1 1/2 yr GSD too skinny - Page 1

I have a 1 1/2 yr long coat GSD and he seems too skinny to me...you can easily feel his ribs and somewhat his spine...but its hidden by all that fur.  We feed him 4 cups of canidae a day and he still only weighs about 73 lbs.  He doesn't have symptoms of EPI or Addisons...he's very hungry, drinks a normal amount, and has a tremendous amount of energy. 

Probably needs to eat more food - up his intake to 6 cups, even 8 cups - some young dogs need much more than 4 cups/day.  Bloodwork can tell you if he has EPI or other problems -

Try Diamond Extreme Athlete (Natural) dog food.  This food is high in calories however is is very rich.

Try Diamond Extreme Athlete (Natural) dog food.  This food is high in calories however is is very rich.

i wouldnt worry to much as he,s only young and some gsds do tend to take time to fill out.have yu tried to feed raw.I find that green tripe is good for putting on weight.with a raw diet that animal tends to digest more of the nutrients ,so there,s less waste material to pick up.my animals have always been healthy BUT SINCE SWITCHING TO A RAW DIET,they have improved immensely.if yu are worried then i would check with your vet but over here in the uk they prefer the weight to be higher than i would like.For example i had to take my 7 yr.old bitch to vets for a general check up,in order for her to attend a hydropool,in order to go on the water treadmill (to improve her fitness for showing)and they weighed her.......WEIGHT 31.5 kilos.i would have liked her to be acouple of kilos lighter but vet thought her fine .i,d had some show people says she was a tad too fat in the loin area.i have had a male who was diagnosed with EPI(borderline)at nearly 7.his faeces were a brownish colour with a fatty sheen to them,not diarhea but softish,with an awful smell and he was throwing up his chicken wings totally undigested.When he was put to sleep he weighed only 18.5 kilos.now that is skinny.let us know how he developes and good luck with him.Carole.

SIMPLE


FEED HIM MORE............. WHY JUST 4 CUPS PER DAY ???

If he's happy, healthy and enegetic on the food he is getting, I wouldn't worry too much.

Some dogs are just super skinny til they fill out which can take upto them being 4 years old.

Yes you could allow him to eat like a horse... but hey, you then have to get the extra weight off him.  73lbs is a good weight .

On a side note, when was he last wormed specifically for Tape worm?

Glad to see yu agree with me Ambii.I found with the dry food,that the more i fed ,the looser the stools.with raw the animal digests more of the nutrients and the volume of the stool is less,thus confirming that the dog is getting all the goodness,and is firm.Also can depend on the lines and age of said animal.one animal i saw at a show(english breeding)was very substantial as a puppy,when adolescent was skinny and when i saw him at 3 he had matured into a very well balanced animal,even tho.of english breeding.have patience and dont worry too much.he will fill out as he matures.Carole.

I would like to feed raw...but I'm a little scared of the price and making the right kind of recipe...he was actually raised on raw before I got him at 10 weeks...he came from Bullinger Kennels in Canada.  Here are some pictures of him about 5 months ago...don't let the hair fool you...

Feeding  raw is expensive if you have no imagination...but you get really good at scoping out specials and haunting butcher shops for unsold meats!!!! I NEVER pay more than a buck a pound and generally less than 50 cents. Find a wholesale distributor.