Name: Kathy
Pets species and breed: Gordon Setter-male
Pets age and weight: 2 years-70 lbs
Pets health status: Good
Are they spayed or neutered? No
Animal owned for: 2 years
Question:
“I am looking for a recommendation on food to help a just turned-two male to put on some weight. Stewart is a highly active Gordon Setter. He has a lot of energy and his preference is to be outside. Since the spring he has lost what weight he gained over the winter. He is 27 inches at the shoulder and skin and coat is in great condition.
We have had him on a variety of foods trying to find something he will like and eat. Most recently he has been on Kent Native #4 food, which has a high protein and fat content. Of all the foods we have tried, he will eat this one most of the time. However, we find that we still supplement in some way. His preference is cooked chicken livers but there are times when this doesn”t do the trick either. He doesn”t like canned food and he is not overly fond of fish. We joke that because he has European bloodlines that he thinks he is a gourmet, but I am really concerned that we cannot get any weight on him. (Girls in season do not help)
He does not seem to be in any distress health wise that would indicate a thyroid problem. For his size and weight, he should be about 80-85 pounds, but barely touches 70. This breed does take a long time to mature. I have in the past had dogs on Burns Pet Health, Pinnacle Holistic and Solid Gold dog food, but I am reluctant to put Stewart on any of these if he cannot maintain his weight at the lower protein and fat ratios. Is it better to have a food where these ratios are closer together such as 20/15 or one where the ratio is farther apart such as 42/18? Thank you for your assistance.
Answer:
Thanks for your nutrition questions Kathy. A few thoughts on Stewart…even though he seems overtly very healthy, I would have your veterinarian check him for the possibility of malabsorption. There is a medical condition called EPI (exocrine pancreatic insufficiency) in which the pancreas does not make enough enzymes to properly digest the food and can lead to poor weight gain/lack of weight maintenance in an otherwise healthy dog.
Also, it sounds like Stewart is outdoors most of the time. Chronic parasitism with the protozoal organism called Giardia is a common cause of malabsorption in outdoor pets that otherwise feels normal. I would ask your vet to check him for both of these things…just to be sure.
As far as options for a diet for Stewart, it is important to remember that fat has more calories per gram than either protein or carbohydrates. Fat has 9 calories per gram, whereas carbs and protein have only 4 calories per gram. With Stilmoors heavy activity schedule, he is likely better suited to a higher fat diet. When comparing diets, it is critical to do so on a dry matter basis (ask your vet to help you with this calculation if you are unsure). The Kent Native 4 you have had him on has 38.9% protein and 27.8% fat. There are many other diets that offer higher fat percentages. As an example, Evo canned dog food has 54.5% protein and 36.4% fat. The Evo 95% beef canned dog food has 41% protein and 41% fat.
It is also important that you look at the source of ingredients from a digestibility standpoint. The Kent Native 4 diet has “chicken meal” as the first ingredient. “Chicken meal” is a product made through a process called rendering. This always means it is considered “unfit for human consumption” because of the variability and quality of the end product. Rendered meals have lower digestibility than whole meats so even though the food is relatively high protein, it may not be highly digestible protein. Obviously Stewart needs a highly digestible, high quality food to gain and maintain weight with his active lifestyle.
For more information on reading and understanding pet food labels to choose the best food for Stewart, please see my article here.
Name: Dr. Rhona Feldstein, ND
Pets species and breed: white boxer
Pets age and weight: 2 yrs/63pds
Pets health status: Very Healthy
Are they spayed or neutered? Yes
Brand of food: Nature’s variety instinct
Animal owned for: 7 months
“My female white boxer, Lola eats toilet paper, tissues, paper towels. Is this a vitamin/mineral deficiency? Just not sure what she is lacking? Has had this problem since I took her home from the animal shelter. She was there for about 2 months. I do give her doggie dophilus and vitamin B-12 with folic acid sub-ling. Hopefully you are able to help her out with a product to take. Thanks for your help.”
Dr. Rhona Feldstein, ND
The Answer:
“Thank you for your question. The behavior Lola is exhibiting is called pica. Pica is the craving and ingestion of nonfood items. Pica is not usually (although it can be) an abnormality of the digestive system or a nutritional deficiency. It is most commonly a psychological abnormality. The diagnosis is made when a dog does not just eat an object once, but rather seems obsessed with consuming certain materials. In Lola’s case, it appears to be paper products. Pica is commonly diagnosed in dogs that have been crated/caged for long periods of time (you said Lola was at the shelter at least 2 months) or have other psychological or anxiety issues.
It is important that Lola be checked for some of the medical issues that can cause pica. These include:
Primary gastrointestinal or digestive problems such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI).
Iron deficiency anemia. This can happen as a result of chronic intestinal bleeding, parasitism (intestinal or fleas/ticks), etc.
Endocrine problems (although unlikely given her age) such as diabetes mellitus and cushings disease. These conditions cause polyphagia or increased appetite and dogs often exhibit pica.
Most often, however, pica is a behavioral problem.
The diagnostics we usually recommend to evaluate the conditions above include a CBC (to check for anemia), a chemistry panel (to help evaluate proteins and other factors that can be low with intestinal malabsorption), urinalysis, fasted TLI (tests for pancreas insufficiency), vitamin B12/folate levels (as a crude measure of intestinal malabsorption), fecal test for parasites.
If these tests (or others your veterinarian may recommend) are normal, pica is diagnosed as a behavior problem.
I believe all pets should receive a daily vitamin-mineral supplement as a bit of an “insurance policy” against nutrient deficiencies. Even if a dog is eating a high quality natural premium dog food that is intended to achieve optimal health; picky or poor appetites, or competition in a multi-dog household may lead to one dog not getting quite enough. Supplements can also help counter the aging/degenerative process that goes on in all pets. I am very familiar with Halo supplements and highly recommend them. I like to alternate the Daily Greens with the Vita-Mineral Mix to provide an excellent supplement of vitamins and minerals. For a fatty acid supplement (for great skin/hair and digestive health) I like their Dream Coat.
As far as Lola, if her lab work turns out to be normal (which I expect it will), the best “medicine” for her is avoidance. For example, locked lids on garbage cans to prevent access to paper products. There are psychoactive medications and certain behavior modification treatments you can also try. I recommend asking your veterinarian for advice on these.”
