I’ve just re-homed a 10mth old French Bulldog. Only weighs just about 8Kg. Done the essential vet trip who said she could do with fattening up a bit as we can see her ribs. The previous owner has given me a box of Bakers (I know AWFUL STUFF) and buthers meat loaf. She trumps like mad so I’ve stopped the wet meat which is working…I had a cocker many years ago but little experience with this breed. Can someone with experience please advise which dry/complete food to try her on for weight gain. I have a big Pets at Home store near me and tried to visit but soon get baffled at the massive choice…I liked the look of Wainwrights grain free Adult Complete which I see has 4.4/5 on the Dog Food Directory
Kind Regards S Jefferson
Hello and welcome to the forum,
There are so many variables and each dog is different. Most have us have just settled on a food that suits through trial and error. My dog was a little underweight when we got her but I just fed her the recommended daily amounts and she stabilised at a healthy weight in time.
There is so much choice and if you want any information about a particular food, hopefully some members may have had some experiences to share. Also there are lots of threads about various foods to browse through. It is fairly easy to order online which gives you more options than what is available at PAH.
You can also look at this thread to see how to search for a suitable food in the dog food directory. It should give you some ideas. I hope this helps. Good Luck.
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Hi, welcome to the forum.
I agree with Tinyplanets, there’s no universal fix for diet, the best you can do is getting a high quality food and adjust the feeding amounts to let him gain weight, before getting to the point of loose stools. Much will depend on the energy levels of the dog and how well he can cope with high protein or grain free products but again, the only way to know that is trial and error.
Best recommendation is: don’t buy large bags of food for the moment as you’ll be likely to switch a few brands before finding the right one.
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Hi Stef 73,
Other post content which indicates that health beyond diet should be considered is correct. An underweight issue could be attributable to a number of factors. I would also comment that plenty of dogs maintain weight on what you have been feeding.
Whilst other factors need to be kept in mind I would personally switch to a different kibble. You correctly indicate that there is a relatively wide choice of dried Kibble at Pets at Home. If you go to their website you can and select dog foods and specifically dry dog foods. You can then do product searches on here using the directory.
The Wainwrights grain free looks o.k. on paper, (apologies for the Love Island reference), & I know others have fed it without any issues. Different protein sources can suit some dogs better than others… a quick check on PAH website shows 6 different types of grain free Wainwrights dried kibble…basically turkey lamb and salmon are all quite different. I would probably go for salmon or fish as may cause less gas output issues on brand change. I prior considered feeding this to my Lab. Plenty of other foods that they sell that rate similarly or better on here. If you want to keep it simple then buy a smaller bag and trial it for a few days. If I was looking at other dried dog foods they sell I might consider fishmongers (a PAH brand) or Fish4dogs to name but 2.
Cost is not always an indication of quality, however, it is fair to say that you cheapest prices often relate to foods of relatively inferior composition quality. Do be careful, however, as there are some big name foods at premium prices in attractive packaging that many of us would not feed.
Essentially you have come to the right place but please do your homework.
There is info on here re introducing a change in kibble…essentially you should ideally phase any new kibble in gradually. Bear in mind with better quality products you often feed a little less in the bowl per feed/day. As with any dried food ensure it is served in plenty of water…if feeding a small faced brachycephalic dog that has issues with immersed kibble then you will want to make sure dog takes in enough water via the water bowl, (from where dog is less likely to rush/gulp and inhale liquid).
Keep an eye on dog, look for obvious signs such as apparent discomfort & keep an eye on output. Expect some loose back end moments with your dog in early days of change and perhaps ease back feed amount if it continues…adjusting as you go based on output and body condition. We have a Pug here & I like to feel rearmost ribs without any difficulty…perhaps seeing a faint outline at certain movement angles…Pug here can walk for hours & has muscle tone…I appreciate condition varies based on diet, feed amount, exercise & age etc.
Good Luck & please keep us updated.
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Stef 73
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Response or update when able please.
I agree with Tinyplanets too!
