How To Put Weight On A Cane Corso
Puppy Or Adult

by Ken Alden

If you're wondering how to put weight on a Cane Corso you no doubt know they can suffer from the same weight problems as humans. And yes, that means they can have trouble gaining weight. As the owner, you may wonder how you can put weight on your Cane Corso if they aren’t growing.

How To Put Weight On A Cane Corso

To put weight on a Cane Corso, determine why the dog is underweight. A bad diet, stress, excess activity, and dental problems can all cause weight issues. Addressing the underlying issue and increasing the dog’s food intake can help increase their weight. Supplements and treats can also help.

Whether your Cane Corso has a health problem or is just underweight, you want to find out why. That way, you can do what you need to so that your dog can reach a healthy weight. Read More Below...

Pro-tip: Ever try lifting a Cane Corso? Their weight can hurt not only your back but their joints when they hop down from cars, sofas or even your bed. To protect your back and theirs check out the best Mastiff ramps on Amazon.com now.

Why Is My Cane Corso So Skinny?

If your Cane Corso’s ribs, hips, and spine are visible, that’s a good sign your dog is too skinny. Many things can cause your dog to be underweight, and it’s not good for their health. Before you try to put weight on your dog, consider why they’re not gaining weight.

Diet

If your dog isn’t eating much, or they’re not eating healthy dog food, that could affect their weight. The best dog food should contain enough calories and protein for your dog. That way, your dog can gain and maintain weight.

Activity

Perhaps you like being active, and you take your dog on walks or runs. If your dog gets too much physical activity, that can cause them to lose weight. You shouldn’t get rid of activity, but it can help to lower your dog’s exercise.

Pro-tip: Cane Corso anxiety, aggression, destructive chewing, jumping up, fearfulness, and other behaviors can be controlled with the right training program.

Here’s a great course that addresses these issues along with many other dog training basics: Check it out now!

Stress

Dogs can notice stress, and they aren’t always good at getting used to change. If a dog feels stressed, it may not want to eat as much. So that could keep them from gaining weight as they should. Try to keep yourself calm around your dog and give them time to adapt to change.

Dental Health

If your dog’s teeth are bothering them, they won’t want to use their teeth to eat. They may still eat enough to survive, but it can be hard for them to eat more. This can be especially hard on your dog if you feed them kibble. Luckily, solving this issue could solve the weight problem. how to put weight on a cane corso

Other Problems

Other health issues can also keep your dog from gaining weight. If they have internal parasites, those could affect your dog’s digestion. Other conditions, like hyperthyroidism or cancer, can also affect your dog’s ability to gain or maintain their weight. You may need to have a vet visit to discover these conditions.

How To Put Weight on a Cane Corso Puppy

Fortunately, you can do a few things to try and put weight on a Cane Corso puppy. As they get older, they should grow to be around 100 pounds or so, depending on their sex and height. Since your dog is young, they probably don’t have health issues, so you can do a few things to help your dog grow at home. 

Feed Them Often

When your Cane Corso is 6 to 12 weeks old, you should feed them 4 times a day. That way, they can get more food during the day, and that can help them grow more easily. From three to six months, you can feed your dog three times a day. Once they reach six months old, twice a day should be enough for your dog to maintain or gain weight.

Try Wet Food

If your puppy doesn’t want to eat kibble, you can switch to or supplement with wet food. Many dogs love the taste of wet food, and it contains more protein to help with growth. However, it can get expensive, so you may want to alternate wet and dry food.

Pro-tip: Cane Corso's (and their owners) love dog crates…and for good reasons. Crates keep dogs from mischief while you're away, are perfect for house training, for traveling by car, and provide the dog a place to de-stress. Check out the best Mastiff crates on Amazon.com now.

Give Treats

As you train your Cane Corso puppy, give them treats as reinforcement. Not only will this help your dog learn what they should and shouldn’t do, but it can help them gain weight. You can look for high-quality, nutrient-dense treats to give your puppy. That way, they can get more calories in during the day.

How To Make My Cane Corso Gain Weight

If you need to make your Cane Corso gain weight at any age, there are a few things you can try. Of course, medical issues will require treatment from a vet to resolve. But once you eliminate that as an issue, you can do most of these things at home.

Switch Foods

If you aren’t already, you should give your dog the best food possible. Look for food with a high protein content and a high number of calories per serving. The more protein and calories your dog gets, the easier it will be for them to build muscle and gain weight overall. You can switch foods permanently or just for the time that your dog needs to gain weight.

Give Small Portions

Instead of giving two big meals a day, you can give three or four smaller meals a day. You can then give your dog more food within a day, but they can still eat it all. If you can go home at lunch, that would be an excellent meal to add in. But even feeding your dog a small snack before bed can also help if you have to be out of the house all day.

Use Supplements

If nothing else works to help your Cane Corso gain weight, you may want to use supplements. The right ones can add more nutrients that help your dog grow. Make sure the supplement contains quality ingredients so that you aren’t just feeding your dog junk.

What To Feed a Cane Corso To Gain Weight

There’s more to getting your dog to gain weight than feeding them more. You should look for high-quality ingredients in any dog food or treats you use. The easiest way to help your dog gain weight is to give them more calories, so look for a high-calorie dog food option.

This page of ours lists our top food choices for Canes.

Cane Corso Not Gaining Weight

If your Cane Corso is still not gaining weight after you try new food or feeding them more, something else could be going on. Because many things can cause your dog to be skinny, you shouldn’t eliminate any possibility until you check it out.

Here are a few things you can do if switching or adding food doesn’t help:

Check Their Teeth

First, check your dog’s teeth and look for plaque or bleeding gums. Those are a couple of signs of dental problems. Checking your dog’s teeth may not reveal any visible issues, but your dog may flinch if touching their mouth puts them in pain. You should take your dog to the vet to check out the issue in more detail.

Reduce Stress

If possible, try to form a routine for your dog. Routines can help your dog feel calm and less stressed, and that may help them want to eat more. Whenever you get a new dog or move, try to get into a routine as soon as you can. That way, your dog can get used to the new situation, and they can start to eat again.

Visit the Vet

If you still can’t figure out why your dog isn’t putting on weight, you should go to the vet. Your vet can do an exam and even run some tests to check for health problems, parasites, or other infections. The vet can also treat any issues they find. Once you do that, your dog may not have any trouble gaining weight with their normal food.

How To Put Weight On A Cane Corso...Final Thoughts

If your Cane Corso is skinny, it can be very concerning. Luckily, you can try many things to get your dog to gain weight and reach a healthy point. Keep these things in mind, and try various methods to help your dog as no dog is the same...just like humans.

Return to the top of this How To Put Weight On A Cane Corso page

1. Mastiff Guide Home
›
2. How To Take Care Of A Cane Corso
›
3. How To Put Weight On A Cane Corso

I’m Ken Alden. This website
is a labor of love from years of research and personal experiences with Mastiffs.

         More About Me

Mastiff Guide is an Amazon Associate. As an Amazon Associate we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.