koolies - Coolies, One of the friendliest places on the Net... > Mission to fatten Josie up so to speak ( she need to put a bit of weight on)

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koolies - Coolies, One of the friendliest places on the Net... > Koolies > Puppy Behavior,Training and Socialization

Josiegirl

Mar 4 2008, 10:17 AM

Hi all,

Well for those of you that have read my introduction on the welcome section you will know that I have concerns about Josie being too skinny.

I went back to the vet yesterday just to have a chat about it, so for the next couple of week I am going to try a couple of different things.

The problem is that Josie eats the cats food alot and then when I put her food out she does not want it, I think this is the problem why she is getting so skinny, I think the cats food ( even know it is premium food ) does not give her enough protein.

So the vet suggested.

A working dog high protein food

Chicken mince and Chicken carcases ( she already gets this but not often enough so will up it considerably)

Stop her eating cats food

And the vet did mention some sort of rice ( not normal rice but I have forgotten which one, will have to ring them again)

Anyway and suggestions would be great.

If she does not start to put on weight with in a couple of weeks we are going to run some test.

She has always been very lean all her life, but I worry she is too skinny. She is very very active and shows no sign of being sick or anything.

Thanks for taking the time to read and help.....I want to get her looking great and healthy for when everyone meets her at the Queensland meet.

Helen

KoolieMum

Mar 4 2008, 10:40 AM

Hi Helen - it seems lots of Koolies aren't especially hungry dogs, so maybe it's just that. But I gather from what you've said that Josie is fairly anxious, which is often associated with anorexia (or at least with requiring food to be *junk* food to be appealing - not really liking ordinary food). Perhaps if her anxiety could be managed her appetite might improve? I would be thinking about where and when I fed her (are there other animals about? having them present might make her feel better or worse and improve or reduce her appetite, is she fed in a place where she can predict what is going to happen because things are always consistent? is she fed in a quiet place?). In general (you might already do this:-) I'd be trying to maximise the predictability of what happens to and around her during the day.
Putting a dog onto a NILIF program (nothing in life is free - all food, attention, play, access to good stuff etc is given as rewards for behaviours) can really help anxious dogs, and perhaps feeding her little bits often could increase the amount she ate. But she'd have to like the food for that to have effect. Alternatively you could do NILIF and reward with food she does like and other things she likes, and see whether if that allowed you to help her with her anxiety if that made a difference to her appetite for ordinary food.
Have you talked to your vet about referral to a vet behaviourist because of her anxiety? They treat lots of anxious dogs and have lots of good ideas about what to do for them.

dannimilo

Mar 4 2008, 11:09 AM

Josiegirl

Mar 4 2008, 11:15 AM

Thanks Kooliemum,

Josie gets feed at the same time every morning, she does get a bit anxious about Cuda being there, but I feed them at separate ends of the veranda. Cuda is good and does not take Josie's food, But I sometimes think she thinks he might. You are right about the Junk food anything bad for her she gobbles up in two seconds flat....she also love raw meat of any type, chicken, bones etc.

We did in the past have her on anti anxiety tablets for a couple of months, they made her very drowsy so I did not like them, we have just recently changed our vet and I am currently in the process of transferring all of her files over. So when I see our new vet next I will ask about being a vet behaviorist, I think that is a great idea, I never knew I could do that. My old vet did know Josie very well but always wanted to fix everything with medication which does not always sit well with me.

Maybe she likes eating the cats food, because it is inside in a quiet area and Cuda can not get in....I never thought of that, I might try to feed her in the cats area, because she eats whether the cats are there or not.

Thanks again, I appreciate any help I can get.

sheree_e4

Mar 4 2008, 11:34 AM

I have had great success if Fattening up my rescue koolie using Great Barko dry food only problem is now I am having to cut his meals down as he is getting too fat

My dogs are normally fed Hills science diet Adult but I have found Great Barko just as good and their coats are lovely aswell.
It is also alot cheaper than Hills,you get a 22kg bag for $27

HERE is the link for the ingredients etc the site also says where it is available from.

Josiegirl

Mar 4 2008, 11:51 AM

QUOTE(dannimilo @ Mar 4 2008, 11:09 AM)

Hi Josiegirl
Just out of curiosity how high is she?
ie xena is 486mm and weighs 13 kilo
What does she weigh?
Sometimes people think they are not right if they are not round and you can barely feel there ribs.
I like to feel there ribs but not to actually see them.
My puppy Gabby I think would be around Xena's height but only weighs 10 kilo's but she is a different build to her she is more whippet looking. Gabby's brother weighs 9 kilos and her brother who is heavier bones and taller than our guys weighs 15 kilos. None of our dogs are fat.
Might add some people friends think Xena is too skinny but the sports people and my vet thinks she is brilliant. Also my girls have lots of muscles.
So I am just interested. also is she light boned also
cheers
Danni

Ps just went back and had a look at the photos are they recent ones cause I think she looks good there and dont think she looks skinny at all with what I can see from those photos. Look in the photo section in AG OC Xena there is a photo there and that is my girl she looks just like yours
cheers
Danni

Hi Danni, maybe I am just being paranoid, the last couple of photo's I posted in the welcome section were only taken a couple of days ago. I have never owned a Koolie before Josie so I don't know what is normal.

This is the photo I was worried about

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t57/Hel...udaplaying3.jpg

She is very active and pretty muscular.

Here is the one of her just standing I took the other day

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t57/Hel...iebackyard1.jpg

Oh by the way she is approx 505mm and 17.6kg, so by that she doesn't sound bad hey?

Anyway I feel much better after reading your post, I just get upset sometimes when people that don't know what a Koolie is say stuff to me like, gee your cattle dog is so skinny, don't you feed her.

Thanks again Danni.

Helen

Thanks Sheree, I use to feed my dogs Hills science and that is what my cats eat, but it got too expensive for the dogs as my German Shepard eats heaps, and Josie did not like it anyway... I will look into the barko, that is a great price.

Sheree, I just looked at the Barko site, last time I was at the produce I buy the dog food they had samples of this, It doesn't look very appetizing but my dogs loved it, so I am defiantly going to change there food over to that next time, I will mix it in with the old food to start.

Danni, just had a look at Xena, her and Josie do look alot alike.

Ellie's mum

Mar 4 2008, 12:35 PM

Sorry i didn't welcome you sooner but I have actually been working (for a change)so here is a big welcome to you and your beautiful dogs and all your other animals.

I think you have done an amazing job with Josie and at that weight she looks fantastic. I know what you mean about well meaning people who have absolutely no idea when it comes to Koolies. I am always getting pulled up about how slim my dogs are. I don't think I have ever seen a fat Koolie?????

Josiegirl

Mar 4 2008, 01:33 PM

Thank you very much Ellie's Mum, that means alot to me. I really want what is best for Josie. This might sound a bit silly, but she is our child. You see we do not have any children, we have been having fertility problems for the past 4 years with the past 2 years doing IVF ( but that is another story) So my pets are my world and will be even when a baby finally comes.

Helen

Tjukurpa

Mar 4 2008, 02:49 PM

Hey Helen Josie looks great, your right a lot of people don't realise the perfect state for a working koolie is slightly lean.

Even Vets need to be educated, if you check out most Koolies on the forum or club site, they are on average around 15 to 17 kilo the heavier the build the heavier the Koolie, some males can be around 24 kilo.

If I had the guts I'd put up a photo of my girl breeze who is very large thanks to our friendly butcher and lack of work for her.
Before going on a diet and increasing her exercise she topped the scales at 26 Kilos and she is only 430mm, so small and light framed.

Maybe after she has lost it all and back to her best weight I'll put up photos of before and after.

You doing a bang up job, let us know if her eating habits improve.

Josiegirl

Mar 4 2008, 02:59 PM

Thanks Tjukurpa, I can't wait to meet you all, so you can see Josie in the flesh. And I can't wait to meet some other Koolies, Josie is the only one I have seen up close. Everyone dogs look so beautiful....

I have looked on your webpage, all your dogs are wonderful.

Helen

KoolieMum

Mar 4 2008, 05:48 PM

QUOTE(Josiegirl @ Mar 4 2008, 11:15 AM)

So when I see our new vet next I will ask about being a vet behaviorist, I think that is a great idea, I never knew I could do that. My old vet did know Josie very well but always wanted to fix everything with medication which does not always sit well with me.

There's not many of them around, only a few in Bris, I don't think there are any in Ipswich.

dannimilo

Mar 4 2008, 07:26 PM

QUOTE(sheree_e4 @ Mar 4 2008, 11:34 AM)

I have had great success if Fattening up my rescue koolie using Great Barko dry food only problem is now I am having to cut his meals down as he is getting too fat

Hi Sheree_e4
You know I have never heard of Great Barko dog food before (actually never had to buy food as I have one that much so usually feed the girls Advance). When I got Gabby I asked my breeder what she feed her dogs and she said that and than I read it somewhere on dogzonline. Still dont need to buy any though.

Josiegirl
That photo that you are worried about you dont need to. When they look like that with the ribs sticking out when they are standing is when you start to worry.
cheers
Danni

JackieH

Mar 4 2008, 07:45 PM

I crate my Koolies to feed them so that they concentrate on eating their dinner (not that they don't scoff it down). I feed Optimal adult dry food to the Koolies and the diet Optimal to my cattle dogs. The ACD's tend to gather weight really easy so best keep it off because it is very difficult to remove once it is there.

The cattle dogs have half the Koolie ration and the Koolies still resemble greyhounds.

I am in the process of changing them to a raw meat diet ... bones, chicken frames etc. Poppie detests raw food except for bones. So we usually end up fussing over her until she finishes her food. She is getting better but still takes ages to get around to eating the meat.

They are used to a cooked stew with pasta or brown rice, veges etc, mixed with their dry food for tea and milk, eggs and a bone for breaky.

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