How can I get my Siberian husky to lose weight
How to help your husky lose weight
If you have a Siberian Husky at home, you will probably to take all necessary measures to maintain its overall health and well-being. One of the major problems you might encounter is your Husky becoming obese. Despite its strong built, your Husky needs a very small amount of food per day compared to dogs of similar size, usually only 1 to 2 cups of kibble or specially formulated raw diet. But this food has to be of superior quality to meet your huskys needs. Here is a list of important tips that will help you motivate your dog to lose weight and become fit.
1. Provide high-quality dog food
The food your Siberian Husky consumes plays a big role in their weight gain and fitness. You should never spend money on low-quality dog food brands, as they contain a higher amount of corn and other grains. You need to be careful when choosing dry food for your pup, checking its nutritious benefits and picking a brand that offers a big amount of meat in its products.
2. Understand the nutritional requirements
The nutritional requirements of Siberian Huskies differ from those of other dogs. You need to provide them with nutritionally balanced meals in order to maintain their physical stamina and muscular body. Such a diet should contain proteins and amino acids that are derived from plant-based foods and meat. Moreover, it is important to add vitamins, fats, and minerals to the meals.
3. Increase exercise
Exercise is one of the most efficient, healthy methods to help your Husky lose weight. If you dont take your dog for a walk every morning, its about time you start to make a habit out of it. If you already do, start prolonging the walks and maybe add some playtime to the daily schedule. If you use a bicycle for transportation, consider taking your dog jogging alongside you while running errands.
4. Give smaller treats
Have If you have a habit of giving your Husky treats every day, you might want to consider cutting that off. Dog treats do, in fact, contribute to the overall weight of your dog and therefore need to be given when truly earned and in small amounts. Dogs dont generally care how big the treat is, they just appreciate getting one. Consistently giving your Husky treats indirectly affects their continuous desire for food, whether hungry or not. Try buying treats with low-calorie counts to avoid adding unnecessary fats to your pups daily intake. Avoid treating your dog with foods we humans consume for pleasure, hence no peanut butter, cheese, hot dogs and etc. Replace these unhealthy snacks with broccoli, green beans, baby carrots and other healthy options.
5. Make your Siberian husky work for food
Last but not least, it is recommended that you make your Siberian Husky work for food. Huskies are natural hunters, therefore it shouldnt be hard for them to understand the concept of giving a little effort to receive a meal. Puzzles and food-dispensing balls can be considered as the best methods available for you to make your dog work for food. By doing this, your dog will be burning extra calories, exercise their natural instinct and feel rewarded when they get to eat. It will also help preventing your dog from being picky about the food, as some tend to avoid vegetables and go straight for the meat. The challenge will most certainly help your dog enjoy their entire plate.
Why Is My Husky So Skinny (And How To Fatten Them Up)
When your husky looks like theyre underweight its vital that you help them gain weight until theyre looking healthy again. However, as well as knowing how to help your husky how to gain weight, you also need to ask yourself Why is my husky so skinny?
In this article, youll find out the answer to both of these questions, as well as what weight your husky should be, how to tell if theyre underweight by looking at them and the health consequences that can occur if your husky is underweight.
So keep reading to find out everything you want to know!
First Of All, How Much Should Huskies Weigh?
Before anything its important to know how much your husky should weigh. After all, theres no point trying to get them to gain weight if theyre already a good size. A female husky should weigh between 16-23kg and a male should weigh between 20-27kg.
If your husky is above or below the mark, you should take them to a vet to see what needs to be done to help them.
How Can You Tell If Your Husky Is Underweight?
There are a number of easy ways to spot if your husky is underweight. Obviously, the most certain weight is to actually weigh them. But this isnt something that youre probably not going to do very often.
Here are the main indicators that your husky is too skinny.
You Can See Prominent Bones
The biggest indicator that your husky is underweight is when you can see prominent bones. If you can see their ribs, spine, pelvic bones then they need to gain weight ASAP. Of course, at this stage the weight loss is already quite severe, and youll need to take them to a vet.
No Muscle Or Body Fat
Another severe symptom of your husky being underweight is when you notice there isnt any body fat or muscle on them. When this and the last sign are combined, youll notice your husky looks skinny from a distance as well.
You Can Feel Their Ribs
If your husky isnt majorly underweight, this is the biggest sign to let you know. When you run your hands over their ribs, you should be able to feel their ribs, but also a layer of fat and muscle over the top.
When you cant feel the fat or muscle, its a clear sign that your husky needs to gain some weight.
Theyll Be Lethargic
Not all the time, but if your husky is losing weight or has lost a lot of weight, the chances are theyre not going to want to move as much. Obviously, if they dont have enough energy to keep their body strong and healthy, then they might not wish to expend loads of energy either.
Their Coat May Look Dull
Lastly, you may notice that their coat looks a lot duller and flat. When your husky is too skinny, theyre probably not getting enough nutrients. And when theyre not getting enough nutrients theres also a good chance that their coat is going to suffer as well.
Why Is Your Husky So Skinny?
Now you know all the different ways to tell if your husky is underweight, the next step is figuring out why theyre so skinny. While the information on this article can give you a rough idea, its vital you go to a vet to find out for sure.
Theyll be able to diagnose exactly whats wrong with your husky and, more importantly, how to help them gain the right amount of weight.
Here are all the things that could be causing your husky to be too skinny.
Theyre Being Underfed
The simplest explanation may be that your husky is just being underfed. This is especially true when theyre a puppy and they need loads of food to fill them up! However, even as they get older they still might not be eating enough. For example, if you have two dogs, your other dog might be eating a lot of your huskies food.
Their Food Might Not Have Enough Nutrients
Another reason is that the food youre feeding them may not have enough nutrients in it. Each breed of dog has different dietary requirements they need to stay healthy and at a good weight. If youre feeding your husky food that isnt formulated by huskies or big dogs specifically, then they may end up becoming malnourished which can result in them losing too much weight.
You Might Not Be Fulfilling Their Individual Needs
On top of both of these you may not be fulfilling your huskies individual needs. For example, a husky that exercises frequently is going to need a lot more than a husky that doesnt get as much exercise.
When you take this into consideration, the calorie difference between two dogs could be extremely high. Likewise, a dogs metabolism can also affect how much food theyre going to need to eat.
Parasites
Another common reason that your husky may be losing weight is because theyre suffering from certain parasites. The main parasite that can affect your huskies weight are worms. However, in severe cases, fleas can affect a dogs appetite causing them to lose weight.
They Could Be Picky Eaters
If your husky is a picky eater, then this is another cause of weight loss. Youll be able to spot a picky eater a mile away, as most of their food will be left, and if you offer them a variety of different treats they may turn their nose up to them.
Mouth Problems
Another reason that your husky may be so skinny is if they have dental problems. Obviously, if theyre struggling to eat, then theyre going to begin to lose weight. If youre not sure whether your dog has mouth problems there are some common signs.
First of all their breath may smell foul. As well as this, you may notice that theyve stopped playing games they used to play with you that involved their mouth. You should also check for broken teeth and wounds along the gums and lips.
Certain Medications
Certain medications can affect your huskies appetite and cause them to lose weight. If you think that medication is behind your huskies weight loss, then you should take them back to the vet. Sometimes, different medicine can be administered that wont affect their appetite or weight.
Diseases
Diseases, specifically diseases that affect the stomach, mouth and throat of your husky can cause them to lose weight as well. The one that springs to mind most is cancer, however, its definitely not the only one. As well as cancer, diseases like diabetes can also be a caught of weight loss.
Theyre Getting Old
As your husky gets older, the chances are they arent going to want to eat as much. Im not talking about a puppy growing into an adult, but a full grown husky reaching their senior years.
While sometimes theres no reason behind it but old age, other times it may be due to an illness associated with old age. So its best to take them to a vet to find out.
How Can You Fatten A Husky Up?
Fortunately, if your husky is underweight, there are lots of things you can do to fatten them up. Before ANYTHING though, you should make sure youre taking them to a vet to check that nothing serious is wrong with them.
When you do take them to the vet, theyll give you some of the following tips to help your pup gain weight!
Make Sure Youre Giving Them Nutritionally Complete Food
First of all, you should make sure that the food youre feeding your husky meets their nutritional needs. Look for high-quality dog food made for big dogs or huskies specifically. Plenty of amino acids are a great place to start as well as making sure youre looking for food with high quality proteins.
If youre feeding your husky a raw diet, you should also consider switching to ready-made food. No matter how well you plan your huskies diet, the chances are youre not going to be able to get all the nutrition they need into it.
(One of the best dry foods you can give your husky is Taste Of The Wild Dry Dog Food according to Dogfoodadvisor.
Try Feeding Them Wet Food
You should also try feeding your husky wet food. Generally speaking, dogs prefer the smell of wet food, as its much more appealing to them than kibble. But its not just that. As well as being appealing, wet food tends to contain a lot more nutrition than dry food.
(If youre not sure what wet food, Id highly recommend Blue Buffalo Homestyle Wet Dog Food.)
Add More Snacks And Treats To Their Diet
The EASIEST way to help your husky gain weight is to incorporate more snacks and treats into their diet. People often recommend that about 10% of your huskies diet should be treats. However, if youre trying to get them to gain weight, sometimes it may be a good idea to give them a little bit more.
Just make sure the snacks youre feeding them are healthy, and wont cause them to put on too much weight. (Like cheese, peanut butter, or anything too sugary.)
Feed Them High Calorie Dog Food
There are plenty of high-calorie dog foods available on the market, so if your husky is underweight it may be a good idea to swap what theyre currently eating now. One GREAT dog food you can feed your husky to help them gain weight is Crave. Its high in protein and healthy fats so it can massively increase your huskies size and weight!
Try Freed Feeding Them
If your husky really struggles to eat at specific times during the day, you could try free feeding them. Free feeding is where you leave food out for them all day, and let them graze as and when they want.
However, this method isnt generally recommended as it can cause them to gain too much weight. And if it becomes a habit, they may like meals at certain times even less!
Feed Them Smaller Meals, More Often
Another tactic is to feed them smaller meals more often. This is a great way to get them into the habit of eating more, without letting them free-feed constantly. This means, youre still going to let your husky eat as much as they want, but youll also have some level of control over their eating habits, meaning you can keep their weight in check.
Make Sure Theyre Not Stressed
Stress is going to massively affect your huskys appetite, so you should make sure you lower their stress as much as possible. If there are children around that are constantly playing with them, teach them to leave your pup alone when they want to walk away.
As well as this, if you have a loud house, then you should work on making sure that its nice and quiet and calm to reduce your pups nerves.
(If your husky is stressed, why not try an Adaptil Diffuser to help calm their nerves.)
Try Adding Probiotics
While probiotics arent going to help your husky gain massive amounts of weight, they CAN increase the number of good bacteria in your pups gut. When this happens, theyll be able to absorb nutrients much easier which can help them stay healthy.
(Nusentia Probiotics are the best choice.)
Change Things Slowly
Lastly, change things slowly. The worst thing you can do is spring things on your husky. As well as feeding them more, you should also begin exercising them more. Not only will this build up their appetite, but it will also ensure that the extra calories your husky is eating will turn to muscle not fat.
If the weight problem is extremely severe you may also need to track their calories and weight gain to make sure theyre gaining weight every week at an adequate level.
What Are The Health Consequences
If you dont do anything to help your husky gain weight then there may be severe health consequences for them. While this is unlikely to happen if theyre only a little underweight, or they havent been underweight for long, if its more severe, there may be trouble.
Here are some of the problems that can occur in underweight huskies.
- They can suffer from muscle loss and problems with their bone density.
- Theyll be more likely to suffer from hormonal imbalances and even infertility.
- Theyre skin and coat may begin to suffer and youll notice them beginning to look a lot more dull and lifeless.
- Your huskies immune system will begin to weaken and theyll be a lot more likely to suffer with illness and infections, as well as wounds taking longer to heal.
- And in severe cases, their life expectancy can shorten dramatically.
Interested In Training Your Husky The Right Way?
If you havent trained your Husky properly, then this is the perfect time to start. Whatever bad behavior your shepherd has, whether its barking at night or other bad behaviors, using the right training program is the key to having an obedient and happy pup.
The training program I love and highly recommend is Brain Training For Dogs.
With Brain Training For Dogs youll save yourself a ton of time and effort. Instead of banging your head against the wall trying to figure out why your dog wont listen, youll follow a path that has been tried, tested, and most importantly, thats given proven results. Not to mention the fact, youll be able to fit the course around your schedule, not fit your schedule around a trainer or obedience class.
So instead of worrying about whether theyre going to be well-behaved or not, youll only have to worry about how much fun youll have with them!
And in most cases its still going to be:
- Cheaper than hiring a professional.
- Cheaper than replacing everything they might break.
- And definitely cheaper than a lawsuit against you, if they decide to bite someone.
Just imagine how great it will feel to finally be able to trust your Husky completely and never worry whether theyll be naughty or not. Instead, youll have the peace of mind that you have a well-behaved pup, and the boundaries you set for them, will always be there, EVEN IF YOURE NOT.
And the best part is it also has a 60-day money-back guarantee! So theres no reason not to give Brain Training For Dogs a try!
So if youre tired of your dogs bad behavior, or how they react around other people and pooches, then give it a try! Youll be amazed by the results!
(You can also check out a full review here, to learn exactly what the course has to offer!)
Recap
You should have a solid understanding of why your husky is underweight, what to look for, and most importantly how to fix it. However, just remember, before anything you should make sure you take them to the vets so you can get the best diagnosis!
If you liked this article, make sure you check out the rest of the website, otherwise have a great day!
