# Fatten em up



## Aidan (Nov 3, 2009)

Anyone increase the amount of food given during cold months to try and put a little bit more weight on them?

Will this extra food actually making a difference in attempting to keep them a little bit warmer?


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## BLUE PIT BULL MAN (May 22, 2009)

i have increased the fat i have givven.


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## ROYCE BOOBS (Aug 27, 2009)

BLUE PIT BULL MAN said:


> i have increased the fat i have givven.


what source of fat do you give them?


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## tablerock (Oct 15, 2009)

If you are conditioning your dogs for show season in the warmer months and have their body fat reduced I would highly suggest increasing their food/fat/protein intake (not necessarily in that order) for the colder months. 
If your dog looks listless he could either be too thin resulting in cold body, or you could have him too fat resulting in lethargy.

I switch dog foods from Show Season to Off Season every year. I keep the foods similar in ingredients so the switch isn't harsh on their systems. I buy a lesser expensive food for the winter months because I am not worried about a shiny coat and other 'show' characteristics.
On each bag of dog food, no matter what brand, you will see a gradient scale on how much to feed your dog based on weight. When I am 'fattening up' for winter I usually start feeding toward the larger end of the feeding scale for my dog's current weight. Then I watch the dog and see how he/she is doing and adjust accordingly.
- Sara


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## Howardsperformancek9 (Feb 11, 2009)

I think I posted this in another topic, but it may have been awhile ago. In the winter, I increase calories, either by feeding a higher fat food, or I add fat. I am able to get fat from a local food place that has a deep fryer. They change the oil frequently and give me their old oil. It is still good, not rancid or anything. I do this for my outside dogs, not inside ones. I give about 4-6 tablespoon-fulls to each 50 pound dog, a little more if they weigh over that. I also water them in the food to keep them hydrated. You may not need to do this if you live in a warmer climate, but here in the Michigan it gets really cold. You want good layer of fat on them. My dogs look like hogs when winter first ends. Yet, in over 25 years, I have never lost dog to the cold.


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## bahamutt99 (May 14, 2008)

I normally don't because my dogs have always been house dogs. Our living situation has changed for the time being and they're in a heated kennel building, but they still spend more time outside than they're used to. So yeah, I've upped the food intake a little bit. I keep meaning to add olive oil to help keep their coats from drying out. Forgetful as all get-out, but its still on my to-do list.


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## OldFortKennels (Mar 10, 2006)

YEss we increase the fat in their diets and the amount of food they eat. Why? Because when it gets cold dogs shiver. Shivering is something they dont do when its warm, shivering burns calories, same amount of food + burning more calories means the dogs are losing weight. They are already in conditioned form for the most part, they can afford to lose to much more weight so I have to balance that out. Also fat insulates, more fat means they are a bit warmer.


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## Aidan (Nov 3, 2009)

What is a good source of fat I can add to their food intake?


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## OldFortKennels (Mar 10, 2006)

find a food higher in fat or find a local butcher, you can buy beef fat slices. Its cheap too.


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## Aidan (Nov 3, 2009)

Yea I don't feel like switching foods again I just now got them settled on Taste of the Wild, just looking for something to add to the food.


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## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

I feed about 2 cups in the summer and I have to almost double that in the winter to keep fat on them.


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## MY MIKADO (Apr 7, 2006)

I add lard to my outside dogs food. I don't increase the amount I feed I just add lard. I buy it at the grocery store.


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## bluefamily (Aug 8, 2007)

maybe this is the cardiac nurse coming out in me but with adding straight fat or lard to the intake, does that also increase their vascular plaque build up and in turn making them more at risk for heart attacks?


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## MY MIKADO (Apr 7, 2006)

I did have time to find an article related to dogs but this is just one of the many articles I found on ther benefits of lard.

The latest studies amazingly show that lard isn’t harmful, as it was thought, but healthy! The lard contains the arachidonic acid that relates to polyunsaturated fatty acids (Omega-6). Omega-6 is part of heart, brain and kidney tissues and essential for their proper functioning. The lard has anticancer effect as the most of carcinogens dissolve in fatty acids. As the arachidonic acid can improve metabolism and dissolve cholesterol, the lard helps remove toxins form our body and lowers blood cholesterol level. To achieve named health benefits, it is best to eat lard with garlic. Both garlic and lard are a good source of selenium, and selenium is what we need to strengthen the immune system. The lard also contains saturated acids that are vital to our health.

Lard Health BenefitsThe lard is effective for the treatment of lung diseases. 
Bile-expelling properties of the lard make it a good remedy for liver disorders. 
The lard also prevents atherosclerosis.


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## bluefamily (Aug 8, 2007)

*lard butts ;>*

ok that puts some questions I had to rest. the next one is of course what is the garlic to lard ratio and hopw much to give to each dog? Is it weight based?


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## MY MIKADO (Apr 7, 2006)

I give my guys brewers yeast with garlic. I buy the 1000 tab bottle. I give my guys like Vendetta (45#) 4-5 tablets a day. All of them love these tablets so it is had to stop handing them out. DaVinci is 60# so he gets 6 tablets.


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## Howardsperformancek9 (Feb 11, 2009)

We live in a state that has extreme cold for almost 6 months, of the year. Feeding 8 cups of food is not practical, when you can just add a little fat/oil to a quality feed. I do not add cups, only enough to coat the food. I also increase food from 3 cups to 4 or 5. The oil I use is all vegetable, but I have used lard in the past with good results. That is not my whole diet, my dogs get plenty of raw(chicken, beef and venison). I also have a friend that butchers, and he gives me bones and good scrap.

Also, where do you think the dog food companies are getting their fat, it is mostly added, not naturally occuring. 

I think my dogs, live to a good, healthy old age. They have pretty much lived from 11 all the way to 17 years, with the average being around 13.


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