# Is my puppy too skinny??



## Talevy (Apr 2, 2013)

She is almost 5 months old. Eats as much as she should, but she seems realy skinny, what do u think??


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

Bad picture angle but yes, she looks a tad bit too thin to me. How much is she eating? How active is she?


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## Talevy (Apr 2, 2013)

She eats 3 cups a day of puppy food... And i dont think she is more active than the normal puppy. Im attaching a few more pics















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## shawk2424 (Feb 6, 2013)

She seems pretty skinny for being 5 months old, especially compared to my 4 month old who is bigger. You should really be asking your vet these type of questions. She could have worms or she could be sick. It could also be the type of food. I know my vet recommended a puppy food that had a lot of calories which puppies need to bulk up at an early age. She could also be mixed or it could just be that your pup hasn't grown into her body yet.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

GSD puppies tend to be on the thin side. We tend to get really worked up when they just won't gain. If her stool is good, and you feel ribs, take her to the vet and weigh her and write it down, then try upping her food by 1/4 cup per feeding twice per day. If that loosens her stool add a little pumpkin. If the stool remains good and she eats it all, after a week, weigh her again and may be try to raise it by another 1/8 cup per feeding. 

Now, if she doesn't start gaining weight or her stool remains mushy or loose, you might want to try a different food.


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## Metro_Mike (Mar 29, 2013)

If it was my puppy I would increase the amount of food depending on how easily I could also feel his ribs.

Not all commercial foods are the same (some higher protein, cal content and etc). So just feeding 3 x cups a day might be enough depending on the food. I generally go by appearance of the dog and feeling layer of fat on the ribs not by MFG recommendations.

I am currently feeding my puppy (4 and-a-half months old) a total of 3.75 cups of food a day evenly allocated in 3 feedings. I estimate his weight to be between 47lbs - 53lbs. He also doesn’t eat much in the way of treats.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Another possibility is to take 18 eggs and boil them. Then give him one morning and evening. Eggs are great. They are pure animal protein, 75 calories, and low in fat. They are good for the coat and dogs love them. And they are not expensive. Many prisoners of war survived because of eggs.


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## trcy (Mar 1, 2013)

Riley looked skinny to me at 5 months. He eats 4 to 5 cups of food a day. Now that he's 6 months he is filling out more. I took it as just being a puppy stage.


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## TommyB681 (Oct 19, 2012)

Puppys grow at different rates. Finding out if he has worms would be a good start and if everythings fine monitor the moment of food you give and im sure in a couple of months shell fill out


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## skier16 (Feb 21, 2013)

looks a little skinny to me. my girl who is just over 3 months and only weighs 23 lbs eats 4 1/4 cups of day of Fromm LBP. I would up the food.


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## shawk2424 (Feb 6, 2013)

Talevy said:


> She eats 3 cups a day of puppy food... And i dont think she is more active than the normal puppy. Im attaching a few more pics
> View attachment 64826
> View attachment 64834
> 
> ...


How much does she weigh? My pup is gaining about 10lbs a month and he is around 42lbs at 4 months


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

I think she looks totally fine. Puppies should be on the lean side growing up to keep weight and impact off of their joints.


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## Pooky44 (Feb 10, 2013)

She doesn't look skinny. She looks slender. If you can see her ribs and pelvis then she is too thin. Some dogs have a more slender build. People often called my dog skinny but she was only slender and had plenty of padding over ribs and hips. Some GSDs are fairly flat-sided (many ASLs are that way). Some have a broader build (working line?).


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## Rallhaus (May 17, 2011)

If she's eating 3 cups a day and not gaining, try treating her for tape worm. Most heartworm, flea and tick meds don't treat for them and they can go undetected for years.
It can't hurt!


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## GatorDog (Aug 17, 2011)

I think she looks fine. Unless you can feel her hips really sticking out, then I'd say she's just lean.



shawk2424 said:


> She seems pretty skinny for being 5 months old, especially compared to my 4 month old who is bigger. You should really be asking your vet these type of questions. She could have worms or she could be sick. It could also be the type of food. I know my vet recommended a puppy food that had a lot of calories which puppies need to bulk up at an early age. She could also be mixed or it could just be that your pup hasn't grown into her body yet.


Males are typically larger than females, so it makes sense for your male to be larger. My female is almost 5 months and 27 pounds, but that doesn't mean she's too skinny or she eats crappy food or she's mixed. She's just a smaller female.


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## AngVi (Dec 22, 2012)

I used to worry about my girl..she is very thin, small frame..people would ask if I feed her enough?I want to say Seriously do you think I starve my puppy?
I have always free fed my dogs. I feed Taste of the Wild. Almost always there is food in the bowl, they are not food aggressive or ever over eat because they know it's always there for them.
My puppies also share the same bowl, they didn't eat separately.

My boy is much bigger. Yesterday the both were weighed
My girl just turned one is 55 pds
My boy is 7 months and is 75pd of pure muscle...
My vet says she is perfect!


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I weighed my skinnies Thursday. Gretta is 60.2 pounds and Dolly is 60.9 pounds, up from 55 pounds a few weeks ago. But still. They are skinnies. Gretta will be two in November, and Dolly turned 3 in March. 

But then I look back at Babs when she was two. Babs is Gretta's dam. I used to call her my 58 pound stick of dynamite. At just under two, you could see a rack of ribs on her. She is seven now, and she is 72 pounds, and looks good. She eats everything, and always has a good solid perfect ten stool. No special supplements or enzymes. 

I am giving Dolly and Gretta some pro-biotics, feeding them twice a day, and giving them both Extreme Athlete instead of 50/50 Adult chicken and rice/ Extreme Athlete. They both have gained a little since I made the changes.


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## Jordan1017 (May 9, 2013)

My old vet said when it comes to this breed, until they hit 2 1/2 they will often be thin. That it's better to be too thin vs plump (if no underlying medical issue and feeding a proper diet.) Maybe free feed? Also, how's her coat look and feel, if her coat is healthy I'd just say it's from her puppy growth so long as she's been given a clean bill of health from the vet.


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