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ForumsGerman Shepherd Dog > how can i get my gsd to gain weight?? (24 replies)
how can i get my gsd to gain weight?? by chaz on 03 January 2012 - 00:36 |
| I have tried everything from puppy food to mince beef from theb Butchers, but nothing seems to put weight on my girl, she isn't overly active, 2 walks aday the has free run of the house and garden. I've tried one meal a day, 2 smaller meals a day...but nothing works. The vets have weighed her and said she's fine, but when she's washed and wet, she look like a skeleton?? Please help |
by aaykay on 03 January 2012 - 00:51 |
| Has she been de-wormed ? A friend got a puppy in the same state, with the pup having no interest whatsoever in food, and looked bone-thin. Then one day, the pup had the runs, and was taken to the vet and when they did a stool check, they found that the puppy had TONS of roundworms in him. After the de-worming, the pup started putting on weight and is currently of normal weight/build.....no problems from then on. |
aaykay by chaz on 03 January 2012 - 00:53 |
| Hey, thanks for your reply, she is 4years old, fully vaccinated, reguarly fleas and wormed...i just don't get it!! |
by dogshome9 on 03 January 2012 - 00:56 |
| I have a 5 year old female, she is highly active and the only way I can keep weight on her is by feeding her the normal amount but dividing it between 2 meals. Don't know why but it works for her. |
dogshome9 by k9neiko on 03 January 2012 - 00:58 |
| make her some Satin balls aka fat balls--there are recipes online for them |
k9neiko by GSDguy08 on 03 January 2012 - 01:06 |
| I would still get a couple of stool samples and take them in for a fecal to be safe, and also, have her thyroid tested. |
GSDguy08 by djc on 03 January 2012 - 02:28 |
| I've seen switching from 1 to 2 meals help. Don't always go by a single negative stool sample. It is not always conclusive, because of the cycles the parasites go through they don't always show up. What do you worm with? Panacur is the most broad spectrum, but does not take care of tapes or coccidia. Panacur also needs to be given at least 5 days in a row and not just one single dose. Even though your dog is on HWP and Flea/Tick protection, she still could get tapeworms from eating wildlife or wildlife feces. Tapeworms are not normally seen in a fecal check. They are most commonly seen by the owner as white "rice" like things in the stool. Tapeworms are taken care of by a one dose pill from your vet. On a more serious note, it could be a heart problem or as some have already said, a thyroid problem. Also, what kind of food is she on? Lots of avenues to check. Good luck! Debby |
djc by Doppelganger on 03 January 2012 - 12:41 |
| Raw tripe is always a good food for getting weight on them. |
by cphudson on 03 January 2012 - 16:27 |
| If everything checks out with her health wise & she is eating a high quality food then try adding a 3rd meal cup of cooked oatmeal / pasta. Some of my highly active dogs I want to add weight too I give them a 3rd feeding of oatmeal / pasta plus mix in pumpkin it always does the trick. Good luck |
cphudson by Two Moons on 03 January 2012 - 16:34 |
| Put the lime in the coconut and drink it all up. Then increase the fat content of your feed. A dog should not be fat, no way of knowing what yours really looks like without pictures. |
Two Moons by Cavalier K9 on 03 January 2012 - 16:50 |
| I had a shepherd that was the same way and always came back with negative fecals. My vet suggested deworming with panacure even though we had negative fecals and it worked. We used the powder 1 packet for 3 days then repeated in 3 weeks then 3 months. She gained weight and I put her on Interceptor and haven't had a problem since. The vet said she probably had whipworms which you don' t always see on fecals! |
Cavalier K9 by Kalibeck on 03 January 2012 - 16:56 |
| My Beckett is always as thin as a rail, it's embarrassing! But he eats well, has good appetite, tests negative regularly for parasites, has lots of energy...I add vegetables to bulk him up, like canned green beans, pumpkin, sweet potato & oatmeal, we feed in 2 meals as well. His coat is really close, too, so he always looks ripped. Do pay close attention to stool consistancy, & color. Has your dog always been thin? Or did this just happen? Our girl Lil' Bit was shaped like a sausage with legs, & suddenly lost 20 pounds....so she looked super-model thin; she was diagnosed with Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency. She's on enzymes & raw pancreas, & may need Vit B12 shots....she's picking up weight again, slowly but surely. But you would notice changes in your dogs stools, they turn loose & mucusy, gray-ish in color. They call them 'cow patty' stools. But you said your vet thinks your dog looks fine? That's unusual, most times the vets think that normal GSD weight is too thin....hmmmm. Moons is right, can you post a picture? jackie harris |
Kalibeck by cookiedam on 03 January 2012 - 17:04 |
| you got some good resplys here CHAZ. The lime in the coconut thats for yourself. Im facing that problem right now, with one of my pups she is really thin in the other hand my male pup is whats looks a bit over weight. You have to remember not all dogs are equal. Specially in females some wont really put on weight until they have heat cycles. right now im feeding wolf cub very lean kibble, to expand her stomach i add warm water with some omega oils, she'll intake more food also remember vitamins if she is healthy but b vitamins a bit on the lower end vitamins will help. You can also add 2 tablespoons of bacon fat from your breakfast bacon from the pan 2 tbls per feeding this is only temporary weight gain and should not be permanent. Feed 3 times the trick is expand her stomach. first youll notice just her stomach size increase but over time balance her out. Like i said she might just be genetically built lean,like i think the case is with mine, dont base yourself on those stupid growth or weight charts, all dogs are not created equal even littermates will vary. |
cookiedam by djc on 03 January 2012 - 17:26 |
| Jackie is right. I forgot about the pancreas... could very well be that too! Debby |
by cookiedam on 03 January 2012 - 18:24 |
| Ok chaz the black and tan is my female she is right under 30lbs which I think is light for 4 months. I was told she would fill in. if your dog looks too skinny and has runny stools EPI is a concern. I ran blood test on my female came back fine, just on the bottom end so im supplementing. Heres the link to my gsds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tikt9i8m7Q&feature=youtube_gdata_player |
by cookiedam on 03 January 2012 - 18:30 |
| ok maybe this link will work better.......... http://youtu.be/9tikt9i8m7Q |
by frankm205 on 03 January 2012 - 19:01 |
| How much does she weigh? |
by chaz on 03 January 2012 - 22:13 |
| She has always been quite slim, iv tried beef, tripe, puppy food, tinned food, dry food. She doesn't over eat, so trying to add a third meal wouldn't work, and she picks out bits of veg and pasta that I add to her food, only eats meat!!! I had her weighed when she had her boosters in September, and was 32kg, which the vet said was fine. She is called Icicle Lady, there are photos of her on this database. |
by frankm205 on 04 January 2012 - 00:12 |
| That's around 70 lbs which is normal weight for a medium size female. Better off a little lean than a little heavy. |
by CMills on 04 January 2012 - 03:40 |
| I have a very high drive DDR bitch that never stops, I use Cool Calories fat supplement daily in her food, it's made for horses, but does a nice job with putting/keeping weight on this girl. It's a pure fat concentrate in granulated dry form you can just sprinkle over her food daily. |
CMills
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