Did you know most dogs that end up in shelters are malnourished, underweight, and have a poor diet? But the question is what can you do to put weight on your dog and save him from being one of them? One of the best ways is to feed satin balls to your dogs. They are easy to make and help your pet gain instant weight. But what are satin balls and how much to feed your dog?
For most dogs, one to two satin balls per day are more than enough, on what basis? Before we proceed, let’s first agree that it’s not easy to feed dogs. And it’s even more difficult when you have a picky eater. But don’t worry! We have just the solution!
What are satin balls?
Well, first of all, you may introduce yourself to Diana Carreon – the big brain behind the invention of satin balls.
In simple words, satin balls are raw meat enriched with all the nutrients your dogs need to be fed. As the name suggests, the meat is shaped like a ball and it is the best treat for malnourished dogs. In short, if you have an emaciated dog, you need to give him satin balls.
Note: Not all dogs need to eat satin balls. So always concern yourself with a vet first about satin balls and how much to feed your dog.
That’s right!
As I stated earlier, satin balls are best to put immediate weight on lean and weak dogs. This means that if your dog has a good build, feeding him satin balls will only make things worse.
Just like these raw meatballs help dogs gain weight in no time, these satin balls can make them overweight – which is another big problem.
Therefore, before you decide on satin balls and how much to feed always ask these questions first:
Is your dog big enough for satin balls? How many satin balls should you feed your dog? Is your dog healthy? Does your dog really need to feed on satin balls?
Following are some examples where feeding satin balls to dogs is a necessity:
- Satin balls are best used by rescue organizations to bring skinny dogs back to life.
- In nursing homes to eliminate malnourishment.
- Show dog owners feed satin balls to their dogs to get that shiny skin.
- It is used by bulldog owners to build bulky mass.
- Owners who have overly active dogs use satin balls as such dogs tend to have super-fast metabolism and need more food to compete with the high energy.
What kind of meat is in satin balls?
As dogs love hamburgers, the ultimate go-to meat for satin balls would always be beef.
Other than beef, some dog owners also use ground turkey depending on what the dog likes.
No matter what meat you use, satin balls have two major benefits:
- Add a shiny coat to your dog’s skin
- Make your dogs muscular helping get rid of the skinny bones
Satin balls are packed with carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. You can either give a thin or small loaf of meat if you only want shiny skin. Or add reasonable pounds of meat in the satin balls mix if you want to put more weight on your dog.
Moreover, the number of satin balls each dog needs may vary as well. Let’s determine it in more detail.
Satin balls: how much to feed?
As stated earlier, satin balls are best to add pounds to your malnourished dogs. Their weight-boosting ability makes them a dog owner’s best choice for skinny dogs.
As much as it is important to feed your dog on time, it’s important to know the exact quantity you need to feed him. After all, too much or too little of anything is dangerous. When it comes to putting weight on your pets, the whole process might get worrisome if your pet doesn’t cooperate. And it truly depends on what your companion likes and what you feed him.
Moreover, some dogs may start gaining weight in no time while for others the process might be a bit slow. But fortunately, that’s not the case with satin balls! These small golf ball-sized meatballs are known to show instant results. And if your dog isn’t showing improvement even after you feed him satin balls, I suggest you concern a vet.
So how many satin balls to feed your dog?
Most experts say that one or two golf ball-sized satin balls each day is enough for small to medium-sized dogs. However, you will have to adjust the per-day serving depending on the size of your dog. Generally, one or two satin balls a day is a good start.
Furthermore, an important thing to know is that these satin balls are best to ‘add’ to the daily diet as small treats. DO NOT consider them as a replacement diet!
A balanced diet for dogs must include calcium, phosphorus, and manganese in the correct ratio. These satin balls have all of these minerals, but their ratio is unbalanced.
These meatballs contain more phosphorus than calcium, hence, they can negatively affect the dog if given more than the said amount.
This is also the reason why Diana Carreon strictly suggested avoiding feeding your pups satin balls. As a puppy’s bones have a long way to go, therefore, they are not yet ready to fight the imbalance between the nutrients.
Therefore, Satin balls should be treated as a treat. And satin balls, how much to feed? The answer is just one to two balls per day.
How many satin balls should you feed your dog each day?
Note that satin balls, even though, are the best option to feed your dog for immediate weight gain but it does not always work in your favor.
Satin balls and how much to feed your dog depends on various factors. These are:
- Age
- Breed
- Metabolic capacity of a dog
- How much normal food does your dog eat
- Current weight
- And how much weight do you want your pet to gain
So, in case your dog isn’t showing improvement even after eating satin balls, you may need to add or subtract something from the meatball mix.
How to make satin balls for your dog?
Now that you know how many satin balls to feed your dog, you must also learn how to make the finest meatballs.
The original recipe of satin balls goes back to 1996. But many variations have been seen over the years. Depending on the likes and dislikes of your dog, you can add or remove one or two ingredients. However, experts suggest you shouldn’t cut down on the main ingredients from the recipe.
Here, I have listed down the main ingredients you need and the start-up recipe you can all follow easily.
Ingredients
- 10 lbs of hamburger meat containing at least 20% fat
- 1 large box of total cereal (16 ounces)
- A large box of uncooked instant oatmeal (42 ounces)
- 1 jar of wheat germ (12 oz)
- 1.25 cup unsulfured molasses
- 1.25 cup vegetable oil
- Ten raw eggs with finely crushed shells
- Ten packs of unflavoured gelatin
- Pinch of salt
How to make satin balls
It’s recipe time! By now we know what are satin balls, how much to feed, and what they contain. But after knowing the ingredients let’s jump on to cooking!
- First, add all the aforementioned ingredients into a big bowl.
- Mix them using a hand or spatula
- Next, make small golf size balls or approx 2-inches balls
- Freeze them in a one-quart ziplock bag overnight and feed dogs the next day.
You can add more ingredients that your dog likes if you want. For example cream, cheese, peanut butter, etc, or something easily digestible for the dog.
As soon as your dog achieves the desired healthy weight, stop feeding him the meatballs or cut back gradually adjusting the serving size. If you keep feeding him satin balls for a long time, your dog might become obese.
Note: Remember that you are dealing with raw meat. So, make sure to wash your hands before and after making the satin balls and the container you use for mixing the ingredients.
Satin balls for allergic dogs
To the owners of allergic dogs, we have good news for you as well!
Usually, most dogs have grain allergies and many pets don’t like the taste of one or two ingredients used in the satin balls. So, if you are dealing with such a situation, don’t worry, you can play with the ingredients and feed your dog as per its taste.
If your dog is allergic to the ingredients used to make satin balls, here is a table for you to replace those ingredients with something that is not allergic but has equal benefits.
Furthermore, you can check the health benefits of the main ingredients to know what you are feeding your dogs.
| Main Ingredient | Replace with | Benefits | Things to avoid |
| Ground beef | Ground turkey | Both are enriched with proteins and fats | |
| Oatmeal | Contains protein, fiber, and all the necessary minerals (manganese, zinc, iron) and vitamins (Vit B) | ||
| Total Cereal | Special K cereals | Rich in proteins and fibers | Do not leave this ingredient out |
| Wheat Germ | Contains Omega 3 and 6 which boosts energy, provide a healthier coat, and improve mental alertness | ||
| Vegetable oil | Coconut or olive oil | Vegetable oil also contains omega 3 and 6 | |
| Raw eggs (store-bought) | You can rinse the raw eggs with water to wash off the chemicals from eggshell | Packed with proteins and fats | Do not substitute eggs with anything |
| Gelatin | Contains collagen – a protein necessary to provide healthy skin, bones, tissues, and ligaments. | Do not swap this ingredient | |
| Pinch of salt | Pinch of Seasalt | For taste and electrolyte balance | Avoid adding too much salt to avoid electrolyte imbalance |
| Molasses | You can use darker molasses that contain less sugar | Promotes fat digestion and amino acid metabolism | Do not replace molasses with any other ingredient |
Conclusion
So that was all about satin balls and how much to feed your dog. As you see, satin balls have many health benefits. They are indeed the best snack to add to your pet’s daily diet if you want your dog to gain more weight. And once these meatballs start working out in your favor, you would never say no to meatballs. However, whether your dog needs satin balls or not, only a vet can tell you best. Let us know how the Satin Ball experience turned out for you in the comments. Good luck!