Gaining or Losing Weight

Is my Greyhound too Fat or too thin?
Usually when someone is asking it is because they have slipped over that line to “chubby” greyhound — and most people know that Kari is a purist and prefers to see the greyhounds a little thin as apposed to a lot fat.

You should be able to see the shadow of their ribs & feel their hip bones when your greyhound is in prime pet condition. Here are suggestions if your greyhound needs to drop or add a few pounds.

Loosing Weight
It seems obvious to say cut back on the amount of food you give them but that really is the key — but to keep your greyhound from thinking that their throat has been cut & they are starving you can add green beans to their kibble (frozen or canned — rinse canned to get rid of salt) — if you cut back a cup of food, substitute a cup of green beans — very filling but with few calories.

You also want to limit treats and stay away from high calorie additives like canned food.

Exercise helps also!

Gaining Weight:
If your greyhound is older or has been ill they may need to pick up a few pounds — or just not loose any more. If they have cut back on their consumption due to age or health you want to give them food that is higher in calories so they get more bang for their buck. Some of the things you can add or try are:puppy food – kibblepuppy food or other cannedpumpkin (a couple of tablespoons)scrambled eggs

For a seriously ill dog or one that just doesn’t eat much because of age you can try this recipe below — obviously designed to make a batch & freeze or you can adjust to smaller batches.

Satin Balls:10 pounds hamburger meat [the cheapest kind]1 lg. box of Total cereal [or comparable natural brand]1 lg. box oatmeal1 jar of wheat germ1 1/4 cup veg oil1 1/4 cup of unsulfured molasses10 raw eggs10 envelopes of unflavored gelatinpinch of salt

Mix all ingredients together, much like you would a meatloaf. Roll into meat balls or “rods” of food (saves on storage room and is
easier to count how many are needed per day). Put into plastic sandwich bags and freeze. Thaw as needed.