# HELP! My Shepard is too skinny, weight problems



## jhouse (Oct 18, 2013)

My pure bread Shepherd will be 2 in March. She weights 55ibs. Iv gone round and round trying to find a good diet that she"ll eat. Shes very picky. Iv tried Arcade kibble, Royal Canin, raw foods like green tripe. Its just been a battle. Shes very active, healthy, vet said she looks great. You can she her ribs. She just needs to gain at leased 10ibs. Everyone I talk to tells me something different. She is underweight. I need something she"ll devourer and eat all the time.


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## volcano (Jan 14, 2013)

She looks healthy, seeing ribs is no problem. My dog is skinny too but she has a thick Czech frame and weighs 60 lbs. I feed raw and my dog has a strong food drive, shed never turn her head up at anything.


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## jhouse (Oct 18, 2013)

No she's underweight.. Once you get her coat wet, like in a bath she looks like she hasn't ate in weeks. Her whole body is shinny


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## Harry and Lola (Oct 26, 2013)

What a beautiful girl, nice colour. So she is 1 and 1/2 years old now if she is 2 in March? Being that she is over 1 she has gained her height, she is yet to fill out however at 1 and 1/2 years old 55pounds (24kilos) is slim. Most say you should be able to feel her ribs through a thin layer of fat and she should have a waist when looking over the top of her.

If she is very picky and just doesn't eat so much, then it makes sense that she is slim. You could try a good quality dry food such as Canidae and mix in with it a little bit of raw meat, or a can of sardines or tuna or salman etc.

If she is eating the required amount of food but is not putting on weight, please consider medical issues such as EPI Overview - EPI * Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency

I have a 2 1/2 year old boy that has recently been diagnosed with EPI, I wish I had of had him tested months ago, would of saved a lot of bother. It is an easy blood test and if positive is easily treated with 'Creon' (can purchase at Pharmacy).


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## Rangers_mom (May 16, 2013)

She looks good to me. She looks just like my Ranger who is a year and a half and weighs about 62 lbs. He is small boned and is just a smaller GSD. I know you think she is too skinny but I just wanted to let you know that there are other GSDs out there that look like your girl.


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## GatorDog (Aug 17, 2011)

She looks fine in that picture. You might want to try posting one with a view from the top. They are supposed to have a waist and you should be able to see where the rib cage is, but not see every individual rib. If her vet says she looks great, then I don't see what the problem is? That is a normal weight for a female purebred* German Shepherd. She's probably picky with food if you're trying to over feed her and she isn't hungry.


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

She looks fine to me too. But can you post a picture focusing from the top down?
Thinner is much better for them. For me, I prefer to see their ribs a little. 
If she doesn't have gut problems, a good size meat ball of raw hamburger (which has a lot of fat in it) per day might help. But introduce slowly and in smaller amounts until you are sure she doesn't get loose stool from it. You might also try a high quality food like Fromms, Orijen (some dogs get loose stool from this one), Acana or Nature's Variety (not nature's recipe).

Moms


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## jhouse (Oct 18, 2013)

Yeah I'll post some pictures from a top view, when in get home. This was the only one I had of her at the time. 
I tried Acana, she didn't want anything to do with it sadly. 
So your saying trying mixing caned tuna, I also heard ground beef, or liver.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

People have gotten so used to looking at obese dogs that they no longer can recognize the way a dog at a healthy weight looks.
Your girl is lean, as she is supposed to be. Please don't fatten her up. 
Leaner is healthier, especially for a fast growing large breed with vulnerable joints.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

I'm with everyone else, she looks like a good weight to me too. But the photos of her standing, looking down from above and from the side will help.

Unless there really is an illness involved, lean and fit is what's best for our breed. Is she skinnier than:



http://cdn.pedigreedatabase.com/pictures/465316.jpg

or

http://cdn.pedigreedatabase.com/pictures/481890.jpg


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## Apple (Jun 21, 2013)

She looks lovely!!! River is only 6 months old and looks like a drowned rat when wet. She's very fine. I'd prefer her to stay that way.
If you're concerned about it, then perhaps voice your concern to your vet, but if the vet says she's fine, then I wouldn't be concerned. My vet said River probably won't begin to fill out until she's around 2 years old. I suppose the difference for me is that River is ALWAYS looking to eat. Food hound -_- 
But your girl looks gorgeous... And HEALTHY! If she's still active and running around then the amount that she is eating is obviously enough. She just eats what she needs, not what she wants, or what you want. 



Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## jhouse (Oct 18, 2013)




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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

She looks perfect. 
Don't change a thing.


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## jhouse (Oct 18, 2013)

Yeah I guess she isn't too bad. But it just looks like she's starved. The past week she hasn't even Ate a bowl of food


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

She looks good to me!


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## honeysdad (Oct 12, 2013)

jhouse, She's the same age as mine. Nice photos and she looks healthy. I believe you when you say she's too skinny but nothing to be too concerned about. A few months ago, I tried to fatten mine up because I thought she was too thin. What did add some weight to her was meaty bones with a higher proportion of fat, particularly lamb ribs (lamb flap). She now weighs about 65 lbs (30 kg), and I definitely can't place my hand around her waste like you do in the pic, but people see her and say that it's nice to see thin dogs. She may have a different structure to yours. Now you've got me worried that mine's too fat. :0


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

jhouse said:


> Yeah I guess she isn't too bad. But it just looks like she's starved. The past week she hasn't even Ate a bowl of food


That's not ok or normal....any other information.about her feeding issues?


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## jhouse (Oct 18, 2013)

Well she was eating decently for awhile. And then i noticed I could see more bone structure on her and that she's barely been eating. 
I think she's just being picky and waiting till I give her something else.


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## jhouse (Oct 18, 2013)

And I also have to consider that she kinda has that "runners body" cuz she runs like a **** cheetah all the time.


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

jhouse said:


> And I also have to consider that she kinda has that "runners body" cuz she runs like a **** cheetah all the time.


I am almost afraid to ask but here goes..... What are you feeding her?


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I often have trouble putting weight on young bitches. It just seems to take some time for them to fill out. One thing I will do if I want to give them a little extra is add a hard boiled egg, one or two a day. They will generally eat those, they are relatively cheap. You can cook them 18 at a time and they last pretty good. The protien is good, animal based, and 75 calories. I have not met a dog who will not eat them.


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

It sounds as though the dog is off its food. Need more info.


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## jhouse (Oct 18, 2013)

Right now I'm feeding her 
"Royal Canie German Shepherd 24"


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## honeysdad (Oct 12, 2013)

Saphire said:


> I am almost afraid to ask but here goes..... What are you feeding her?


jhouse, I think a better question now would be, what have you _tried_ feeding her?

Eggs were a good suggestion. At her age, raw eggs, coddled or boiled, a few times a week. A small tin of fish per day would be another.


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## s14roller (Nov 18, 2010)

My girl is almost 3 years old and probably only 60 lbs and looks lean and fit. She eats well, runs, and is active. 

From the pics, she looks fine. Remember, you would want her on the leaner side than the heavier side...more mass = more stress on all the joints/hips, etc. 

As for food, careful with spoiling her with too many different options. I know exactly what you are going through as I always felt my girl was skinny and just wanted her to eat, but after trying many things (all different kibbles, raw toppings, eggs, canned toppings, tripe) I found she would just eat it on the first day and then stop. I was training her to be picky. 

Now that she is running around a lot, she will devour any kibble we give her. I stopped giving her toppings and she realized that if she's hungry, she'll need to eat her kibble. I do rotate 3 different flavors (so each time she's done with 30 lbs, I change the bag) but that's it. No more throwing out food because we mixed wet food and she didn't want it.


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## jhouse (Oct 18, 2013)

Yeah exactly. Iv thrown out so much expensive food cuz she wouldn't eat it. I'm done with that. But your right she's had so many different options and knows there's other options than what I'm giving her. 

But I would like to give her something to where she will eat no matter what so when I take her out for the day she's good. 

And I would like to rotate her kibble. So its not the same thing over an over. I know of some good brands but I hear so many different types?


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## chicagojosh (Jun 22, 2010)

jhouse, I'll occasionally add meat (various types) to my dogs food. even if I only add a piece of two they seem to eat the entire bowl. if I mix it in it will definitely ensure they eat all the food. I'm not talking about a lot of meat...just a few pieces of chicken...maybe a slice of lunchmeat turkey...

or I'll add just a little bit of BBQ sauce and stir it in.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Many of our GSD's are very narrow for the first few years. I used to joke to say mine could slide between the bars if they were ever arrested and in jail! 

But at about 3 mine suddenly widened out to become more substantial.

And if you do just want to make sure she eats, there are alot of good ideas on ---> http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/feeding-our-puppy/162644-pup-doesnt-want-eat-picky-eater.html


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