# Are Satin Balls safe to give



## hexakosioi (Jun 25, 2013)

I need to add a few #s on my dog as he is a bit underweight (61.7). He is 2 years. But I keep hearing some people say Satin Balls are not healthy and can cause pancreatitis cause it is high in fat. But those same people are telling me to stop with the RAW diet and to go with high quality dry food...

So are they right about the balls? If not, how many /day can I give and for how long?
Thank


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## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

Some people use satin balls successfully, but personally, if your dog is underweight, I wouldn't worry so much as building only fat, but muscle as well.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

THey work well but are a short term fix. 

Good luck hope your pup is feeling better too.


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## hexakosioi (Jun 25, 2013)

Well he was quite sick for some time (diarrhea, not digesting food properly) . Ok, I may have to start from the beginning. I sort of rescued him, he seems to have run away from his owner/pet store (he had no collar). He came to my place one day and invited himself. He was underweight then and lost around 10 lbs within 2 months. During those 2 months he was on a grain-free kibble. He didn't do well on that, he developed skin allergies (lots of bitting/scratching) & loose stools (he had loose stools from the beginning, loose mucusy yellow stools ) aaaand he was loosing weight. I decided to switch to a RAW diet. Skin allergies disappeared, but loose stools & weight loss was still there.
Here in Saudi Arabia, we don't have the best vets since they don't carry many important tests. Looking up the net, I stumbled upon EPI and that sounded exactly like what the dog has. Like I said though, vet couldn't test if he was positive or not. He has been dewormed, had his stool tested, still no clear diagnosis. So after 40 visits to the vet and after putting him on Flagyl & Tribrissen he is doing good. Firm stools and from 55#s (his worst) he is now 61#s. But this is 3 months after recovering, he is gaining but slowly. I know ppl say slow is best but I can still feel his ribs easily.
His main source of protein are lamb & rabbit. 
These are the best pics i have now, ill post better ones if needed. He is pretty long coated so you might not tell he is under.
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3788/9932615964_b466b8fc62_b.jpg
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3669/9932588986_62ebd92da3_b.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7454/9932602334_e38cbe47f3_b.jpg



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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I made them for mine after she was sick and they worked for her, but you have to be careful because they can put on to much weight.


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

If your dog has gut problems, I don't think it is a good idea to give him these. You definitely don't want an upset that could put him into a tail-spin. 

Here are 2 products that you could choose from that might help instead of the Fat Balls. Make sure you read all the info and ingredients on these pages to make sure your dog is not sensitive to something.
"A canine supplement that stimulates the natural appetite and assists in weight gain. Great for active dogs that have a hard time keeping on weight!"
Healthy Gainer all natural canine weight gain supplement
or 
"If you are looking to put lean muscle mass on your dog."Natural Dog Health Supplements, K9 Super Fuel: HealthyPlanetRx










There are 2 types of "Fat Balls/Satin Balls" recipes.
They both have fatty meat like plain hamburger, for the calories, but you could change it to ground round to limit the fat in the recipe.
The difference is that most of the recipes you'll find are made with "Total Cereal", which has a lot of sugar and I wouldn't recommend it. The other recipes do not contain Total. I'll list 3 recipes so that you can see the difference in the ingredients.
Good luck with your Fur Baby!
Moms

*Fat Balls Recipe #1*
1 lb ground beef 

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese

1 jar all natural peanut butter

1 jar (smaller of the sizes) wheat germ
2 packets Plain Knox Gelatin (found by the Jello)

1 doz egg yolks

1 cup or so of Quaker Oats soaked in heavy cream
Mix up, form balls, freeze.

*Fat Balls Recipe # 2
*
5 pounds ground meat
5 cups Total whole grain cereal
5 cups oats (slow cooking type)
2½ cups raw wheat germ
¾ cup oil
¾ cup unsulphered molasses
6 egg yolks
5 packets plain Knox gelatin (found in the Jello section of store)
Mix up, form balls, freeze. 
*Fat Ball Recipe #3 - NON Grain
*(you may want to cut this recipe in half)
10 pounds of Fatty Ground Meat (Hamburger, Pork, or a mixture! Anything 20% fat or more)
1 pound of grated Cheddar Cheese
4 cans of Tuna Fish - drained 
1 (18 oz) jar of peanut butter
1 (12-16 oz) bottle of Unsulphered Molasses
1 block of Cream Cheese
1 box of Plain Knox Gelatin (found by the Jello)
1 can of Pumpkin (No spices, just plain)
1 (24 oz) tub of Cottage Cheese
8 oz of Dehydrated Potato Flakes (If you can't find these, try PLAIN Instant Mashed Potatoes)

Directions:
Mix all of your ingredients together in a LARGE bowl or pot. It's best to mix 2-3 ingredients at a time as it blends a little easier I think. After mixing together well, put into the fridge or and chill for 30-40 minutes. Chilling makes them less "sticky" when you're prepping to roll them into balls to freeze.


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