# Finally, sollution to putting weight my tiny one



## zellko (Jul 3, 2013)

I have had a constant struggle getting Piper to gain a few ounces. She is about 2 1/2 lb. She has always been a 'bony'. I could get her to eat more, but it just resulted in diarrhea. I have tried every quality canned food I could find that didn't have liver, which she cannot tolerate. I have finally found something that has gotten rid of the bony look. No more feeling her backbone. Mind you, she is still a very slender girl and will never be overweight. She LOVES Blue Buffalo Basics, the turkey and salmon flavors that don't have liver. She can eat 3-4 1 in. scoops twice a day and no digestion issues. LOL That's twice as much as my other 2 eat, and they are 4 lb. and 5 1/2 lb.


----------



## coco_little_bear (May 30, 2012)

Aww that's great, good that you found something that works! I had this problem with Lilo before too. She was always so skinny and bony. I have to feed her so much more than Rocky to keep her at the same weight and yet she's smaller than him!


----------



## Ari1405 (Apr 18, 2017)

Glad you found something that works. 
Buddy Bear is the same way he's always 
been skinny/bony. His problem was I'd feed him can food in hopes of him gaining weight but then he wouldn't eat his next meal. Last month I took him to the vet and they recommended to increase his food by double which has finally worked and also putting him on puppy food (Wellness) He's eating as much as my 15 pound dog but it's working so I'll stick with it.


----------



## zellko (Jul 3, 2013)

Thanks for the replies. I remember you & Lilo. What I don't remember is, is Lilo extra tiny? How big is Buddy Bear? I read so much about the tinies having this problem. Must be true about their metabolisms. What food did you finally find that worked? I was using Merrick Puppy Plate with success, but then after they were bought out, it started making her sick and I saw that they had added liver to some packages. One vet told me she would get fat on puppy food. LOL. THAT vet didn't know much about tiny chis, for sure.


----------



## Ari1405 (Apr 18, 2017)

Buddy Bear was 4.11 pounds when he went to the vet. That's the skinniest he's ever been literally skin and bones. He's meant to be close to 6 pounds. 
Really? That was the 1st thing the vet recommended (puppy food) for him and increase his meals. He's still on puppy food but after he finishes the 15 pound bag (has about 10 pounds left) he will get put bag on adult kibble but I have calculated to get the same amount of calories so hopefully he'll stay the same. If not I'll talk to the vet about keeping him on puppy for possibly the rest of his life. 
At the moment Buddy Bear is getting (roughly) 600 calories and I've been told it seems to much for a Chi even an "active" one. I also have questioned if the vet was crazy to have him eat that much. But this is the 1st time Buddy Bear looks 'good' weight wise. And he's also not too big. He's basically perfect. I think he just really has a high metabolism. But since he's doing good I'm going to keep him on it.


----------



## coco_little_bear (May 30, 2012)

zellko said:


> Thanks for the replies. I remember you & Lilo. What I don't remember is, is Lilo extra tiny? How big is Buddy Bear? I read so much about the tinies having this problem. Must be true about their metabolisms. What food did you finally find that worked? I was using Merrick Puppy Plate with success, but then after they were bought out, it started making her sick and I saw that they had added liver to some packages. One vet told me she would get fat on puppy food. LOL. THAT vet didn't know much about tiny chis, for sure.


She's smaller than many chihuahuas I meet, but not a super tiny one. Her healthy weight is 4.5 pounds. I guess she must just have a high metabolism. I was feeding her Ziwipeak before and increasing it gave her diarrhoea, but I switched to another air dried raw food that has less fat (Nature's Menu Country Hunter) and she can handle a lot of that one. That plus giving her treats in between meals seems to do the job.


----------



## zellko (Jul 3, 2013)

I've never heard of that food, but I'll watch for it. It may have been the same vet who told me tiny chis might not be able to be potty trained. Another LOL, she has fewer accidents than the other two. Still trying to learn all I can from others who have tiny ones.


----------



## coco_little_bear (May 30, 2012)

zellko said:


> I've never heard of that food, but I'll watch for it. It may have been the same vet who told me tiny chis might not be able to be potty trained. Another LOL, she has fewer accidents than the other two. Still trying to learn all I can from others who have tiny ones.


lol I've never had a really tiny chi so I don't know, but some vets are clueless sometimes. I remember one trying to convince me that peanuts are toxic to dogs, especially for a tiny dog like a chihuahua.  It's safe to say I never went back. lol


----------



## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

I don't know what I'd do without p.butter!! I love it, and so do the dogs! My epileptic pup gets her phenobarbital and potassium bromide with p.butter too! I drip the K.bromide onto a cube of bread, smear a little p.butter on it, and down it goes! I have used cream cheese too, but that is when I run out!


----------



## coco_little_bear (May 30, 2012)

susan davis said:


> I don't know what I'd do without p.butter!! I love it, and so do the dogs! My epileptic pup gets her phenobarbital and potassium bromide with p.butter too! I drip the K.bromide onto a cube of bread, smear a little p.butter on it, and down it goes! I have used cream cheese too, but that is when I run out!


Exactly! My dogs absolutely love it too. I buy them a natural 100% peanut butter that has no salt or sugar added and put it in their Kong toys. And so many dog treats contain peanut butter as well. Very strange for a vet not to know this.


----------

