent Canines?
Studies have shown Most people even with body condtion charts and all the means to evaluate weight of a dog still do a very poor job of it underestimating the overweightness of their dog . So I highly recommend visting a vet and having the weight evaluated befor embarking on a fattening campaingn.


You mention the dog is a senior. Not so long ago it was believe senior need low protein diet to protect the kidneys. Studies have shown a low protein diet is not protective of healthy kidneys and even dog with renal failure do better with higher protein diets as well. New studies have show as the dog ages it does not process and utilize protein as efficiently Actual a Senior dog need more protein not less compared to a young adult. Look for a a high protein greater than 30% and moderate fat 10-15% diet They need this much portien inorder to maintain muscle mass. Much of what we see in older dogs is a loss of muscle mass not that the dog is too thin per say. just adding wieght ie fat is not the solution you need to add lean muscle and this does not happen quickly. When adding weight to a dog you want to do so slow this is acomplished by feed the dog what he would need to eat to meet his need and not gain weight at is ideal weight. so say you need to move a dog from 30 lb to 35 lb you feed the dog as if he weighed 35 lbs. you see this is only a small increase in food.

see Should we decrease the protein level in the diet of an ageing dog?

Mythology of Protein Restriction
for Dogs with Reduced Renal Function

Body Condition in Mature/Senior Dogs

SophieB

That doesn't sound very much food for a young thin Basset! Why don't you give her a cup of food at breakfast and another at teatime?

Basset Momma

Feed according to the bag recommendations as each foos is different- mine get about 3-4 cups per day split over 2 meals (mine weigh between 40 and 70 pounds)- store brand foods generally need a bit more as they are a lot of filler.

__________________
-Wendy
Mom to Samantha, Jake, Cuddy, Frodo, & Indy

Kirska

That is why the more expensive foods actually aren't that much more expensive, sometimes even cheaper. Anabelle weighs 60 pounds and only gets 1.75 to 2 cups a day of a better food. So consider that for every bag of food I buy you are buying 2.

Alpo is considered a 1 star food according to this site and I would agree with that: Dry Dog Food Reviews | Dog Food Advisor

We feed a 4 star food and I would bet we don't spend any noticeable difference. Harley at 40 lbs eats less than 1 1/2 cups a day.

Personal opinion, I think if you are feeding a low quality food you are doing your dogs a disservice to not at least try out a better food to see if it's affordable for you. You will see the difference in your dogs. Nowadays you can find some of the top brands like Wellness Core at the big stores like Petco and Petsmart.

__________________
Mom to Anabelle and Lila, rescued ladies and Harley, Corgi/Beagle/Basset/?? mutt

"Saving just one dog won't change the world, but it surely will change the world for that one dog." - Richard C. Call

LY909

My Porter is 4 years old at 53 pounds, and he gets 2 cups of food a day. He gets 1 cup in the morning and another around 6pm. I can see a bit of his ribs as well but I think he looks really good like that. It gives him a nice waist line, its more than what I can say for myself. hahahha