# weight problems



## gli18t (Feb 25, 2010)

im new to this site but i know i can get a lot of help from this forum. i have a 5 month G.S. and he was about close to 38-39Lbs. he's healthy(as the vets words) & very playful. i feed him the, "nutro" adult dog food. a friend of mine told me thats the best food to get him to gain weight. i was also told that he can eat the adult dog food b/c he's a lrg. breed dog. my vet to told me that i need to get him puppy food. judging by the g.s chart hes about 10pds. under. the next type of food ill buy for him will be the nutro puppie brand.(i was told puppie food has a lot more things in it to make him gain weight.) 

what should i get to make him gain weight quicker? is the nutro puppy food the best way to go?also what can i do to make him gain weight other the puppy food. i was told rice and oatmeal.. any suggestions 


thanks!!


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

You said the vet said he is healthy-- did they say he was underweight? Can you see his ribs? Weight charts go by average, and the weight can vary by the dog's size and build so just because he weighs less than the chart says, that alone does not necessarily mean he is underweight. You want to be careful, it is better for a puppy to be on the slim side than to be overweight, excess weight is not good for a growing dog.
Personally I prefer the grain free foods, and these also have higher calories incidentally. I would recommend a "large breed puppy" food not just a regular puppy food. Large breed puppy foods are made for larger breeds like German Shepherds which have a lot of growing to do and have different needs than puppies of smaller breeds.


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## gli18t (Feb 25, 2010)

yeah, the vet said that he was a little skinny but as far as the ribs go you can hardly even see them. I would say its like 96% gone.you can kinda see his hip bones torwds the back tho thats really about it. but i will look for lrg. adult breed puppies. i started looking today but some bags today and it for puppies 51lbs and up.(my pup is 38ish right now.) so i didnt buy any new food yet.


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## gli18t (Feb 25, 2010)

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=285&stc=1&d=1267076608


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

Some good foods for large breed puppies:

Orijen Large Breed Puppy food (grain free)
Innova Large Breed puppy food
Wellness Super5Mix Large Breed Puppy Health Dog Food 
Solid Gold Wolf Cub Large Breed Puppy Formula
Blue Canine Large Breed Puppy food
Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul Large Breed Puppy food


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## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

lol. Did you mean Blue Buffalo Large breed Puppy food??


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## gli18t (Feb 25, 2010)

thats cool, ill check some of those out. i think if he gains about 5lbs. he should be fine for his age.


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

Do not look at the chart to determine if your puppy is the correct weight or not; look at your puppy instead. As you said, the vet didn't complain about his being too thin and you can hardly see his ribs, so I would leave well enough alone as he sounds like his weight is perfect.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

GSDSunshine said:


> lol. Did you mean Blue Buffalo Large breed Puppy food??


Yeah, I looked up the name from an online pet store, that's what it's called:
Blue Canine Large Breed Puppy Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe


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## gli18t (Feb 25, 2010)

ok cool. ill check it out.


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## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

I think that website is wrong. :/

It's definitely Blue Buffalo. lol

But that's not important. We were taking about the same thing though. lol
Blue Buffalo Large Breed Puppy Chicken & Rice Formula - Sale - Dog - PetSmart


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Elaine said:


> *Do not look at the chart to determine if your puppy is the correct weight or not; look at your puppy instead.* As you said, the vet didn't complain about his being too thin and you can hardly see his ribs, so I would leave well enough alone as he sounds like his weight is perfect.


The weight charts are just an 'in general' thing and shouldn't be used to have our pups lose or gain weight. 

Even MORE important, the #1 way to assure our dogs do NOT get Hip dysplasia if they have any genetic tendency is to keep the puppies LEAN and fit. So we don't want the chubby puppy thing at all with our breed.

If you want to post a photo for us to look at, of the puppy standing up from the side and above.


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