Original Post:
Hi Dr. Bryan Oon,
Thank you very much for your reply on "Excessive Licking".
I have another problem with my sheltie. He has problems gaining weight. He is slightly over 12-month old but weighs only 6kg plus. He looks very skinny compared to shelties younger than him. I have tried feeding him with Enervite but he doesn't like it. Have also de-wormed him. Nothing helps.
Now, I'm mixing 1 tsp of meat (canned or freshly cooked) into his dry food to encourage him to eat. He eats 2 meals a day, 1/2 cup each time. But most of the time, he still doesn't finish his food.
Is there anything else I can do? Give him more meat?
Many thanks in advance!
Best Regards.
---------------------------------------------------
Answer:
Your sheltie sounds like quite picky a eater. Perhaps he simply has lost the taste for the current type of dry food you're offering, so you could gradually try other formulations that are hopefully more palatable. Home cook diets consisting of cooked meat (without bones or fat), steamed rice and blanched veggies should also do fine - but these home formulas should be supplemented with a multivitamin formula. You could also bring him in to clinics to see if there are any internal problems within your pet. Your clinician may also dispense supplements to help incraese his appetite.
Dr. Bryan Oon
BVSc (Melb)
