need help putting weight on gs - Page 3

Dog eats, vet says he is healthy, he acts healthy= the dog is fine.

I understand your concern but there is no problem with the dog. You are making your concern your dog's problem. I wouldn't keep switching his foods. This can cause problems in itself.

When I had my Malinios in top condition and trial ready, I would work her at the park and "concerned people" would make comments about how I need to feed my dog more and stop working her so hard. I would try to tell them about the breed, energy level, and that my dog could be equated to a top level athlete. I finally got tired of trying to explain myself to people instead of training. I started carrying Animal Control business cards and said. " I appreciate your concern you are more than welcome to call AC and report my abuse." That really surprised people. Most of the time they would change their attitude and start asking questions and complimenting my dogs skill. 

My point is your vet says he is healthy, he looks just fine to me, he acts healthy, and is an active dog, so is it the dog's problem or your problem? 

G

Gard and Spook are right  Listen to both of them and Larrydee wrapped the package up and tied it....start the raw meat and goat yougurt or yougurt   ...dogs need the probiotics for absorption and if his food is going right thru him that will help  start all this in addition to what you feed then slowly back out of what it is your feeding   Its not probably what you need.....the main thing   dont pay any attention to what lay people tell you or coments they make       and even the vets want to spent your almighty dollar......all of it infact to tell you what everyone here just told you.......He looks nice from what I can see, he doesnt have missing spots does he, got clear eyes, no ear infections, no diahrea , nothing than slim.....like it,,,,your luck y,   my kids eat the bowl, sack , the food and act like they are starving and gain weight faster than I can say  "Nine/"

Yellowrose of Texas

                                        Hope she listens to you. Great advice

thank you, i will listen, your right it has become my problem,no his are good, no spots, i guess im just a nervous mom. there is another picture of him on her under venzo von schone stadt, its a little blury but it is him stacked.  

i too have a 2 year old who is hard to keep weight on. vet said everythings fine. i switched her to a preformance food, supplement with nupro plus she gets a little raw with her breakfast. i found a pet store that carries a whole line of barf diet fresh frozen stuff. she gets either fresh frozen green tripe, a raw beef bar, an egg, or chicken wings. this seems to work for us. she likes the green tripe the best, and you know, i think im becoming imune to the stink. lol. my little girl is 62 lbs. was 49 when i got her. in a kennel she just runs it right off. also, because she is so active in the house, i started crating her a little more. i still get the " your dog is way too thin" look. she could still use a lb or 2.  listen to the others, people are used to seeing fat dogs, overweight is quickly becoming the norm, so people think a dog that is just right is starving. hope this helps.

This is a website for canine weight gain recipes

http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/health/diet4.htm

Not long ago I copied some pics off of a few ads here on the database of very thin workingline sable gsds...I keep them in the nursery and in a folder to show people that a lean dog is healthy, and they dont have to be quite that slim, but dont let me see fat on my pups at 2 year or up  

Would you believe I almost had three coronaries this year already   a 110 boy , way to big, a 95 lb 8 month old and a 75 lb 6 mo old   ......and two dogs over 2 years old, I got pics of last year , were so big I almost lost our friendship over it....one lady was feeding at least 20lbc of cheese, yes cheeses, and macaroni, and  cream of Mushroom soup., and if you think this is made up, well, Mark Griffin , now has that bitch and she is in The Seagoville Schutzhund Club with Angel Ayalak , in MCKinney Tex and I took the dog away from her....She was ready to give her up as she was so big she couldnt control her..the woman weighed 110 lbs herself and a dog that weighed 85 lbs at 6 mos old....Hanna is beautiful now....and a working fool .

He should add the weight over the next year and a half naturally, that being said if you are working him a performance food will certainly not hurt.  The K9 nutritionalist that spoke at our K9 seminar (she specializes in acitve working dogs) recommends not less than 26% protien and preferably in the 30% range with around 20% fat.  He doesn't look horribly underweight in your picture though so I would keep an eye on his condition and cut back amount of food when he hits the desired weight.

Colleen

Mine had the same problem. Thin but healthy and active. Stools seemed fine. I fed her over recommended amounts and she would eat most of it. I sent pics to different people I respected and they said she was fine. Posted her weight on another board and was told she didn't need to gain more because she was close to upper end of the standard. Was told she looked fine and probably just ran it off. But I knew her weight wasn't right. She was tested and has EPI.  Now that she's on enzymes she is looking much better.  It's the muscle mass on the topline and shoulders/hips where she's gained the most. 

I know you all have more experience with GSD than I do. I'm not contesting that. But, sometimes, things aren't appharent without knowing the dog. If she's concerned about weight, I think it may be instinct that is telling her there's a problem.

I hope it is just a worrywort thing; but, if not, it can be managed if it's identified.

Dawg

I thin it would be a good idea to take your gsd to the vet, for a simple TLI blood test , to rule out EPI, because if it is that, your diet will include encyzmes and of course , put yogurt right now, as it is a wonderful digestive help all , even for show dogs in stress in the show ring,,,

Better be safe than sorry   the EPI, is still being studied as to what genetic are involved and usually strike from 1 year old to 5 year old where the  disease , for some reason, attacks the pancreas and destroys the dogs digestive enzymes,,,,,by the time some people see evidence,  diahrea, loss of weight, grummbling tummies,,and a dog that eats like its hungry all the time, but is skinny , willl soon starve to death...if not treated and the treatment is simple and works very we ll as someone here already stated....Unfortunately the german shepherd, as royal as they are ,carry  the Dysplasia, Myelophathy,  EPI, and Bloat (gastric dilation or volvuluv")  genes, that are the more serious of the hereditary diseases.....EPI may be or may not be , handed down in pups, of the dog having it, and there may be newer studies,,,,someone else , here that is a vet , may know more on this subject...regardless  go check this dog , for your peace of mind,,,,,,,the rumbling tummy????mine does that all the time???