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Cane Corso 10 month old pup

I took my dog to the vet to get pills for her separation anxiety (breaking out of cage causing herself to cut her face up multiple times, runny poop anytime left alone for more than 5 hours, taking her to the dog park, being around people) she gets very sad when we leave and very excited when she's around other people or other dogs.
She has always looked very thin, but she ONLY weighs 60 lbs. This is not normal for this breed.
I am hoping that with this medication, it will help her gain weight, (Hoping she is just small from how much she poops, and how it upsets her tummy).
I feed her Blue Buffalo large breed puppy chicken and brown rice.
She always has food in her bowl, she probably only eats about 4 cups a day, but there is always food in the bowl she just wont eat a lot.
Any advice on how to fatten her up?
 

Porcheesy

Well-Known Member
I took my dog to the vet to get pills for her separation anxiety (breaking out of cage causing herself to cut her face up multiple times, runny poop anytime left alone for more than 5 hours, taking her to the dog park, being around people) she gets very sad when we leave and very excited when she's around other people or other dogs.
She has always looked very thin, but she ONLY weighs 60 lbs. This is not normal for this breed.
I am hoping that with this medication, it will help her gain weight, (Hoping she is just small from how much she poops, and how it upsets her tummy).
I feed her Blue Buffalo large breed puppy chicken and brown rice.
She always has food in her bowl, she probably only eats about 4 cups a day, but there is always food in the bowl she just wont eat a lot.
Any advice on how to fatten her up?
Just a suggestion I have heard some scrappy stuff about blue buffalo! Maybe try and switch her food! A lot of people on here have suggested food for my dog and she in on the right track now! A couple suggested to me was Earthborn, Acana, Fromm! Sounds like she does not like her food too
 

Joel

Active Member
I took my dog to the vet to get pills for her separation anxiety (breaking out of cage causing herself to cut her face up multiple times, runny poop anytime left alone for more than 5 hours, taking her to the dog park, being around people) she gets very sad when we leave and very excited when she's around other people or other dogs.
She has always looked very thin, but she ONLY weighs 60 lbs. This is not normal for this breed.
I am hoping that with this medication, it will help her gain weight, (Hoping she is just small from how much she poops, and how it upsets her tummy).
I feed her Blue Buffalo large breed puppy chicken and brown rice.
She always has food in her bowl, she probably only eats about 4 cups a day, but there is always food in the bowl she just wont eat a lot.
Any advice on how to fatten her up?

I can tell you some don't do well with chicken, I made the mistake of feeding my female treats that were chicken based , that was the first and last time I've fed her any kind of Chicken! They eat earthborn meadow feast, lamb is the only protein source!
 

Aren

Member
If she was my dog and tested parasite negative, I would give her slippery elm (2 capsules, 400 mg ea) 2 times a day to help her stomach. I would also give her diatomaceous earth (food grade only) 2 heaping teaspoons 2 time a day thoroughly mixed with wet food. I would switch her to canned food to encourage her to eat. These suggestions are what I would do, and only if the Vet finds the dog to be otherwise normal. 60 pounds is very thin. The DE slows down the digestion and forms the stool. It helps by providing time for the food to be absorbed and increases time to digest. Look at some stool charts for dogs on the internet. If the stool is pudding like and light coloured, she may not be absorbing her food. This may be because she is passing it too quickly. That could be caused by allergies or irritable bowels, parasites or other issues. If you try the DE and slippery elm it will do no harm and you can see if it helps. You should undertake your own due diligence in following any suggestions.

One of my dogs is allergic to chicken in any form other than raw. Most chicken is intensively farmed, treated with antibiotics and growth hormones and fed pesticide laden feed. Some dogs react to these. I don't like canned food, but it is important for the dog to eat and maintain a reasonable weight. My young CC was only a bit above 50 pounds at 7.5 months (way too thin) and it took a while to build her up. She is now 10 months old and weighs about 75 pounds. She is still thin.

My young CC had the pudding poo issue also. Her litter mates were found to have giardia, and tests are not always reliable. False negatives are common depending where in the parasites life cycle they are underway when the tests are taken. My puppy tested negative for parasites, but I found her to have worms. Sometimes several tests need to be done. Normal stool should be chocolate brown, segmented and well formed, such that it can easily be picked up. Pedigree canned food works well and is very palatable to underweight dogs. It is less than $11/case of 22 oz cans at Amazon. I donate cases of it to the shelter to put weight on underweight rescued dogs. In order to gain weight the food needs to be appropriately absorbed before it is excreted. Looking a her stool and comparing it to a stool chart with images will help you.

I can't imagine leaving my CC alone for 5 hours in a crate but understand that it is necessary for many dog owners. The Corsi are a very social breed and need their humans more than many other breeds. They don't like to be alone. Five hours is a long time for a puppy, and I am fortunate to not need to leave mine for that long. If you must crate, it sounds like you need a much better crate. Perhaps go to one of the big box pet stores and get a crate which can contain the dog. I would not continue to use a crate if it had injured my dog. A flimsy crate is a dangerous crate.

Best Wishes for you and your puppy.
Ari
 
If she was my dog and tested parasite negative, I would give her slippery elm (2 capsules, 400 mg ea) 2 times a day to help her stomach. I would also give her diatomaceous earth (food grade only) 2 heaping teaspoons 2 time a day thoroughly mixed with wet food. I would switch her to canned food to encourage her to eat. These suggestions are what I would do, and only if the Vet finds the dog to be otherwise normal. 60 pounds is very thin. The DE slows down the digestion and forms the stool. It helps by providing time for the food to be absorbed and increases time to digest. Look at some stool charts for dogs on the internet. If the stool is pudding like and light coloured, she may not be absorbing her food. This may be because she is passing it too quickly. That could be caused by allergies or irritable bowels, parasites or other issues. If you try the DE and slippery elm it will do no harm and you can see if it helps. You should undertake your own due diligence in following any suggestions.

One of my dogs is allergic to chicken in any form other than raw. Most chicken is intensively farmed, treated with antibiotics and growth hormones and fed pesticide laden feed. Some dogs react to these. I don't like canned food, but it is important for the dog to eat and maintain a reasonable weight. My young CC was only a bit above 50 pounds at 7.5 months (way too thin) and it took a while to build her up. She is now 10 months old and weighs about 75 pounds. She is still thin.

My young CC had the pudding poo issue also. Her litter mates were found to have giardia, and tests are not always reliable. False negatives are common depending where in the parasites life cycle they are underway when the tests are taken. My puppy tested negative for parasites, but I found her to have worms. Sometimes several tests need to be done. Normal stool should be chocolate brown, segmented and well formed, such that it can easily be picked up. Pedigree canned food works well and is very palatable to underweight dogs. It is less than $11/case of 22 oz cans at Amazon. I donate cases of it to the shelter to put weight on underweight rescued dogs. In order to gain weight the food needs to be appropriately absorbed before it is excreted. Looking a her stool and comparing it to a stool chart with images will help you.

I can't imagine leaving my CC alone for 5 hours in a crate but understand that it is necessary for many dog owners. The Corsi are a very social breed and need their humans more than many other breeds. They don't like to be alone. Five hours is a long time for a puppy, and I am fortunate to not need to leave mine for that long. If you must crate, it sounds like you need a much better crate. Perhaps go to one of the big box pet stores and get a crate which can contain the dog. I would not continue to use a crate if it had injured my dog. A flimsy crate is a dangerous crate.

Best Wishes for you and your puppy.
Ari

Thank you for your advice.
I try very hard not to leave her in the cage for over 3 hours, but I do have to work. I work from home most of the time but normally have to go into the office for a few hours 3-4 days a week.
I also am on my 4th cage with her.. since the last time since she cut herself good I have not caged her.
I got her tested for parvo when we first got her because the diarrhea was so bad, tested negative and had the vet give me more deworming pills just in case.
I also give her wet dog food when I know I will be home all day and wont have to leave jn case it brings the diarrhea back.
I am looking into everything you suggested, What dog food do you give your cane corso?
 
I am looking to change her dog food...
I am wanting it to be something I can buy somewhere near me so I don't have to rely on getting it shipped to me.. at the same time I don't want to go over $65 for a 28-33 pound bag. If i can't find anything better I will probably end up going with the Fromm puppy food.

Does anyone have any other puppy food recommendations?
 
I can tell you some don't do well with chicken, I made the mistake of feeding my female treats that were chicken based , that was the first and last time I've fed her any kind of Chicken! They eat earthborn meadow feast, lamb is the only protein source!
Thank you! I have always been told yo have them eat chicken.
I am looking into other dog food brands, I will be trying to stay away from chicken.
 

Porcheesy

Well-Known Member
I am looking to change her dog food...
I am wanting it to be something I can buy somewhere near me so I don't have to rely on getting it shipped to me.. at the same time I don't want to go over $65 for a 28-33 pound bag. If i can't find anything better I will probably end up going with the Fromm puppy food.

Does anyone have any other puppy food recommendations?
Many on this forum will advise to use an adult all life stages food instead of puppy food! As long and the calcium and phosphorus ratios are correct
.... the bag of earthborn holistic meadow feast is around 51 bucks for a 28lb bag- calcium 1.2 , phos 1.0
Chewy has 1-2 day shipping if you spend 49.00....! I have been using chewy and it has worked for me! Very fast delivery each time
 

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
I took my dog to the vet to get pills for her separation anxiety (breaking out of cage causing herself to cut her face up multiple times, runny poop anytime left alone for more than 5 hours, taking her to the dog park, being around people) she gets very sad when we leave and very excited when she's around other people or other dogs.
She has always looked very thin, but she ONLY weighs 60 lbs. This is not normal for this breed.
I am hoping that with this medication, it will help her gain weight, (Hoping she is just small from how much she poops, and how it upsets her tummy).
I feed her Blue Buffalo large breed puppy chicken and brown rice.
She always has food in her bowl, she probably only eats about 4 cups a day, but there is always food in the bowl she just wont eat a lot.
Any advice on how to fatten her up?

You've received a lot of good suggestions. You might also take a look at making some Satin Balls. There are several recipes online. I always used them for the emaciated boxers that I fostered and it did help put weight on them.

I am curious to know if your girl shows other signs of anxiety? I have a boxer, behaviorist diagnosed, with severe generalized anxiety. As a puppy he had the same behaviors (and more) that you're describing. He's skin and bones. Our vet and I were hopeful that anxiety medication would help him put some weight on, but it hasn't. You can see every bone in his spine, all his ribs, and his hips stick up. Other than looking like crap, he's perfectly healthy. He even tests borderline hypothyroid, which should make him on the chubby side. My vet and behaviorist believe that he basically just worries the calories away. He eats just fine, and I've tried every food there is. The better foods his body didn't seem to use very well as he pooped larger and more often that my mastiff. In times of high stress he also suffers from IBS. I guess what I'm saying is that while trying different foods is a good idea, you may want to consider if her anxiety is contributing to the problem. A good force free trainer with experience dealing with reactive/anxious dogs, in addition to pharmaceuticals, might be something to consider.

Oh - also do a search for the recipe for Satin Balls. I used them with great success for the emaciated boxers that I used to foster. They are too rich for my guy, but it might help you boost your girl's calorie intake and stimulate her appetite.
 

Bugsln

New Member
Thank you all! She is now on Fromm. She loves it and is chowing down!
Mine is on Fromme too. Our vet had us switch to the Fromm Gold Large Breed Adult but now I'm thinking of changing it to Fromm Heartland Gold for Large Breed because she may be having a problem with chicken/poultry products.
 

Courtney H

Well-Known Member
I don't feed my Corsos anything that has the word "chicken" in the ingredient list. Runny poops for days if they eat chicken...

My male has the same problem with busting out of his crate. We actually have to put a padlock on the top and bottom so he doesn't break free. I wish I could keep them out of their crates, but I know the male will go crazy and eat my house.
 

Zeela

Well-Known Member
I never had to crate my Corso, nor would I. I made the kitchen her area at first (3 mos. old) if I was not home. Now at 7 mos., she has full run and basically
sleeps on the couch while I am at work. She knows how to respect our home. I taught it to her slowly and step by step. As far as food, I give her
Nutro chicken large puppy food and I make her homemade baked chicken & sometimes beef. She also gets a little wet food when I do not have the
time to cook. She likes milk once in a while and scrambled eggs.
 

Steven C

Well-Known Member
I took my dog to the vet to get pills for her separation anxiety (breaking out of cage causing herself to cut her face up multiple times, runny poop anytime left alone for more than 5 hours, taking her to the dog park, being around people) she gets very sad when we leave and very excited when she's around other people or other dogs.
She has always looked very thin, but she ONLY weighs 60 lbs. This is not normal for this breed.
I am hoping that with this medication, it will help her gain weight, (Hoping she is just small from how much she poops, and how it upsets her tummy).
I feed her Blue Buffalo large breed puppy chicken and brown rice.
She always has food in her bowl, she probably only eats about 4 cups a day, but there is always food in the bowl she just wont eat a lot.
Any advice on how to fatten her up?


Going through the exact same issue at this time. I also work from home and office and usually take her with me, but when we go somewhere she cannot and wecan't leave her in the car due to heat its cage time. She also had diarreah from the stress.

Victor professional from Chewy changed the loose stool right away and is top rated US made. She and the Poodles love it and all their stools are rock hard. Stay far away from any food bought by Diamond foods.

When I find a solution to the cage issue I'm having (same as yours) you can see my forum post as well. Our young Corso is a nightmare in comparison to our other mastiff but we will get through it with her and surely as an adult she will be fine in the house left alone. Funny thing is, she is trained amazingly well but it doesn't stop the hoodini routines at all costs. Sometimes my wife and I think what did we get ourselves into, but we quickly realize how great she will be in a year or so. Plus the needed protection and home security in the USA now.