Can My Dog Drink Ensure For Weight Gain?

Last Updated on September 11, 2021

Are you wondering if Ensure can help your dog put on weight?

Pet owners often ask about this nutritional supplement because it contains plenty of protein, calories as well as vitamins and minerals.

But the problem is that Ensure also has lots of sugar and various genetically modified ingredients.

And, as a general rule, your dog should not be consuming dairy products. Lactose is particularly questionable considering that most canines are at least somewhat intolerant.

Ensure Isn’t a Good Choice For Dogs

Your pooch may or may not be able to handle this beverage without incident. It could go either way.

If you still want to go ahead and provide some Ensure, limit your dog to a modest amount and watch for signs of gastrointestinal upset.

But quite honestly, even if their stomach agrees and there is no apparent problem, we do not recommend regularly feeding this supplement. Keep reading…

More on The Lactose Factor

In theory, Ensure will work and probably quicker than pure milk if your dog is struggling to maintain weight.

And the level of lactose is actually only about half (500mg vs. at least 1,000mg per glass).

With that being said, Ensure can still cause diarrhea.

How Dogs Should Gain Weight

Underweight canines should be receiving the best dog food available ie. ingredients high in meat-based protein, calcium, fats, vitamins and minerals.

This type of diet plan is far superior to Ensure.

If fact, the above ingredients are essential regardless of whether you occasionally share Ensure or not.

If you are having trouble bulking up your dog, and they aren’t in great health, please get a veterinary professional’s help ASAP.

Ensure Not As Healthy As Claimed?

Lots of seniors swear by Ensure, but health experts often have a different view.

Corn Maldextrin, with a glycemic index of 130, is a man-made ingredient associated with insulin resistance and diabetes.

Then you have Milk Protein Concentrate (MPC) which is loaded with all sorts of chemicals as a result of processing.

Last but not least, soy protein isolate is genetically modified and not the type of protein your dog requires. 

Lactose And Doggie Diarrhea

Diarrhea is definitely the most ordinary side effect that dogs experience from drinking Ensure.

A lactose intolerance will have that effect.

If diarrhea occurs, make sure that plenty of water is consumed to reduce the risk of dehydration.

Advice For Monitoring Hydration

It cannot be stressed enough that your dog can become dehydrated very quickly.

And drinking more Ensure, if it’s the culprit or not, certainly won’t help matters!

In any case, here is how you can do a basic check of your dog:

Simply pull up the skin up between the shoulder blades, and observe if it take a couple of seconds to go back into place.

If so, that is a strong indication of dehydration and it may require medical attention.

The Bottom Line

While Ensure has its purposes, when it comes to your dog it is likely they won’t benefit.

In fact, this dairy product could ultimately complicate matters.

Don’t depend on Ensure for weight gain, or whatever else you are trying to achieve for your pet dog, unless your vet signs off.

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