when is a gsd too skinny? - Page 1

My boy Nenz is 75 pounds and not real huge or small. I can see his last two or three ribs and everyone always says he is too skinny. I feed him Iams, he eats as much as fills up a 46 oz. cup almost every day. Some days he gets people food and won't even touch his dog food. I tried adding fat from bacon, etc. to his food and he gets the runs. The vet says he's fine, maybe add four pounds but no more since extra weight would be bad with his hip dysplasia. It's just so annoying when people tell me oh their dog is this wide and I am underfeeding my dog. Good grief, I usually take him out to eat once a week, just me and him. Should I start feeding him canned with dry again? He did seem to do better when I did. Or should I just keep telling know it alls, the vet says he's fine.

LO i have a skinny guy too. Just tell the know it alls it's better for his hips!

You may want to try adding good fat instead of bacon fat, oh my god!!! You can add salmon oil, fish oil capsules.. I am a raw feeder and I can bet he would benefit from a raw diet .. much better than that bag of Iams Are thepeople telling you he's too skinny overweight themselves??? that should tell you a lot!!

Be glad your vet can understand the difference between healthy and fat. Most non-working dogs are fat. My wife's corgi and her husband are both fat and daily walks are in order. Watch the fat intake. Too much at one time can mess with the pancreas. Search "barf diet" for info on fat in your dog's diet. Does he work? You'll get plenty of support from a Schutzhund or agilities club. Live lean, live long. ;o/ Root'awg!

He sounds just right. We visited one vet who couldn't believe our dogs were the right weight. I think that was a first for him and he was thrilled. The few extra pounds can make a year of two difference in how long they live from what he said.

All the ladies tell me my dog is too fat

I would rather see a GSD with a rib or two showing than one that is overweight. Your guy sounds perfect. Don't worry about what others say as long as your happy with the way he looks that is all the matters. Tell them if they think he is too thin, they are welcome to bring by a few pounds of roast, a few baked potatoes and carrots once a week, a casserole twice a week and an apple, peach or berry pie bor cobbler daily to help him with his weight.LOL. Might make you a litter heavier but do nothing for the dog since he knows how much he should eat, but would be nice to have a few prepared meals from others to help you from having to take the time for cooking. I bet no one takes you up on it, but will make them think twice about their words the next time. Good luck and enjoy your dog! Kari

roothawg, the vet says don't work him because of the dysplasia. However, he is currently my Psychiatric Service Dog so does go everywhere I go. We walk 2 miles a day, occasionally hitting a local hiking trail where he just tears around like crazy. Kari, thanks, I'll try that. LOL. My last dog, a gsd mix was skinny most of her life and once someone offered her a steak they just bought however it smelled so good cooking I ate part of it. The guy was so peeved. DKiah, others have suggested the fish oil capsules before. Thanks, I'll check it out. I need to renew my General Nutrition Club (GNC) membership anyway to get his glucosamine.

>>roothawg: My wife's corgi and her husband are both fat and daily walks are in order.<< You are too funny--- "your wife and her husband"? LOL.

You may want to consider a better quality food than Iams. That may be top shelf for grocery store brands, but it's a poor diet for a canine athlete. For your dog's sake, please look into some better options: high protein, no grains, no byproducts, healthy fats, vegetable matter. You can either feed a raw diet or premium kibble. Everyone has a righteous opinion on what dog food is "best" so get lots of opinions and make up your own mind. I feed Innova EVO to my own dog. Check out the info on www.naturapet.com and also check into the BARF diet sites as well.