# Looking for a high calorie dog food.



## Bullet (Dec 5, 2007)

I am having trouble getting weight on my 1 year old. She never sits still therefor burning through her food. She is now on Royal Canin for labs and I am feeding her 7 cups a day! She gets 3 1/2 cups in the morning and at night. 

Any suggestions?


----------



## TN_LAB (Jul 26, 2008)

How much does your dog weigh? 
Is she a small dog? 

What does your vet say about this?


----------



## Bullet (Dec 5, 2007)

She is a smaller framed lab. She is at 50lbs now. The vet is the one that told me to go to twice a day feedings and feed her until she gets loose stools. That happens at 4-4 1/2 cups twice a day....so I backed off to where I am at now. He said that she needs to gain weight otherwise there is a possibility that her body will put stress on her organs if there is no fat to draw from. I don't think that she is that bad but you sure can see her ribs and it seems that she does wear out faster than other dogs. I have had her screened for about everything so I do not think it anything other than high energy and/or high metabolism...but am open to other possibilities.


----------



## TN_LAB (Jul 26, 2008)

I've read that canned pumpkin is supposed to be pretty good for dogs.

Does Eukanuba make a Max/Active/Performance dog food? 


What about the small breed puppy food? Isn't that stuff higher in calories?


http://www.petobesityprevention.com/images/Dog_Dry_Foods.pdf


----------



## 2tall (Oct 11, 2006)

Bullet, were you the one that posted the video of the dog pacing the kennel? If so it seems like you never will be able to keep weight on her until you can stop that. I am curious if you tried some of the suggestions. I would be worried about other mental/emotional issues that might occur as well as the weight. Good luck! I have sympathy for these "high dog" owners.

PS: Neither of my dogs will even touch pumpkin! I tried to mix some in with their food and they acted like I was trying to poison them


----------



## Losthwy (May 3, 2004)

"Evo" has 537 calories per cup.


----------



## copterdoc (Mar 26, 2006)

Innova EVO, and Blue Buffalo's "Blue Wilderness" are the highest calorie dog foods I have found.


----------



## Stephen Smith (Apr 10, 2008)

Enhance Professional Athlete 30/22 635 cal/cup


----------



## Bullet (Dec 5, 2007)

2tall said:


> Bullet, were you the one that posted the video of the dog pacing the kennel? If so it seems like you never will be able to keep weight on her until you can stop that. I am curious if you tried some of the suggestions. I would be worried about other mental/emotional issues that might occur as well as the weight. Good luck! I have sympathy for these "high dog" owners.
> 
> PS: Neither of my dogs will even touch pumpkin! I tried to mix some in with their food and they acted like I was trying to poison them


Yes...that is me. I have been putting her travel kennel in there and she seems to calm down a little in there. Hopefully after awhile I will be able to then just leave the kennel in there and eventually take the travel kennel out of there all together. Other than the need to be around/near me she is the perfect dog. She loves to train and her personality is awesome...I could not ask for anything better. 

I just figure if I can get more calories in here for now I can atleast get some weight on her while I fix the separation anxiety issue.


----------



## Breck (Jul 1, 2003)

If you really need it both Eagle Pack and Annamaet have Ultra high test kibble developed for sled dogs that's not generally advertised. Something like 40/30.


----------



## gdluck (May 27, 2005)

You have my sympathy. mine was the same way up until about 3 yrs old. Except it sounds like your vet has a little more experience than mine. I was overfeeding then trying to treat the loose stool/horific gas/ occasional squirts. I also know that the innova foods are EXPENSIVE. The standard 33 lb bag is $60 here. The EVO is even more!

Could you try corn oil? 120cal per tabelspoon. Or even peanutbutter? 2-3 spoons a day would add 240-360 cals. ALOT cheaper than the food and might be easier on her gut than trying to process all that food. Not to mention smaller bombs in the yard for you to pick up.


----------



## EdA (May 13, 2003)

Eukanuba Maximum Calorie 634 Kcal/cup


----------



## copterdoc (Mar 26, 2006)

EdA said:


> Eukanuba Maximum Calorie 634 Kcal/cup



I have read about it, but could never find it. I thought it was discontinued?


----------



## EdA (May 13, 2003)

copterdoc said:


> I have read about it, but could never find it. I thought it was discontinued?


it is prescription diet, I have not ordered it in awhile but I believe it is still made


----------



## TN_LAB (Jul 26, 2008)

TN_LAB said:


> http://www.petobesityprevention.com/images/Dog_Dry_Foods.pdf


Lots of good info on this site. Seems there are several >450+ kcal foods listed. Trend seems to be small breed puppy and/or active.


----------



## dreamer2385 (Jan 21, 2007)

i was going to say peanut butter too... The one likes it on crackers, yes,she told me,lol.. too much at once though can cause runny stools..

there are supplements , such as dyne i believe,,..

i have also used adult esbilac in the past, haven't used it in years, don't know if it is still around..

maria


----------



## Jo Ann Reynolds (Jul 2, 2007)

Bullet said:


> I am having trouble getting weight on my 1 year old. She never sits still therefor burning through her food. She is now on Royal Canin for labs and I am feeding her 7 cups a day! She gets 3 1/2 cups in the morning and at night.
> 
> Any suggestions?


Not trying to diagnose over the web, just offering info to consider/discuss with your vet.

Does it seem like she is eliminating just as much as she eats? Are her stools soft? If so, she may not be producing enough digestive enzymes and you could supplement. I had to do that with my male lab puppy when he was about 1 year old. He looked like I never fed him. When I gave him 1/2 capsule of NOW Plant Enzymes with lactase, protease, papain and bromelain. His stool volume decreased and was firmer and he was able to put on weight.

There is a disease called exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (also called Pancreatic Hypoplasia or Pancreatic Acinar Atrophy) which prevents the absorption of food. Dogs that have this look like they are being starved. Their pancreas fails to produce enough amylase to digest starches; lipases to digest fats; and proteases to digest protein. There is a blood test for this - trypsin-like immunoreactivity which measures the dog's ability to produce digestive enzymes. Until recently it was thought to be most prevalent in German Shepherds but other breeds are affected. If interested the article can be purchased from the Whole Dog Journal (http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/12_3/list.html) but a web search of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in dogs will also provide info.


----------



## Matt's Grizz (Apr 17, 2008)

I was reading through the posts and was thinking the enzymes also. It definitely won't hurt any. She might get more out of the food if you add them. I'd try that first and see how it goes. Keep us posted on how it goes. I'd like to hear about it.


----------



## North Mountain (Oct 20, 2003)

I have one like yours. I did not have very good luck with EVO and a friend suggested I might not. Ever hear of low carb diets? Something with fat & carbs did the trick for me. Nutrisource Super Performance worked like magic on my little perpetual motion machine.


----------



## Golddogs (Feb 3, 2004)

Bullet said:


> I am having trouble getting weight on my 1 year old. She never sits still therefor burning through her food. She is now on Royal Canin for labs and I am feeding her 7 cups a day! She gets 3 1/2 cups in the morning and at night.
> 
> Any suggestions?


Native # 3. If that is not enough, try #4, generally used for hard working dogs( sled).


----------



## Bullet (Dec 5, 2007)

Jo Ann Reynolds said:


> Not trying to diagnose over the web, just offering info to consider/discuss with your vet.
> 
> Does it seem like she is eliminating just as much as she eats? Are her stools soft? If so, she may not be producing enough digestive enzymes and you could supplement. I had to do that with my male lab puppy when he was about 1 year old. He looked like I never fed him. When I gave him 1/2 capsule of NOW Plant Enzymes with lactase, protease, papain and bromelain. His stool volume decreased and was firmer and he was able to put on weight.
> 
> There is a disease called exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (also called Pancreatic Hypoplasia or Pancreatic Acinar Atrophy) which prevents the absorption of food. Dogs that have this look like they are being starved. Their pancreas fails to produce enough amylase to digest starches; lipases to digest fats; and proteases to digest protein. There is a blood test for this - trypsin-like immunoreactivity which measures the dog's ability to produce digestive enzymes. Until recently it was thought to be most prevalent in German Shepherds but other breeds are affected. If interested the article can be purchased from the Whole Dog Journal (http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/12_3/list.html) but a web search of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in dogs will also provide info.


Surprisingly...for as much as she eats she does not eliminate a ton. As far as the consistency...it is good as long as I do not go over 4-4 1/2 cups twice a day. I will look into the other suggestions you offered and ask my vet about it but he is pretty sure she healthy and just using more than she is getting. I wish I had this problem .


----------



## Centerfield Retrievers (Jan 28, 2007)

Bullet said:


> Surprisingly...for as much as she eats she does not eliminate a ton. As far as the consistency...it is good as long as I do not go over 4-4 1/2 cups twice a day. I will look into the other suggestions you offered and ask my vet about it but he is pretty sure she healthy and just using more than she is getting. I wish I had this problem .


First off, I think it's important to note that specialty feeds are formulated to address the generalized concerns of that particular breed. In this case, Labradors. So you are currently feeding a food (_RC Labrador) _which address the predisposition in Labs to be over weight and have joint issues. RCL is only 321 ME calories + you have a dog which is pacing= needs more calories not more food.
I would be very surprised if switching to a performance feed of 500 ME(metabolic calories that convert to energy) or higher doesn't solve this. However, that being said, I also think if you don't see a change within a few weeks a trip to the vet would be a good idea to rule out any other health concerns.
_My personal experience with a similar problem has led me to Arkat Enhance. I feed Hunter's Edge and Endurance. One of my young males had a weight issue and went from 6 cups per day to 4 on Enhance. _
Added benefit is paying less (Enhance $30/40# vs. RC $40/30#)and feeding less!
Note if you do change feed...
If the stools stay soft (normal to experience some in the beginning of a food change) you may want to step down the ratio and portions. Consistency change can also be a sign of over feeding. The body absorbs what it needs and eliminates the rest. So stepping up to a more substancial food will require you to feed less. 
Make any switch over a 8-10 day transition by blending feeds, gradually increasing the new. 

Good luck with your choice,
Denise

FWIW to anyone...
_Here is a recipe for Fat Balls. I use them to put weight on any dog when needed, for pregnant/lactating bitches, also as energy snacks when hunting, testing or anytime dog misses morning meal due to activities. _
_Mix: 3C. ground up performance dog food, 2 cans tuna, 1# cooked ground beef, 1 C. cottage cheese, 1C. peanut butter, 1/2C. cream cheese. Form into golf ball size and freeze for storage. I feed 2 daily or as mid day snack for energy._


----------



## Breck (Jul 1, 2003)

Here’s how to calculate your dogs daily feed requirement:
1 Convert your dogs weight in Lbs to Kg. (Excel formula =CONVERT(A1,"lbm","kg")
2 Calculate your dogs Resting Energy Requirement RER. (30*Weight in KG+70). 
3 Determine KCAL/Cup for the feed you use. (Purina Proplan is 493. Euk PP Sporting is 431)
4 Calculate your working dogs daily requirement. Approx. (RER*1.8) 
5 Divide dogs Daily Requirement by foods KCAL/Cup value.
6 Result is cups per day
Dog___ Lbs___ Kg____ RER___ KCAL/Day___KCAL/Cup____Cups/Day 
Female 60____ 27____ 886___ 1596________431___________4_____ Eukanuba
Male__ 75____ 34____ 1091__1963________493___________ 4_____ Pro Plan
xx


----------



## Billie (Sep 19, 2004)

2tall said:


> PS: Neither of my dogs will even touch pumpkin! I tried to mix some in with their food and they acted like I was trying to poison them


Mine like to eat them off of the vine! I had two stray plants come up and have been nurturing them. They are only about the size of a cantaloupe -and theyre eating them up already! I was nurturing them for the dogs anyway but bigger would have been nice.


----------



## Mike Boufford (Sep 28, 2004)

Exclusive Peformance Chicken and Rice. It keeps weight on our speed demon and her energy is through the roof. Give it a try and see what it will do.


----------



## Bullet (Dec 5, 2007)

JepDog said:


> First off, I think it's important to note that specialty feeds are formulated to address the generalized concerns of that particular breed. In this case, Labradors. So you are currently feeding a food (_RC Labrador) _which address the predisposition in Labs to be over weight and have joint issues. RCL is only 321 ME calories + you have a dog which is pacing= needs more calories not more food.
> I would be very surprised if switching to a performance feed of 500 ME(metabolic calories that convert to energy) or higher doesn't solve this. However, that being said, I also think if you don't see a change within a few weeks a trip to the vet would be a good idea to rule out any other health concerns.
> [/I]


Good point!


----------

