Puppy food for an adult dog?

My Gozo (2 year old Affenpinscher) is perfectly healthy but small and skinny and not at all cobby like he is supposed to be. He's a very fussy eater and will only eat small quantities, even of food that he does like.

So as I need to get maximum calories in minimum quantity I wondered if it would be ok to put him back on puppy food? Or is there any other calorie dense food I could try?

J.

There are working dog formulas meant for highly active adults. There are also some premium brands that are more calorie dense than other foods. Even moving up from a corn based food such as the regular Purina to say Iams may help.

Perhaps you need to examine your impression of skinny. You may have a dog that is keeping itself lean and healthy. If the ribs don't show, or at least not much, you might do well to leave well enough alone. Have you talked to the vet?

Here is a discussion from trained, experienced professionals highly motivated to give dogs a long active life, http://www.guidedogs.com/site/PageSe..._obesityhealth

This is from a different but similar program, Obesity is the number one nutritional disease affecting dogs. It's estimated that 25-45% of dogs in the US are obese. Studies have shown that joint and locomotive problems increase by 57%, circulatory problems by 74%, respiratory problems by 52%, skin problems by 40% and cancer by 50% in animals that are overweight.

Large breed dogs that are overweight also are more prone to developing hip dysplasia. Obesity is especially dangerous for young puppies, as their underdeveloped frame cannot support the extra poundage that it must carry. Obesity is the number one nutritional disease affecting dogs. It's estimated that 25-45% of dogs in the US are obese. Studies have shown that joint and locomotive problems increase by 57%, circulatory problems by 74%, respiratory problems by 52%, skin problems by 40% and cancer by 50% in animals that are overweight.

Large breed dogs that are overweight also are more prone to developing hip dysplasia. Obesity is especially dangerous for young puppies, as their underdeveloped frame cannot support the extra poundage that it must carry.

Just because it is common for dogs to be heavier than yours doesn't mean fattening yours up is a good idea. Don't kill it with kindness.

If you are concerned about your dog, I don't think it would do any harm to put him back onto puppy food for a while to see if there is any improvement. Without seeing him it is difficult for anyone to tell you if he is underweight or not, so be guided by what you think and don't be too concerned by folk who ramble on about obesity. Just use your hands and eyes and come to your own decision.

Thanks for taking the trouble to reply to my post but as Gozo is a TOY breed most of what you posted isn't relevant. I have no intention of "killing him with kindness".

J.

Thanks! I am confident that I know my dog and he is in no danger of obesity!

I just wondered if there anything in puppy food, other than high calories, that would make it unsuitable for an adult.

J.

Obesity is a big problem with small dogs too. If what should be a 10 pound dog is just 2 pounds over weight, it meets the definition of obese as used in my original post. Even lesser amounts of over weight lead to health problems and shorter lives.

Puppy food is usually a little higher in protein and fats - also is obviously smaller size (if it is kibbled). To me this would be fine with a small breed like your dog. I know when my bitch was pregnant and when feeding her pups, my vet suggested that puppy food was quite a good thing to switch into, to ensure she maintained a good nutritional status and kept her condition and it did work as she lost hardly any condition with her pups and she had ten. Best wishes.

Labman - you are not really understanding what is being writiten - this person is concerned because she feels that her dog is underweight and a bit thin and her question was - is it OK to go onto puppy food.

I understand the question. What I don't understand is the denial about abusing dogs by over feeding.

I wouldn't be feeding an adult dog puppy food, it has a lot of extra nutrients besides the caloric content and fats, and for an adult dog it can be too much for their system to cope with, especially their liver.
I would be giving them a higher protein adult mix and maybe feed an extra meal.
Also your vet is saying your dog is healthy and a bit on the skinny side, I wouldn't be too alarmed, if your dog is youngish it may just be a case of waiting until your dog fills out a bit more.
Louis was skinny up until the age of 5yrs (he is also a toy breed) I was worried for a bit as he was not a real food orientated dog, but when he hit 5yrs he filled out a lot more and is in a healthy weighed dog.
Putting weight on dogs can be a slow exercise, a site I found informative of the differences in adult food and puppy food is this one
http://www.dognutrition.com/puppy-vs-adult-dogfood.html