Hello, I'm new, so be gentle with me!  I have an American Cocker Spaniel bitch who is in the process of growing her coat for showing.  In February, we lost our middle yankie at the age of 20 months and  my little lady went into a deep depression and stopped eating (she would eat only a little if I hand fed her) - I tried to change her food but she still wasn't interested.  To add insult to injury (if that's the right thing to say) she had her first season and I think a phantom.  So then her coat has gone all brittle.  She will eat now if I mix her biscuits with some tinned meat plus I am adding evening primrose.  I read someones post about cucumber instead of Galastop and it does work - Thank you.  What I really would like to know is if anyone has a secret recipe for building up my girl.  Thank you for being patient.

Fatty foods such as breast of lamb, green tripe and oily fish (sardines, salmon, mackerel) are good for building weight and improving over all coat condition on the proviso there is not an underlying medical cause.

Raw chicken - ideally wings - are also great for adding weight and boosting a lagging appetite with the advantage of helping to keep teeth clean too.

HTH, regards Teri :)

Thank you for that - She has had a medical and everything is OK - the vet said she has just been grieving.  I know I might be thick, but what is green tripe?  Regards S

It is untreated, minced tripe - not what can be bought from a butcher :)   Pets at Home stock it in blocks or in a free flow mince version - you'll find it in their freezers.

My local Butcher does little tubs of 'Goose fat'.. its my miracle boost.. Just a little melted down and drizzled over food.
(great for you roast Tatties too!! :D)

Thank you both. I'm on my way!  S

Hi...................we have yanks too, this is a well known tried and tested recipie of yankie folk in the USA.....hope it works for you, sorry about your loss, perhaps we will meet up somewhere when you hit the rings?
regards
Pauline

Satin balls are usually given to dogs who need to put weight on in a a hurry.
The dogs usually love them. They are fed raw. But can be warmed/lightly cooked
in the microwave too. This is a large recipe but it can be halved.
Here is the recipe.:

Satin Balls

Ingredients
10 pounds hamburger meat [the cheapest kind]
1 lg. box of Total cereal [or comparable natural brand]
1 lg. box oatmeal
1 jar of wheat germ
1 1/4 cup veg oil (flaxseed oil works well too)
1 1/4 cup of unsulfured molasses
10 raw eggs
10 envelopes of unflavored gelatin or Knox joint gelatin
pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients together, much like you would a meatloaf. Make into balls
about the size of a jack ball.

Divide into 10 quart freezer bags and freeze.

Thaw as needed.

Uses
Take a frozen pack to dogs show., keet on ice.

Dogs go crazy over this stuff...but you have to be careful, it will put weight
on the dogs pretty fast if you feed enough...

When I want to increase the weight on a dog, I feed more; so far I haven't got
to the point where they won't eat anymore. It will put on the weight, make the
coats soft
and blue black..

The dogs stop all the itching and chewing at their coats/skin, their eyes get
this bright look and the energy level goes out the roof.

Comments

Per the information received after having the Satin Balls
recipe checked by several vets/labs:

Satin Balls is a total canine diet. It can be feed by itself or as a
supplement, for however long you wish. Feeding it alone is when you have a sick
dog
needing to be built up or an underweight dog that needs weight put on.

The only problem with feeding it by itself is figuring out the amount. It will
put weight on a dog in a few days...that's why it is so great to feed just
before a show. If you have a dog that is in good weight, but you just want to
build coat/endurance, you would have to figure out how much to feed (cal per
kg), or you would end up with a fat dog in a very short time. I have been told
a dog will stop eating when full on it, and that you can then gauge the amount
needed to maintain weight!

Most dogs do very well on it as a supplement. Give about a 3 or 4 balls
each night to maintain beautiful coats, energy level, and a full appetite.

There is also less stool to pick up as the dogs are able to digest all of the
Satin
Balls.

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Hi from another Yankee owner - I don't show him though, just the Cavaliers. Spaniels are great dogs though! :-)

Hi - Thanks for the recipe, I had heard about it but couldn't find it!  Will you be going to Leeds?  S

Hiya, ..........no my first ch show is Welsh kennel, with having other breeds too we have to be selective about who goes where, cant afford to take them all at once, and most times they are on different days,the Leeds show coinsides with a family wedding [ how selfish of them! ]
Pauline
I'have PM'd you too

Some folk swear by a couple of spoons of suet in with their meals until their back up to the right weight. I tried it on my girl when she went very scrawny after her first season and it worked a treat, and didn't upset her stomach or anything.

Thank you, I'm trying everything at the moment!   S