Wasting and obesity in dogs. True tips on how to fatten dogs Signs of dog exhaustion

Wasting in dogs (clinically significant weight loss, cachexia) can be caused by two reasons.

Causes of wasting in dogs

The number one cause of wasting in dogs is This is the presence of any disease that prevents the normal eating of food and the absorption of nutrients from it.

Most often, dogs rapidly lose weight due to various digestive disorders, as well as diseases associated with metabolism in the body (kidney disease, insufficient secretory activity of the pancreas, diabetes, proteinuria). Problems with weight loss are also guaranteed if there are anatomical or physiological problems with grasping and swallowing food.

In such cases, you cannot do without veterinary care. Only by establishing a diagnosis can you count on the dog being cured and restored.

Second reason for exhaustion

much more common, is associated with improper care of the dog and improper feeding.

Sometimes this happens due to the ignorance and inexperience of dog owners, but, unfortunately, much more often dogs become victims of cruelty. The so-called owners starve the dogs, leave them alone without any food, throw them out into the street, where to the family dog It is very difficult to find food for yourself.
Many emaciated dogs are kept in various places where it is difficult to see big amount animals.

If the dog’s condition is very serious, it will have to be given special supportive and nutritional medications in a veterinary clinic.

If a dog that you decide to adopt from a shelter or that has signs of exhaustion (not associated with any disease) but can eat on its own, you can feed it yourself, you just need to take into account some recommendations for feeding it.

How to feed a dog when exhausted

It is better to feed with natural food

It is better to feed a dog when it is exhausted - dry food may be too heavy for such a dog.

The best thing that can be offered to such a dog is a liquid porridge soup consisting of 50% lean boiled meat (beef, veal, chicken), 25% cereal (preferably rice, you can add a little oatmeal) and 25% from steamed or stewed vegetables(carrots, beets). This porridge needs to be slightly salted and a little vegetable oil added to it.

Not all dogs tolerate fermented milk products well, so they should be offered carefully, preferably separately from other food, so that in case of a problem, the product that provokes digestive upset or allergic reactions can be accurately excluded.

Cottage cheese and kefir should be low-fat (kefir - 1-1.5%, cottage cheese up to a maximum of 9% fat content). High fat content is too much stress for an emaciated dog.

When the dog gets better, you can try to switch the dog to ready-made food (or canned food), but only one that is intended for dogs with similar problems - a special dietary one or one designed for dogs with sensitive digestion. For example, such as Hills Prescription Diet Canine d/d (duck and rice) Royal Canin Gastro Intestinal Dog, Royal Canin Gastro Intestinal Low Fat Dog, Royal Canin Hypoalergenic Dog, Eukanuba Intestinal Formula for Dogs.

But keep in mind that such food belongs to the category, and therefore cannot be fed on an ongoing basis. Before switching to medicated food, be sure to consult with your veterinarian.

The dog should have clean and fresh water at all times.

Feed often, but in small portions

An emaciated dog will need to be fed frequently, much more often than a healthy dog ​​of the same age. For example, while a 2-year-old dog can be fed twice a day, an emaciated 2-year-old dog needs to be fed four times a day.

To do this, distribute the daily portion into 4-5 parts.

Never overfeed your dog, especially if it is severely malnourished.
If you are in doubt about the amount of food offered, take your dog to the veterinarian so that he can tell you the approximate amount of food offered.

Nothing greasy

An exhausted dog should absolutely not be overloaded with heavy, fatty food.
If for a dog in normal condition a donut with cream is simply junk food, then for an emaciated dog it is poison in its purest form.

Read the list and strictly adhere to it. Add any high-fat foods to this list.

When you notice the first signs of improvement (the dog’s ribs will begin to “overgrow”, the coat will become shiny, the dog will become more active), you will need to carry out a deworming. But this must be done very carefully, using the most gentle medications possible, and carefully monitoring the dog’s condition.

If you do everything correctly, by the end of the first month (maybe earlier, it all depends on the dog’s condition) you will notice a significant improvement.

It’s too early to relax - the dog’s body needs more time to fully recover, so you will have to continue to adhere to the diet for your pet.

Excessive thinness does not always indicate a disease: sometimes dogs that have been deprived of their owner’s attention for a long time suffer from low weight due to lack of nutrition. Let's figure out why such conditions can occur and what to feed your dog so that it gains weight without disrupting its metabolism.

Your pet's body weight directly reflects its overall health, which, in turn, is closely related to the physical activity it receives. Before increasing the intensity of your regular exercise routine, be sure to consult with an experienced veterinarian.

In some cases (the dog suffers from manifestations of arthritis, its metabolic process is disturbed, etc.) the animal loses weight, so it needs a gentle exercise regime.

If the pet is healthy, does not suffer from overweight or anorexia, and has a good appetite, it will behave actively and playfully, happily participating in all the exercises suggested by the owner.

Video “What to do if your dog is thin”

In this video, an expert will tell you what to look for if your dog is thin but eats well.

Causes of weight loss

As already mentioned, a dog does not always lose weight due to illness; sometimes various factors serve as reasons for weight loss.

After feeding

Exhaustion often occurs in puppy bitches that have fed enough a large number of puppies (about 10). In the process of bearing offspring, the dog’s body needs increased support with microelements and nutrients, and if the animal does not receive them with food, the bitch’s own resources are consumed. As a result, the dog loses a lot of weight and needs to adjust its diet.

In order for an animal to begin to gain weight, it must be fattened. First of all, you need to feed your dog meat food, generously adding vitamins to the diet. Meat products contain a large amount of amino acids that are not found in foods of plant origin, due to which weight gain begins.

– a nonspecific pathological condition of the body, consisting of an extreme degree of exhaustion, dehydration, loss of body weight, accompanied by a weakening of all physiological functions and processes in the body, is often the terminal stage of the development of serious diseases, is accompanied by many complications, and can lead to the death of the patient.

Etiology.
Cachexia develops in various animal diseases. It can be ">exogenous and ">endogenous.

Exogenous cachexia is associated with fasting, including forced fasting, due to the impossibility of mechanical food intake, disruption of the act of swallowing food (megaesophagus or “esophageal diverticulum”), and, as a result, insufficient intake of nutrients and vitamins into the animal’s body.

Endogenous cachexia develops against the background of various diseases. Most often it accompanies cancer, heart disease, endocrinopathies (">thyrotoxicosis), pituitary disorders, diabetes mellitus, pancreatitis, chronic renal or liver failure and associated metabolic disorders. The leading role in the development of cachexia is attributed to disorders of digestion and absorption of nutrients from intestines, including against the background of infectious viral diseases, infestations by protozoa and helminths, fermentopathy (and, as a consequence, also insufficient digestion of food). Chronic slow infections, such as immunodeficiency, leukemia, infectious peritonitis of cats, can be accompanied by the development of a cachectic state in these animals.
Cachexia can develop either against the background of a complete refusal to feed the animal for any reason, or, conversely, against the background of increased or normal appetite.

Symptoms And Pathogenesis.
Cachexia can increase gradually, or it can develop extremely abruptly. At first, an animal whose health is deteriorating may refuse its usual diet, show a capricious appetite, then refuse treats, and then completely stop eating. Often, appetite may suddenly disappear or, on the contrary, become increased. And this is a sign of illness in your pet! You should not try to force feed the animal, wait several days, or even weeks, to see a doctor for help. Sometimes two days are enough for dehydration and cachexia to develop, it all depends on the disease itself and the speed of its progression. The animal can drink water on its own! The pet may even have increased thirst, but dehydration and cachexia will increase, since the water-electrolyte balance of the body’s internal systems is already disturbed.

With cachexia, atrophy of muscle tissue often occurs; the animal can rapidly lose weight, weaken, and with progressive cachexia, refuse not only the usual movements, but also exercise and physiological functions, such as defecation and urination. The situation may be worsened by symptoms such as diarrhea or vomiting, which contribute to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. Such conditions without medical intervention and qualified assistance can result in a state of hypovolemic shock and coma, even the death of the animal!

Diagnostics.
Cachexia is not a specific symptom complex and can accompany many animal diseases, so a thorough and complete diagnosis is necessary. To find out the reason for the animal’s weight loss, it is necessary to conduct a full examination of it, starting with a physical examination by a veterinary specialist, ending with all additional necessary diagnostic methods: laboratory analysis of blood, urine, feces, tests for viral infections, visual diagnostics - x-ray and ultrasound. Sometimes it becomes necessary to resort to invasive surgical diagnostic methods, such as endoscopy (minimally invasive intervention technology) and diagnostic laparotomy. Very important role A detailed medical history provided by the animal's owner plays a role in examining the animal.

Treatment.
An animal with cachexia needs proper and comprehensive treatment! An intravenous drip infusion in an adequate volume, correctly calculated for the entire animal, is necessary to restore the water-electrolyte balance of the internal media of the body, as well as therapy aimed at treating the cause of cachexia.
If an animal requires planned surgical intervention in a state of severe cachexia, it must be stabilized before this procedure also with the help of intravenous infusions, complex etiological and symptomatic therapy.

Diet therapy plays a very important role in the treatment of cachexia. The animal needs to individually select food that is high-quality, easily digestible, and has the required energy value. The dosage regimen is also selected. If for some reason it is impossible for animals to feed themselves, it is possible to administer liquid specialized food through a nasogastric tube or use parenteral nutrition.

Treatment can be lengthy and complex. Signs of cachexia in an animal can be eliminated, but it may be impossible to eliminate the reason why it occurred (for example, chronic inflammatory processes, congenital pathologies). Then the animal is prescribed regular monitoring of blood, urine, feces tests, control visual examinations ("> x-ray and "> ultrasound), lifelong maintenance therapy and a specialized diet. The health of such a pet largely depends on the attention and patience of the owner.

In order to notice a pet’s illness in time, it requires attention and care. It is always important to remember that disease is easier to prevent than to treat, so scheduled regular examinations of your animal will greatly improve its quality of life and health.

Each situation has its own characteristics, so the article represents only the material that every dog ​​lover needs to become familiar with general concepts and principles of feeding a puppy and an adult dog, and good advice Only an experienced veterinarian can give advice on a specific breed and situation.

It would not be superfluous to leave your opinion on various foods in the comments to enable others to understand whether it is possible to make such a purchase or whether such a decision will not make sense at all.

How to fatten a dog if it doesn’t eat, refuses to eat, is exhausted, or hasn’t eaten anything for a long time

Anorexic dogs are very rare; in nature, these animals usually have a “wolfish” appetite. Prolonged refusal of food, up to exhaustion and cachexia, is a sign of a serious illness. Stuffing such an animal with various canine delicacies will most likely be a futile exercise. The dog needs to be examined urgently!

How to feed a dog so that it gets better, gains weight, becomes large, loses weight

For a dog, unlike a pig, excess weight is contraindicated. Whether a puppy will grow large depends not so much on the food eaten, but on genetically determined factors and characteristics of the breed. If the animal is fed like the above-mentioned pig, then it may develop problems with the heart and joints. The way out of this situation is to reduce the calorie content of the food and reduce the portion size. Accordingly, in order for the dog to gain weight, you need to give it increased portions of high-calorie food. In both cases, walking in the air and physical activity help distract from the pangs of hunger, as well as “work up” your appetite.

How to feed a dog in the morning before or after a walk, childbirth, during pregnancy, estrus

Inexperienced dog breeders are often interested in animal feeding issues. In particular, is it necessary to feed the dog before a morning walk, or is it better to give food after the walk? Experts with experience in this regard say that they feed their pets after a walk, and if it was associated with physical activity, then give the animal another 20-30 minutes so that it has time to catch its breath.

It is necessary to feed a pregnant dog the usual amount of food, reducing only foods rich in fiber and carbohydrates, and increasing the percentage of meat in its diet. After giving birth, on the contrary, it is not recommended to give meat to the bitch, at least during the first week. The best food for a dog during this period of life is milk porridge, kefir, cottage cheese and boiled fish.

Feeding a dog during heat usually proceeds as usual. If the bitch loses her appetite during this period, then this is not so scary and quite natural. You can compensate for this gap by adding foods rich in vitamins and minerals to your usual diet.

How to fatten a dog after exhaustion, illness, enteritis

It happens that after an illness the dog becomes too thin and exhausted. Specially developed dietary and medicinal foods help the animal recover - food during this period of the animal’s life should be light and low-fat. It is better to divide the daily portion that the dog ate before illness into 4-5 meals. You need to gradually and smoothly switch to the usual amount of food that the animal eats at one time. In any case, it is advisable to coordinate the dog’s “menu” with the veterinarian, since it completely depends on the diagnosis of the disease.

How to feed a dog if at work, living on the street, in winter

There is no need to worry about your dog being hungry while you are away from work. Veterinarians and dog handlers recommend feeding an adult dog no more than 2 times a day, which means that by feeding the animal before and after work, you can be calm and should not feel pangs of conscience. This rule also applies to dogs living on the street, with the difference that their winter menu should contain more fat and protein.

How to fatten a dog on natural food, dry food, dry food, natural food, calculate the amount

The required amount of food for an average adult dog on dry food is indicated on the food packaging. The volume of the daily diet during natural feeding should be at least 2% of the animal’s weight. To fatten a dog, it is necessary to increase the amount of food consumed by several percent above the norm and strictly adhere to the feeding regimen.

How to feed a collared dog living in a kennel once a day or a week at home

There will be no difficulties in feeding a dog wearing a collar if its size is chosen correctly. That is, there is no need to feed a dog wearing a collar - it will eat everything itself. A dog living on a leash in a kennel is fed in the same way as its untethered counterpart - twice a day.

How to feed your dog beef stomach, lung, tripe, heart, tail

Beef stomach, lung, tripe, heart and tail are nutritious and healthy foods for dogs. However, there are some subtleties here. So, for example, beef stomach when cut should have a white, gray or greenish tint. A red or pink cut indicates inflammation and such cut should not be fed to the dog. The least healthy meat product is considered to be light, the most beneficial properties have bull eggs, and one of the long-lasting delicacies for animals is the tail. All of the listed meat products, if you are confident in their quality, can and should be given to dogs raw.

How to feed a dog if it has diarrhea, allergies, gastritis, or no teeth

If a dog has diarrhea, then you need not so much to feed as to give the animal water and drink as much as possible. For a dog that refuses to drink, water is poured into the mouth by force, using a large syringe or syringe for this purpose. When feeding a dog suffering from allergies, dangerous foods should be completely removed from the animal's menu. A special diet is recommended for a dog with gastritis, and for a toothless pet the owner will have to grind his breakfasts and lunches into mush.

How to quickly fatten a dog before a show and quickly before the show

To quickly fatten a dog before a show, you need to make sure 1-2 weeks before the show that the dog eats all the food allotted to it. The daily volume of food, as is known, should be 2-3% of the animal’s weight. By increasing the portion beyond the prescribed percentage, you can achieve the opposite effect - the dog may become diarrhea, and therefore lose weight. Therefore, the volume of food is left the same, but its calorie content is slightly increased. Naturally fed animals can be given cottage cheese for this purpose, and those on dry food can be given more energy-intensive food from a familiar brand.

How to feed a dog with a diseased liver, pancreas, pancreatitis, kidney failure

Dogs with liver disease, pancreas, pancreatitis and kidney failure need a special diet. If it is not possible to clarify the animal’s diet with a veterinarian, then oatmeal, rice water, lean meat, chicken broth, boiled fish and vegetables will not harm, that’s for sure. For sick animals, it is advisable to break the entire volume of food in the daily diet into 4-6 meals.

Imperfect weight is a problem not only for owners, but also for their four-legged pets. Most often we are talking about excess body weight. However, there are times when, on the contrary, a worried owner is racking his brains over how to get a little one to eat an extra piece and build up some fat on the ribs.

Before starting a program to increase your pet’s body weight, ask yourself again how much such changes in the figure are necessary for him. The point from which the report must begin can be the breed standard. It clearly indicates not only the recommended weight and height at the withers, but also the condition - you will agree that a greyhound will be a normal option for an English bulldog - initial stage dystrophy.

The second thing to consider is physical activity animal. It is clear that an active dog will spend much more calories than a lazy dog ​​lounging on pillows. And muscles, for the most part, look much less voluminous than fat.

The third important aspect is the well-being of your four-legged friend. Pay attention to how the dog feels. Symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea followed by constipation and deterioration in well-being after a specific product should definitely alert you. Depending on this, a further strategy for combating thinness is chosen.

Diet

There are several ways to combat low weight pets. The first thing that changes should affect is the dog’s daily menu. The simplest and most obvious way to solve the problem is to increase your pet’s daily diet. The easiest way to do this is if the dog is eating. You simply increase the drying volume by 10-15% and monitor the dog for several weeks.

If you think that filling your belly to capacity with food is a bad idea, just change the dryer. In the line of any manufacturer you will find food with a high content of proteins and fats. Just remember to make the transition smooth so as not to upset your pet’s gastrointestinal tract.

For those who eat natural foods, increasing the nutritional value of their diet is even easier:

• First, remove completely unnecessary ballast from the animal’s diet - which only increases the volume of the stomach and is poorly absorbed by carnivores.
• Secondly, introduce high-calorie sea fish, meat and offal into your diet. For your own peace of mind, you can scald the product with boiling water or, if you are confident in its quality, serve it raw.
• Thirdly, introduce a sufficient amount of greens and vegetables into your diet. Of course, silage itself, as it is called, is unlikely to be able to round out the sides of your slender friend, but in combination with meat it significantly improves the digestibility of the latter.
• When feeding an animal with meat, be aware that this product is often of different quality. And the point here is not even in the degree of freshness, but in the nutritional value of this or that piece. The more veins, skin and chaff in the meat, the more product the dog should eat to be satisfied. Nobody encourages you to feed your pet pure tenderloin, but increase it by 15-20% daily norm, if the diet consists of flank meat or offal, it won’t hurt.
• Drastically increasing the volume of food is another common mistake that well-intentioned owners make. Don’t think that if you give your pet three daily doses of food today, it will instantly become smooth and beautiful. The only thing you will achieve is problems with the gastrointestinal tract and vomiting of undigested remnants of goodies.

Medical examinations

The reason for your four-legged friend's thinness or lack of appetite may lie in poor health. These can be either problems with the digestive system or various pathologies. internal organs. How should the owner behave in this case?

If the dog’s diet and health are not satisfactory, but the four-legged little one still refuses to eat, just try to outsmart him. Here are some ways you can stimulate your pet's appetite:

• Set a 15 minute rule. This is exactly how long it takes a dog to taste and eat everything in its bowl. If after a quarter of an hour the food remains untouched, simply put it in the refrigerator until the next feeding. Attention: do not offer your pet food that has been in the bowl more than 2 times. In the hot season, even such a short time is enough for pathogenic bacteria to appear in food.
• Increase your physical activity. Remember ancient folk wisdom? “He who works well eats well.” Provide the animal 2-3 times a day, and its appetite will change for the better. Attention: you can run and jump only before eating, lightly. Active games are strictly contraindicated with a full stomach.
• Arrange fasting days. Don’t be afraid that forced hunger strikes will make your slender four-legged friend even slimmer. A fasting day a couple of times a month will awaken in the dog the ancient instinct of fear of hunger. Knowing that there is a time when there is no food at all, the animal will be more enthusiastic about accumulating calories. Attention: Short-term hunger strikes should be carried out only after a thorough examination of the dog in the clinic. Such unloading is contraindicated for animals whose thinness is caused by gastrointestinal diseases.
• If your shaggy capricious one turns up his nose at any food, use a trick. Add a little grated boiled liver or a couple of tablespoons of canned baby meat to your main diet. This addition will give the dish a more appetizing smell and taste. Attention: Do not use fatty foods with a lot of flavoring additives as seasoning. Smoked sausages will certainly whet the animal's appetite, but the negative effect they have on the liver will significantly shorten the dog's life.

The owner's greatest wish is for his dog to be healthy and cheerful. If, despite all the tricks, your pet maintains a lean appearance, while remaining active and cheerful, allow him to eat as much as he wants. After all, wise nature knows better what thickness your dog’s waist should be.