How do i get him fat?

[radke22]

I have a 2 year old setter who runs too much. He worked beautifully this weekend but his ribs and hips are poking so far out they hang up in thick cover. he's 45-50lbs and i want him 55-60. if he wasn't mine i'd call the humane sociotey. He eats 3-5 cups high protein high fat food a day, but still bones. I need some fattining suggestions. Thanks

[setterguy]

There is some stuff from National dog food that is called energy boost, it is basically a calorie powder for dogs. I had the same problem with a dog a few years ago and someone turned me on to this stuff, put 8 pounds on my dog in three weeks! Now when I go out I put a little in the water I give to the dogs and they burn that instead of burning thier own fat reserves. Also there is nothing wrong with going to the butcher and ask for the trimmings. I do this during hunting season just to give them some additional protien. Good luck with the dog, by the way what kind of setter do you have, is it a Ryman or Hemlock dog?

[irvingdog]

If the dog is energetic, has a good appetite and is healthy, there is no such thing as too thin. It looks awful when measured against the modern asthetic of how a dog is supposed to look. For every 1 "to thin" dog are 100 overweight to obese ones.

Give it another few years. He'll thicken up some.

[radke22]

Hemlock powerballs son.

[setterguy]

The only reason I asked is because 60 pounds is a "huge" field dog, I figured it must be one of those two. Irvingdog is right, he will probably thicken up but if you are truley concerned ask your vet, they might do some thyroid tests.

[fishnutbob]

Ive trained and raised setters for 20 years, and have switched dog food many times first science diet tuffys and many more, setters are a lean dog i finally found a food that keeps weight on my four setters during the stress of hunting after a trip to the U of M vet hospital with a dog that had cancer I now use Iams Adult in the green bag I feed it free choice and my dogs now keep the weight on during hunting season I mix cans of iams chicken wet food with the dry for added protien, when I hunt them hard. i took my old dog grouse hunting last week and my budding has a beagle he hunts with a big bell on its neck funniest thing to see this short legged beagle running the woods. then you hear the bell stop and the beagle barking it trees the grouse and barks till you come over, I had to laugh. great combo english setter that retreives and a beagle that barks them into the tree.My friend shot a grouse and came out of the woods with it and he says I was on the ground looking for the dogs and he felt something nugging his arm and looks down and said your setter had the bird and was trying to put it in my pocket, it was fun to watch the dogs work so well. good hunting, setterguy my dog did have thyroid cancer and he never gained weight and was thin many years until I found out the problem, now he puts on weight so the thyroid was the problem you can test for this problem with a blood test it should show low levels of calcium,that indicates thyroid problems.

[This message has been edited by fishnutbob (edited 10-13-2003).]

[Walleye Guy]

R22,

I have the sam issue with my 4 year old male black lab. He doesn't have an ounce of fat on him and is actually ripped with muscle. However he looks too skinny by the end of the pheasant season. About September 1, I mix in a half a can of wet dog food with the same amount of dry that I feed him every night. I also keep a bowl full of dry in his kennel. The past couple years he makes it through the season without his ribs showing. I think it also gives him a little extra energy.

Good luck.

WG