weak with hunger

Help, My dog is very thin, the vet says so but says he's not emaciated yet! He is also very itchy, parasites etc have been ruled out so I have tried to eliminate things from his diet. He seems to be allergic to grains and rice but I don't know for sure. The problem is I seem to have created a very fussy eater by trying different foods including human food!!!!!!!!! Now of course he only wants human food. All he has eaten today is a raw egg a small amount of tuna and a few training treats on our walk. He won't eat his doggy tea which was natures menu nuggets- He liked them to start with but now refuses. For his supper he will eat 3 or 4 fish 4 dogs jerky which he loves.( he would probably eat a bowl full of these). He eats the bare minimum, his coat is dry and itchy and I don't know what to do. On our walk today he was playing with his friend but had to keep stopping for a rest because he lacked the stamina to keep up. infact, on the way home on leash he got down on the footpath for a rest. The thing is, I know he is hungry. It is very worrying, any advice would be gratefully received.

Have you tried him with tripe? Dogs seem to love it and it is great for putting weight on dogs.

Pasta is also good for putting weight on dogs.

ETA - if feeding tripe, if you feed it raw it keeps more nutrients, so is better that way

Thanks for that. I was thinking of trying raw. Never tried pasta but not sure if he will be allergic to it because its wheat. Do you think i should give it a try any way?

If he is allergic to wheat, I would stay clear of pasta just so it doesn't upset him.

If you go for a kibble food, try and get one with say lamb in instead of turkey as it has the higher fat content (be careful though as if he has a sensative tummy, this could effect it like it did my GSD, which is why she is on raw lol)

If he will go for raw, it would be worth pursuing especially a lamb or particularly mutton diet as they're both the best for weight gain (unless you know any game keepers then venison!)

Try him with a bit of sheep and if he goes for it there's loads of rawfeeders on here that can help you work out a proper diet plan.

Raw also has a reputation for helping itchy skin problems in alot of dogs, so it could also really help with that.

I would try raw. You could start with something as simple as mince and the occasional chicken wing.

It sounds like you've nothing to lose by giving it a try.

Good luck x

Raw lamb (breast or flaps) is really good for skinny dogs. Have you tried Salmon and Potato?

Tears are in my eyes because of all your kindness on here. Its good to know that I am not alone. The vet says I should choose a food, put it down and take it away if he does'nt eat. Its not that easy when your dog is half starved. Yes I have tried salmon and potato but he wont have that either. I tried mixing this with raw but he picks out the meat. He also picks out the meat if i add veggies. I am definitely going to go for raw because he does like raw meat best but can he live on meat alone? I really could do with some advice on how to feed raw i.e. what do I feed with it? Do I give a supplement? Would it be OK to feed raw frozen prize choice cos I can get that locally? Is frozen lamb mince from the supermarket OK? Where do I get chicken wings? - none in my local sainsburys or tesco and local butcher not very helpful. I don't care about the cost, I will go without myself if I have to.

A lot of dogs absolutely love nature diet and natures harvest, haven't known any refuse to eat it !

you can get packs of frozen meat from Pets at Home. My dogs sometimes have the tripe but don't cook it your house will stink.

My two also love the Natures Diet as has already been mentioned but I think it contains rice???? not sure might be worth checking first.

Or most supermarkets do frozen chicken wings in freezer sections

good luck with him x