Shedding and beefing up my basenji

[drew82]

Ok my basenji is a yr old and she is shedding more than normal... I'm just curious if it's her winter coat she is shedding? Or something else. Also I feel she is too thin. she eats throughout the day but im thinking she either needs to increase her diet or maybe introduce something else to help beef her up also thought about having her start pulling weights to help increase her muscle mass. Any ideas or suggestions

[tanza]

Shedding is normal this time of year.... and a 1yr old is most likely shedding their puppy coat. Have you talk to her breeder? Ask if this is normal for your pups bloodlines? And what does the Vet say about her weight? How big is she (height and weight). One other suggestion, do not free feed, you will really never know how much they are eating. Feed on a schedule, 2x's a day. Make sure to measure out the food so you know exactly what they are eating. Some depending on their build are leaner then others.

[drew82]

@tanza Jasmine eats twice a day and I give about a cup a feeding maybe a little bit more. Also she weighs 15lbs and is a little over 16in height

[wizard]

15 pounds seems a little thin for a 16 inch dog. Talk to your breeder and also your vet. Perhaps she has a digestive issue and is not absorbing enough protein and other nutrients.

[marcorilli]

@drew82 you should give about 1 cup for every 10 pounds a dog weighs. My male is a little over a year and is 26 pounds. I give half a cup in the morning half a cup mid afternoon and a full cup at dinner. Along with the wet food or meat and snacks throughout the day. You would want to give 1 1/2 cups through out the day and increase as your dogs weight increases. Females typically will weigh a little less then males but usually only a couple pounds

[kjdonkers]

Have you considered feeding raw food (meat and vegetables)? It worked wonders for our B's coat and overall health.