help putting weight on my frenchie...

[bouledoguefrench]

I need some advice on putting some weight on my frenchie. He's a male, unaltered, 12 months old. He's weighing in at about 23lbs now, and he's healthy, no breathing or severe allergy issues to date. He's currently eating Wellness brand dog food to the feeding instructions on the package but he's really boney and skinny. I know he's a good weight, the vet said he looks good and that unaltered males are usually skinner, or I've been told...but I would like to add some bulk to him so he's not boney. When he's sitting down his spine shows and I don't think that's good. What can I do to add some bulk...

[Tatiana]

Has your veterinarian run a thyroid panel? Has he suggested checking his liver enzyme levels? If your dog is eating the adequate amount of food per day, he should essentially be a normal weight for his size and the protruding of the ribs sounds a bit perplexing... A dog shouldn't necessarily gain much weight after being altered if fed correctly so is there any particular reason your dog hasn't been neutered yet? Wellness is a well-known brand, but I've heard that Orijen is like "rocket fuel" and that people tend to feed proportionately less of it to avoid weight-gain in their dogs, so you may want to try it for a while and see if your dog puts on some weight. Like all creatures, one's metabolism is distinct and some dogs are simply less bulky than others, but unaltered males can be finnickier with foods and less prone to put on weight if they live in proximity to other unaltered dogs, especially around any females. And apart from the dried kibble, you can add a bit of cottage cheese or plain yogurt (if there's no lactose intolerance), scrambled eggs, boiled boneless chicken or ground beef, or some home-cooked carbs such as mashed potatoes (white & sweet), some pasta or bland rice, from time to time, which he'll probably devour and enjoy. Lastly, most veterinarians carry a product called Nutri-Cal that's also available at most pet stores... It's a high-caloric nutritional supplement consisting mostly of molasses and some vitamins... It comes in a squeeze tube and you can try feeding your dog a couple of tablespoons per day to see if that helps him put on weight... One of my females is living in the company of my sister in New York, and because the dog is small in size and walks a couple of miles to and from work every day, I have my sister administer Nutri-Cal to prevent the dog from losing too much weight. Hope this helps : )

[Coby]

Coby almost 2 yrs. old and he weigh in 23.5 lbs. he's perfectly healthy alot of muscle thou i think that's the average french bulldog weight.

[natalia and luke]

I'd say that if the vet says he's ok, then he's ok. Our Jack is a tiny little fellow at no more than 18 lbs (neutered, 13 months old), but our vet(s) thinks he's completely healthy. Most people with Frenchies (with whom I've spoken) have said that they didn't stop growing until around 18 months, so you've still got some time. If I were you, I'd keep doing what you're doing, and if the vet advises a change for health reasons, do so. Since he seems to be healthly, wait and see what the next 6 months of developement do for you.