• My B Scarlett is a little on the smaller side for Basenjis and I would like to put a little weight on her…sometimes you can see her ribs a bit. Does anyone have any suggestions of things I can add to her food to put a little weight on her?


  • When I want weight on Maya I give her lots of raw food. Tripe is good, but also raw chicken (with skin) I have found gets it on quickly 🙂


  • How old is she?


  • If I can answer for Walter, Scarlett is 6 months - born on Sept. 25, 2011 - in the same litter as my Kipawa. Kipawa was always the largest in the litter (the only boy).

    Walter, up until last week, I was feeding Kipawa 1 cup of Taste of The Wild Bison twice a day. On top of that he would get around 5 - 7 smaller treats a day (used for training). I have dropped him down to 3/4 cup twice a day because he is now 22.2 lbs. I can't see his ribs when he is standing, but can feel them when I run my hands down his side.

    One of the treats Kipawa gets is freeze dried organic chicken breast slices. He will get a couple of those a day. His other treats are corn/wheat free small (size of 2 thumb nails) and Dick Van Patten's training treats. We feed him nothing off our plates. He just gets to watch us eat.

    Is Scarlett eating heartily? You could always increase her food at mealtimes.


  • Since she is still a baby and as long as she is eating well, I would not worry about it at this point. They grow and change lots at this age (and well into early adulthood), some are just thin and even if you try and push the food, they will just "poop" it out.

    My Franie is like that, she has always been to the thin side, if I try and push more food (as she does have a great appitite) she just "poops" it out…..


  • Thank you Tanza and Fran…just sometimes she looks a bit too thin to me and it makes me feel like I'm not being a good dad to her. She eats well when she wants, I have added a half can of soft food to a 3/4 cup of dry food to entice her more (both the same brand of food Kipawa eats).


  • fyi, this works for males when female are in heat or sick dogs.
    SATIN BALLS
    #10 of cheap hamburger meat
    1 lg box of Total cereal (1 lb box in USA)
    1 lg box of oatmeal (uncooked) (the 32 ounce in USA)
    1 jar of wheat germ 10 eggs
    1 1/4 c. veg oil
    1 1/4 c. unflavored molasses
    10 sm pks of unflavored gelatin
    pinch of salt and garlic
    mix all ingredients together well, much like a meatloaf... put into
    separate freezer bags and freeze, thawing out as needed. I mixed it in
    with kibble. Make "meat"
    balls (golf ball sized) and mix with food as well.
    Doc Zoe


  • You can up the calories just a bit and make a difference by either adding a tbs of olive oil to the food, a tbs butter, or a scrambled egg, or a kibble with higher fat content. If the ribs are truly showing, I would want a bit more on also. But don't push it, just 70 to 100 calories more a day will do the trick.


  • @sharronhurlbut:

    fyi, this works for males when female are in heat or sick dogs.
    SATIN BALLS
    #10 of cheap hamburger meat
    1 lg box of Total cereal (1 lb box in USA)
    1 lg box of oatmeal (uncooked) (the 32 ounce in USA)
    1 jar of wheat germ 10 eggs
    1 1/4 c. veg oil
    1 1/4 c. unflavored molasses
    10 sm pks of unflavored gelatin
    pinch of salt and garlic
    mix all ingredients together well, much like a meatloaf... put into
    separate freezer bags and freeze, thawing out as needed. I mixed it in
    with kibble. Make "meat"
    balls (golf ball sized) and mix with food as well.
    Doc Zoe

    While this is good for something like a show dog that a handler might want to put weight on them... I do not think it is appropriate for a young puppy... Just my opinion... Just let them grow up


  • @tanza:

    While this is good for something like a show dog that a handler might want to put weight on them… I do not think it is appropriate for a young puppy... Just my opinion... Just let them grow up

    I agree with Pat. I wouldn't add anything so rich for a puppy.


  • @sharronhurlbut:

    1 dozen raw brown eggs

    I got a chuckle out of this, since, contrary to popular belief, there is no nutritional difference between white eggs and brown eggs. The color of the shell is entirely dependent on the breed of the chicken.


  • @LindaH:

    I got a chuckle out of this, since, contrary to popular belief, there is no nutritional difference between white eggs and brown eggs. The color of the shell is entirely dependent on the breed of the chicken.

    I wonder if they meant 'organic'?


  • I would not worry about Scarlett at this point - she is young, and she is going to eat only what she wants. My Shaye is and always has been thin - you cannot see her ribs standing, but when she runs you can, and of course you can always feel them. She eats enough to keep herself going, and no matter what she won't eat more. I do put scrambled eggs in her morning feeding a couple times a week, but she isn't even treat-driven. Sometimes I give both girls a treat, and she will drop hers; then of course, her "sister" Gemma, eats them both. Gemma will eat anything! The vet says Shaye is very nicely shaped and very healthy, so I do not worry. She won't starve herself to death. Neither will Scarlett.


  • Thank you everyone! I will try and up her calories a bit with a few more treats and adding some more protein to her dry food.


  • @Shaye's:

    I would not worry about Scarlett at this point - she is young, and she is going to eat only what she wants. My Shaye is and always has been thin - you cannot see her ribs standing, but when she runs you can, and of course you can always feel them. She eats enough to keep herself going, and no matter what she won't eat more. I do put scrambled eggs in her morning feeding a couple times a week, but she isn't even treat-driven. Sometimes I give both girls a treat, and she will drop hers; then of course, her "sister" Gemma, eats them both. Gemma will eat anything! The vet says Shaye is very nicely shaped and very healthy, so I do not worry. She won't starve herself to death. Neither will Scarlett.

    Seconded; Paco is the same way.

    edit: at least up until the treating part…Paco will do your taxes for a bit of hot dog!


  • Thanks Shannanigan…Scarlett is treat driven too but she would rather shred my taxes than do them (that would make her as happy as the hot dog):D! I try and not do too much of the giving her treats thing, I have seen far too many over-weight doggies and it's just as bad for them as it is for us.


  • @Walter:

    Thanks Shannanigan…Scarlett is treat driven too but she would rather shred my taxes than do them (that would make her as happy as the hot dog):D! I try and not do too much of the giving her treats thing, I have seen far too many over-weight doggies and it's just as bad for them as it is for us.

    I feel like it should be ok to treat Scarlett at this growing age for training purposes…Paco probably ate nearly a whole hot dog a day in treats while I was training him as a pup, lol.

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