Very skinny pup

[Rafferty]

Hey there,

As some may know from my previous questions, I have a 16 month old Yorkie who has recently come over to the UK from Spain on the Pet Passport scheme. I took him to the vets to be checked over when he arrived and he received a clean bill of health. However, he is very skinny and has been since he was very young. I can feel every bone right down his back and he goes 'in' in the middle. The vet said that he's still young and will fill out, but I'm wondering whether there's anything I can feed him to put some meat on his bones! He eats well - he eats organic dried food and loves it. I've seen on some forums people suggest giving them 'Satin Balls'. Is this a good idea?? I've read that this makes them gain weight very quickly and is often used by people before a show, but will that keep the weight on him? What else can I give him?

Also, he shakes a lot. For no apparent reason. He can just be sitting on the sofa and will quiver. I've tried wrapping him up in blankets to keep him warm incase he's cold but it doesn't seem to make a difference! I've read that small breed dogs do just sometimes quiver for no reason. Am I fretting over nothing?

As always, thank you all

Rafferty and Benji

[woofgang]

Not sure about the shaking but if he is generally happy and lively, eats well, shiny coat no runs or vomiting then I wouldn't worry about the weight. Satin balls are god for the coat but quite rich and fatty and might just upset his tum. One possibility is that he isn't absorbing the goodness from what he does eat. Does he pass a lot of poo? Do you worm him regularly?

[Rafferty]

Hi woofgang,
Yeah he's wormed regularly and pops once a day or once every other day. Would it be worth looking into getting some kind of high calorie food? Or should I just leave him be and wait for him to "bulk up" as he gets older like the vet suggested?

Thanks

[jomifl]

Perhaps he might benifit from occasionally eating meat, dogs being carnivores.

[lankeela]

Try a bit of raw tripe - great for putting on weight.

[pastafreak]

I tried satin balls on my rescue lurcher,Sally, as she was quite underweight when I got her. She has a sensitive tum,but was fine with the satin balls. I only gave them to her as a supplement for a very short while.

[jules77]

How many times a day is she fed?

[woofgang]

If he is happy and fit, not sure why you want to get weight on?

[lankeela]

Good point jules, small breeds can suffer from hypoglycemia if their blood sugar falls and regular small meals can help avoid this. Shivering is one of the signs. http://www.swankpets....nd-how-to-prevent-it/

[Rafferty]

He grazes through the day. His food bowl is always full and he just picks all day. Is that the problem?

Thanks all for the advice