# Too skinny??



## raemandrea

I'm constantly getting told my GSD is too skinny. It's frustrating, as the Vet is fine with his weight, as well as feeding. He doesn't have any medical issues. However, I'm continually running into people that constantly think he is too skinny. At 7.5 months he weighed 50 pounds. He is 25 inch from top shoulder blade to paw. Just wondered if anyone else has had this problem. I've attached pics.


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## GatorDog

Can't really tell from that picture, but if your vet thinks he's fine, then I would ignore the sideline critics without any medical training. 

You could post pictures parallel to his side and from the top to get some more opinions if you want.


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## raemandrea

This was taken a month ago.. Trying to find another pic! Haha. It's more annoying then anything.


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## raemandrea

This is a side view. Hope this helps.


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## Shade

He does look a little underweight but nothing serious, it's best to keep them a little skinny as they're growing to keep from putting too much strain on their joints.

What are you feeding him and how much?


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## raemandrea

He is on BB large breed puppy. 4 cups. However, it seems to be giving him loose stools. The vet wanted him on a higher calorie food. He is really high energy. I did have him on TOTW before, which he seemed to tolerate better. That was 3 cups. I want him on a grain free food, as I think he digests it better, but concerned that he will get too skinny.


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## Shade

I was feeding Delgado twice a day and he couldn't eat more then two cups in a meal without him getting diarrhea. He went through a growth spurt where he was eating 4.5 cups of Fromm LBP (two cups twice a day plus a snack of half a cup in a treat ball at night) not including treats and was still gangly. He started filling out around a year and is still bulking up now in a good way.

Try spreading the food over more meals and see if the diarrhea stops, if it continues I would look at switching foods as that might be the issue. It's best for them to gain weight slowly so I wouldn't worry about him gaining 5 lbs this week or anything, a slow steady gain in much better.


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## Okin

I'm feeding Athena 5 1/2 of Fromm LBP a day in three feedings. 2/2/1.5 She is 8 Months old but she weighs a little more she is 63lbs. She doesn't have loose stools at all or any extra weight. I guess each dog eats a different amount though.


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## raemandrea

Thanks! I think a food switch might happen at some point. The Vet told me its best to have them gain slowly too. It's hard when I have people asking me if he eats though! He is my first as an adult( I had one growing up). He is my second baby! Just want the best!


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## Shade

raemandrea said:


> Thanks! I think a food switch might happen at some point. The Vet told me its best to have them gain slowly too. It's hard when I have people asking me if he eats though! He is my first as an adult( I had one growing up). He is my second baby! Just want the best!


Oh don't worry, I had a lady grab Delgado and forcefully pet him. She kept running her hands down his side and crooning to him how "your mean mommy was obviously not feeding you enough" and "you should come to my house and I'll feed you lots of treats and fatten you up." I just smiled and walked away

Nowadays people are so used to seeing obese pets that seeing a lean one is shocking to them.


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## raemandrea

Ain't that the truth!


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## lorihd

yes a little underweight, but he is young, so give him time to fill out.


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## JackandMattie

My Jack has always been too skinny. Vet checks have consistently been clear. He just turned three, and he is still as lanky as ever. 

As long as your vet has done all the appropriate tests, I wouldn't worry. You can get a second opinion if you continue to question. Leaner dogs live longer. I think Jack is a self-preservationist  maybe your dog is, as well. 


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## Anubis_Star

Looks a tad on the skinny side. But puppies should be LEAN. Its called healthy for growing bones.

My berlin at 5.5 months old was a perfect weight IMHO

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## Richter21

He is a very handsome boy! Is he still intact? He looks rather "leggy" and maybe a tad underweight. How big were his parents?

Richter was on BB LBP an didn't really like it and had loose stools often, I also tried the BB wilderness LBP (the high protein food) and had the same issues. So I switched over to Fromm LBP and the issues have cleared up and he bulked up some. He is 7.5 months as well, 55 pounds and 19 inches at the withers. 

Richter is also from west German working stock so (it's my understanding) he will fill out and mature on the slower side, over time. Maybe that's the case with your pup. But then again I may be projecting my insecurities here too lol. Hope this helps.


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## Richter21

Forgot to add a picture of Richter. Taken today.


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## doggiedad

i'm not sure why what people say about your dog is
frustrating or considered a problem.



raemandrea said:


> >>>>> I'm constantly getting told my GSD is too skinny. It's frustrating,<<<<<
> 
> 
> as the Vet is fine with his weight, as well as feeding. He doesn't have any medical issues. However, I'm continually running into people that constantly think he is too skinny. At 7.5 months he weighed 50 pounds. He is 25 inch from top shoulder blade to paw.
> 
> >>>>> Just wondered if anyone else has had this problem.<<<<<
> 
> I've attached pics.


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## raemandrea

Yours is beautiful too! Thanks for the picture! Good to know I'm not the only one with an insecurity haha. I appreciate it. He is very leggy. All legs. No, he isn't intact. He had to have emergency surgery at 6 months for having a sock get stuck.. So, they neutered him at the same time. The Vet told me he would be a big boy, and to make sure he grows slowly. I just didn't think he would be this skinny. I don't mind him being lean, but I'd like not to see his ribs. He is very high energy. 
I don't know what his parents were as far as size. I wish I knew that too.


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## raemandrea

He is my first GSD as an adult, so it does bother me when people keep commenting that he is so skinny. I guess I was just wondering if anyone else has this problem, and how they deal with people. Everyone seems to be an expert( the ones I've ran into) and I get insecure since I had thought he was fine.


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## Richter21

Thanks! Richter is my first GSD too, I've had labs all my life. I know that when I brought him home I expected that he would become what I pictured as a "standard" GSD. But I had to step back and look at it from a realistic standpoint. An analogy that has helped me is if you go into any 5th grade classroom and look at all the students you'll notice that there are some really big for their age, others who are small, and some who are average. But they are all the same age (for the sake of argument). Everyone is different and standards are a basic "guide" you will always have outliers and anomalies. 

Richter is a quintessential GSD, he just happens to be smaller. I love him all the same. He's my boy! People may look at our dogs and see small, skinny, or what have you because they expect to see the big burly red and black sable GSD. Because that's what their used seeing/imagining when they think of a GSD. I wish I had a dollar for every time someone asked me what kind of dog Richter is because he's black, and every time I get "ohh he is (a shepherd)?". Don't let others preconceived notions make you feel like you're doing something wrong, because you're not  I do know how you feel, looking at other dogs here and asking yourself "why isn't he normal?". Well he is. 

I asked if he was still intact because from research I've done and talking with a few vets, if neutered early GSDs tend to be a little "lanky-er" because of they're later maturation schedule. So having him on the leaner side is a good thing. Like others have said its less stressful on joints and overall skeletal development. But I am no expert and don't claim to be one. Just a knowledge hungry, medically trained, dog owner. 

The only other piece of advice I can give is, I'd think about switching him off of the BB because it seems that it doesn't agree with a fair ammount of dogs. So getting a food that will firm up his stools with cause less nutrient wasting and will add some mass to him, especially if he is rather active and gets good exercise. This is something I'm speaking from experience on. But as always talk with your vet if you need to.


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## cla517

My GSD is 5.5 months and 53 pounds. He's lanky. We have him on Blue Buffalo LBP with .5 tsp of prozyme sprinkled on the food at every feeding (2 c. in the morning and 2 c. at night) Prozyme was a lifesaver for us! No more loose stools, and no more GAS that was threatening to peel the paint off the walls!


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## prjwh081810

cla517 said:


> My GSD is 5.5 months and 53 pounds. He's lanky. We have him on Blue Buffalo LBP with .5 tsp of prozyme sprinkled on the food at every feeding (2 c. in the morning and 2 c. at night) Prozyme was a lifesaver for us! No more loose stools, and no more GAS that was threatening to peel the paint off the walls!


Is the gas thing normal for GSD? Mine does it constantly like she was hangin out with a group of guys

Sent from my dogs crate


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## buckeye1

I took these pictures of Maggie today while doing a morning walk. I think she's kinda skinny in the middle. I know she has long skinny legs. What do you guys think, does she need more weight in the tummy area or does she look ok? She is about 9 months old. Not sure about the weight, I'm going to say about 50 lbs. Sorry if the second picture is a bit blury. 
What brand of dog food would be good to add some weight? I wanna go with TOTW. But feeding Diamond Naturals grain free all life stages. Chicken and sweet potato.
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## prjwh081810

buckeye1 said:


> I took these pictures of Maggie today while doing a morning walk. I think she's kinda skinny in the middle. I know she has long skinny legs. What do you guys think, does she need more weight in the tummy area or does she look ok? She is about 9 months old. Not sure about the weight, I'm going to say about 50 lbs. Sorry if the second picture is a bit blury.
> What brand of dog food would be good to add some weight? I wanna go with TOTW. But feeding Diamond Naturals grain free all life stages. Chicken and sweet potato.
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


TOTW is great. Id go with merrick. Diamond is pretty bad but props for feeding an all life stages formula and grain free. I personally like RAW. I would like to add my athena is almost 6 months and weighs 50 somethin pounds. She isnt fat nor skinny

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## LookingforLuke

*raemandrea: *He does look underweight. I would increase his food a little. I'm all for keeping a puppy lean and healthy but I think if he gained a few pounds he'd still be considered a lean pup. 

I recently went through this with Luke. He was 54lbs at 7 months and I increased his food from 3 heaping cups to 3-1/2 heaping cups a day and I've noticed a difference in one week. I weighed him this morning (8 days later) and he's 57lbs. If you'd like, you can see pictures of Luke here, our guys seem to be a pretty similar age and weight: http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...38-luke-weighs-54lbs-7-months-small-male.html


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## blackshep

He could maybe put on a bit more, but don't overdo it. I don't mind to just barely make out ribs in a growing LB dog.

My pup was the same, very lean, mind you she kept getting giardia, so couldn't gain weight, she'd just poop everything out. It can be frustrating, I had one vet I swore was going to call the humane society on me and another who told me she was perfect for a dog her breed and age.

Changing her to raw made an enormous difference in her poop!! No more loose poop! This was after MONTHS of chronic diarrhea and gas, I will never go back to kibble!


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