lab diet

Question
QUESTION: hi i have a 2 yr old ckc reg fox red lab that i got 2 1/2 months ago. she just turned 2 last month. the person that i got her from bred her back to back so as you can imagine when i got her she was in pretty bad health weight wise. i was changing foods a lot to start with and when i first wrote in to the allexperts i was advised to put her on eagle pack... so for the last month and a half she has been on the eagle pack power.i have taken her to the vet and they gave her a clean bill of health, we also wormed her while i was there.they also said that she needs to put on a little weight she is currently stage 2 they said and she is  66lbs.
now i think that she has put on a little weight but i guess my question is how can i get her to eat more or what can i give her to help put more weight on. at the moment i give her as much as she will eat.  i am also thinking maybe eagle pack is not working for her? or will it just take time? i was thinking of trying nutri source? i just want her to be in the best possible health

ANSWER: I think there are a few things you can try to help her gain some more weight. First off, Eagle Pack Holistic isn't a terrible food, but it's pretty low calorie wise, so I don't think switching her is a bad idea. Have you looked into Canidae? It's got over 400 calories a cup, which I think could really help her. Also, it's fairly cheap. Around where I live it runs $40 for 40 pounds. Nutri Source isn't a bad food either, but I can't find a calorie content, so I'm not sure if it has more.

If you have trouble getting her to eat more, try splitting up her meals, and feeding her three times a day. That way, you can up her intake, but portion it so she's not overwhelmed by the amount of food.

I have a German Shorthaired Pointer who is very active, and therefore difficult to keep weight on. In addition to his regular dry food, I'll add Satin Balls if he needs to put on some weight. They've worked wonders for him, and have kept him at his perfect weight for a couple of years now. To check out the recipe and get a little more information about them, you can go here:

http://www.njboxers.com/satin-balls-recipe.htm

Getting some good canned food, like Wellness, Canidae, or Innova, and adding them to her meals will also help her put on weight. I also give my dogs other extras like cottage cheese and peanut butter, which are great extra calories as well.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask them. I hope this helps!

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QUESTION: she is on the eagle pack power which is 20% fat 30%protein and 449 kcal/cup. i got told this is one of the best foods out there. is that good? i  can't afford to put her on canidae its $70 before taxes where i am in canada. eagle pack power is $70 with taxes in it. i will try canned food as well and see where we get. does eagle pack do canned food

Answer
Yes, I think Eagle Pack does have canned food as well. That formula is one of the higher calorie ones, so that's good. I didn't realize that you're in Canada, and I understand price is a big concern. I know Orijen is made in Canada, so it might be cheaper for you. Also, have you looked into Wellness, Innova, and Nature's Variety? I'm pretty sure they are American made, so I have no idea how much they cost in Canada, but they are great foods as well.

With added canned food, and maybe some of the other extras I mentioned, I think she can definitely put on the needed pounds. I think it's great that you rescued her, and are so dedicated to getting her better!