Things You'll Need
- Olive oil (optional)
- Eggs (optional)
- Chicken (optional)
- Hamburger (optional)
- Medication (optional)
Instructions
Examine your dog to determine weight-gain needs. Ability to see the ribs easily or the backbone and hip bones indicate a need for weight gain and more or higher-calorie food.
Take your Rottweiler to the veterinarian for a check up to determine if its appetite issues come from any health factors, such as parasites, thyroid, gastrointestinal, medications or supplements. Ask your veterinarian how much weight she thinks your dog should gain.
Select high-quality dog food that meets the Association of American feed Control Officials and which lists meat as the first ingredient, advises Julio E. Correa, associate professor at Alabama A&M University. Choosing a dog food with higher fat and calories permits you to feed your dog about the same quantity of food while increasing overall calories. Slowly mix approximately one part new food with three parts regular food for three days, and then slowly increase the new food percentage until the dog adjusts to avoid diarrhea or stomach problems.
Add small amounts of cooked, drained hamburger meat, boiled chopped chicken or cottage cheese to the dog food to encourage eating. Try sprinkling parmesan cheese on the food to encourage the dog to eat.
Add one teaspoon of olive oil to the food. Gradually increase the amount of olive oil each day until you are adding 1 tablespoon at each feeding. Olive oil adds healthy calories to the dog's diet.
Add one scrambled or boiled egg to one meal each day.
Consult with your veterinarian about giving your medications to help increase appetite. Cyproheptadine, an antihistamine, works to increase appetite, according to PetsMD.