If you have a skinny or underweight dog who could benefit from gaining some extra weight, then using a high-calorie dog food can be a smart option, just as long as it provides all of the healthy nutrition your dog needs without relying on any unwanted fillers or additives.
Of course, while dog obesity tends to be the more common problem for dogs and their owners, there’s no denying that some dogs need to put on some extra weight in order to be strong and healthy.
Does Your Dog Need To Gain Weight?
If you suspect your dog is underweight, then it’s wise to visit your vet first. Just as you’d expect, visiting a professional will allow you to rule out any other health issues that could be causing the weight loss.
There are a few other important signs to look for when your dog is underweight. Often, you’ll notice that their shoulders and ribs seem far more visible than usual, and they may have a lack of interest in their food. In this case, visiting a vet is an important thing to do.
An underweight dog may also be quite lethargic and have little motivation for playing, running, or going for walks. However, it’s worth noting that certain breeds of dog will hold very little fat on them, so visible bones in these breeds may be less of an issue.
In some circumstances, there could be an underlying health issue that’s causing your dog difficulty with maintaining a healthy weight. For example, diabetes can affect your dog’s appetite, as well as IBS, thyroid issues, parasites, liver disease, and more. Ultimately, visiting a vet will be the best thing to do, so you can get a real diagnosis and know which steps to take next.
How To Help Your Dog Gain Weight
The first step to helping your dog gain weight is to make sure you’re giving them a high-quality brand of food that provides the key nutrition they need.
However, a big part of increasing your dog’s weight will come down to changing their feeding schedule and give them a freshly prepared meal anywhere up to 3 or 4 times a day. Of course, you can always make these meals a little smaller, so your dog has time to digest the food properly and to avoid any stomach upsets or potential vomiting.
Furthermore, it’s still a good idea to give your dog some exercise and encourage them to be active even while they’re working to gain weight because the activity will help to build and sustain lean muscle tissue as well as increase their appetite.
Giving your dog some tasty treats throughout the day can also be useful, especially if your dog already has a few favorites that will perk up their appetite.
The Best High Calorie Dog Food
Last update on 2023-05-26 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Orijen Original brand of dog food is known for being a high-quality option with a strong focus on providing real nutritional value, and this fact makes it a great choice when helping your dog to bulk up.
It uses “biologically appropriate” ingredients with a focus on tasty protein, including chicken, turkey, and fish, all of which promises to pass the “fit for human consumption” test, to ensure no low-quality ingredients find their way into the formula.
Furthermore, the blend uses a combination of 85% meat sources combined with 15% fruit and vegetables, which gives your dog plenty of calories, as well as keeping the food very appetizing and enjoyable for your pooch.
Last update on 2023-06-04 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Adirondack 30% protein high-fat formula is another popular option for any dog that needs to gain weight, as the high-calorie formulation ensures your dog will be eating enough food to bulk up in no time at all.
It comes with a balanced blend of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids which are great for your dog’s skin and coat health, and the focus on premium-grade ingredients means that you won’t find any low-grade bulking ingredients, and there’s no corn, wheat, or soy, either. Of course, it’s also free of artificial flavorings and colorings, too.
In terms of ingredients, it primarily relies on chicken meal, brown rice, and chicken fat as the top three ingredients, which makes it tasty and appealing to your dog, and it contains several key vitamins and minerals to further boost the nutritional value it offers.
Last update on 2023-05-23 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Blue Buffalo Life Protection formula is a popular choice for many dog owners, and it comes in several different recipes, which include chicken & brown rice, fish & brown rice, or lamb & brown rice. There’s also a small breed variation that can be useful for smaller dogs, and a large breed version, too.
The brand uses top ingredients throughout, and there’s also no use of chicken by-product meals, so the formula instead relies on real animal protein that’s great for appealing to fussy appetites.
There’s plenty of tasty ingredients in here, without any use of low-grade fillers and additives. However, it does come with Blue’s LifeSource Bits, which are a simple blend of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that help to boost the nutritional value.
Overall, it’s another reliable choice to consider when you’re looking for quality food that’ll help your dog to gain some extra weight, especially if you increase your dog’s meal frequency.
The Taste of the Wild formula is perhaps one of the most popular premium brands around, and it does a great job of giving your dog a quality meal that they’ll enjoy. It’s available in a few different versions, with the most popular being the High Prairie formula which relies on venison and bison as the primary protein sources.
Furthermore, the brand is entirely grain-free, so there’s nothing that’s likely to upset your dog’s digestive system. It also gives your dog well-rounded, balanced nutrition that ticks all of the key boxes you’ll be looking for in a quality food option for your pooch. It also contains further proprietary probiotics that help to keep your dog’s digestive system healthy, and it also ensures the brands is highly digestible.
Last update on 2023-06-04 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This formula comes with a blend of chicken meal and pork meal as the main ingredients, ensuring it has a high quantity of protein that can help to support the growth of lean muscle tissue and weight.vFurthermore, it relies on oatmeal, cranberry, and pumpkin for adding some additional calories along with helping to maintain a healthy digestive system for your dog.
The variety of protein sources works to ensure there’s a wide variety of amino acids and vitamins, and it also keeps the formula tasty, so most dogs will be happy to eat some extra servings when they need to gain some additional weight.
While some dog owners find the formula to be ideal for their dog’s weight, others aren’t so impressed by it. But overall, it’s certainly worth a closer look if you’re looking for a weight gaining dog food formula.
Last update on 2023-06-04 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Here’s another high-quality product that comes with many different flavor options, including chicken, beef, lamb, pork, duck, and several more. Importantly, the formula is comprised of over 60% protein-based ingredients, and it also contains further probiotics and enzymes which lend additional digestive support.
The blend is also quite affordable, which is great to see from a premium brand that doesn’t sacrifice the quality by adding any low-grade fillers. Most buyers were impressed with the nutritional quality of the blend, along with how easily and quickly their dogs have taken to the formula.
Last update on 2023-05-30 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Here’s a brand of dog food that’s focused on high performance, and it packs in plenty of calories which makes it an excellent choice for any dog that needs to gain some extra weight.
The blend is meat-based and comes with a nutritional blend of 30% protein and 20% fat, and one cup of the formula will come to 535 calories. Furthermore, there are no low-grade additives, nor will you find any wheat, corn, or soy.
In terms of the actual ingredients used, it relies on chicken meal as the primary ingredient, followed by brown rice and chicken fat. Many buyers are pleased with the high-calorie content of the blend, making it a good choice for any dog that needs to gain some lean muscle or additional weight.
Last update on 2023-06-04 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Purina One SmartBlend formula uses 30% protein in the form of real turkey, which not only makes the food very appetizing for your dog, but it also ensures your dog has a healthy source of protein and glucosamine. Of course, this also helps to maintain your dog’s lean muscle and encourage weight gain, too.
There’s no use of low-grade additives, flavorings, or preservatives, and it doesn’t use poultry by-product meal, instead relying on real turkey and venison as the main ingredient.
Many buyers have positive things to say about this popular blend, and while it doesn’t specifically focus on weight gain, the nutritional value of the food combined with frequent feedings should help your dog to gain some weight and size.
Last update on 2023-06-04 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
One way to increase your dog’s appetite is to add some tasty wet food to your dog’s daily menu and the Purina One SmartBlend wet food option is a good candidate to consider.
It comes with a nutritional-dense formula that uses meat as the primary ingredient. The turkey version of the blend relies on turkey, turkey broth, liver, and meat by-products as well as chicken, venison, and minerals.
However, there are a number of different formulas to choose from including beef & brown rice, chicken & brown rice, chicken & duck, and a few more. Ultimately, this gives you plenty of choice when choosing a blend for your dog, so if they have any particular favorites, it’s well worth choosing the best one.
Last update on 2023-05-24 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Wellness Core Natural dog food formula comes in a selection of different versions, including small breed, puppy, and large breed. There are also a few flavors to choose from, such as original turkey & chicken, wild game, or ocean whitefish, herring & salmon.
The blend relies on strong protein focus, with the Original version relying on deboned turkey, turkey meal, and chicken meal, along with peas, potatoes, and chicken fat.
You’ll also find that there are several important antioxidants, along with probiotics that can help to keep your dog’s digestive system strong and healthy. The use of quality ingredients makes this a useful option for regular feedings, and if you get the schedule right, you should find that your dog will gradually lose weight thanks to the quality nutrition and extra feedings.
Last update on 2023-05-30 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Merrick Grain Free formula comes without any grain or gluten, making it a safe option for most sensitive eaters. It also relies on deboned chicken as the primary ingredient, although there are plenty of additional flavors to choose from, including duck, lamb, salmon, beef, venison, and turkey.
According to the ingredient label, the first few ingredients include deboned chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, sweet potatoes, and potatoes, as well as peas and chicken fat.
There’s also plenty of omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids that help to support a healthy coat and skin, as well as high levels of glucosamine and chondroitin, which supports strong joints and hips, which is always useful for when a dog is gaining weight in particular.
Last update on 2023-06-04 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Here’s another high-quality dog food option, made by Nature’s Variety, which uses both freeze-dried raw food combined with high-protein kibble to ensure your dog will enjoy a tasty, nutritious meal every dinner time.
It’s available in a few different flavors including chicken, beef, duck, and lamb, along with small breed, toy breed, and large breed versions. Importantly, the formula contains probiotic boosters that help to maintain your dog’s digestive system, and the antioxidants go a long way toward maintaining healthy skin and a glowing coat.
Of course, the blend of kibble and freeze-dried raw pieces are great for encouraging your dog’s appetite, particularly if they are sometimes fussy about their regular kibble.
The Best High-Calorie Dog Supplements
In general, it’s best if you can encourage your dog to eat more real food, by using a tasty high-calorie brand, feeding them more frequently, and encouraging them with treats and healthy meals.
But in some cases, it can also be beneficial to use high-calorie supplementation to further aid your dog’s weight gain. With this in mind, here’s a selection of weight gaining supplements that may help your dog when they’re not eating enough regular food.
Last update on 2023-06-04 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Here’s a high-calorie nutritional gel that gives you a useful way to boost your dog’s daily calorie intake, and it relies on a concentrated source of minerals and vitamins to make sure it’s nutritional to your dog, too.
Just as you’d expect, the gel is a good option for dogs who aren’t well or who are very picky when it comes to eating, and the taste also goes along with this focus to entice your dog to eat more often.
Furthermore, it can be a useful product for encouraging your dog to take medicine as well, particularly pills that dogs usually spit out without any trouble at all.
Last update on 2023-05-30 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Here’s a weight gainer supplement from Miracle Vet, which is designed to give your dog a high dose of calories quickly and easily, making it a useful option for very underweight pets who are struggling to eat.
It relies on a blend of fats, fish oils, and whey protein isolate to ensure your dog receives a source of healthy nutrition without any low-grade fillers. Importantly, it doesn’t come with any artificial coloring or additives that could be harmful to your dog, so it’s generally a safe and reliable formula you can rely on.
Last update on 2023-05-30 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Here’s a great weight gainer supplement that comes with 90 servings per package, and they feature a lovely maple bacon flavor that will be appealing to most dogs.
It’s suitable for any dog breed, and it comes with a combination of 29% protein, 43% healthy fats, and it’s made from a simple powder that makes it very easy and convenient to add your dog’s usual meal, so you won’t need to change up your dog’s regular diet needlessly.
Another key feature is the focus on safe and healthy ingredients, with all the contents abiding by GMP guidelines. It also means it’s safe and recommended for puppies or nursing mothers who you’ll need to be careful with when it comes to their food.
Last update on 2023-06-07 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This popular nutritional supplement from Tomlyn is made specifically with puppies in mind. It uses a similar blend of ingredients, with a focus on providing vitamins and minerals, along with an enjoyable taste that should tempt any puppy to consume it.
Of course, this means it can be very useful for encouraging a smaller puppy to eat more calories. In fact, you can expect the product to have around 28 calories per single teaspoon.vThe malt flavoring is generally well accommodated by most dogs, and the addition of omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids are useful for puppy life in the early stages.
Last update on 2023-06-04 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This weight gaining supplement for underweight or skinny dogs comes with a blend that’s suitable for all breeds, and it uses a blend of 28% protein combined with 50% healthy fats, and BCAAs to help sustain healthy muscle growth.
It comes in a powder form that makes it easy to add to other food products, and the boost of calories will generally mean that you’ll see noticeable results within just a few weeks of use, so it’ll be wise to carefully track your dog’s weight over time while using the product.
Several buyers have been pleased with how the supplement has helped their dog to gain weight, particularly for dogs who have been dealing with previous food sensitivities or weight gaining issues.
Last update on 2023-06-04 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Here’s an interesting high-calorie supplement from a company called Dyne, and it uses a unique vanilla flavoring that should help to encourage the appetite of any dog that enjoys the flavor.
It comes with plenty of added vitamins to increase the overall nutritional value of the supplement, and it promises to be suitable for both dogs or puppies, depending on your requirements.
In general, you’ll find it quite simple to incorporate this supplement into your dog’s daily diet, with most buyers finding it best to mix in with your dog’s wet kibble, and the liquid nature of this product makes it easy to use without much difficulty.
