# Underweight GSD



## hops523 (Nov 23, 2008)

A little over three weeks ago we rescued Bruno, an 18 month old male GSD. A week after we got him we took him to the vet and he weighed 65 lbs. Ever since we got him we could see his hip and rib bones, we still can see them today. Before we rescued him he was being fed Pedigree adult food. We have switched him to Natures Recipe lamb meal & rice. We feed him 4 cups a day split into two meals. For the most part it seems he hasnt gained any weight,though that could be because I see him every day and just cant tell. Im wondering if we are on the right track. Should we feed him more? Should we mix anything in with his food,such as: canned food,supplement,etc?
Thanks


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## allieg (Nov 4, 2008)

Does he still seem hungry with what your feeding?4 cups looks like a good amount but if he is still hungry feed more till he puts on weight.If you have a scale and can pick him up hold him and weigh him so you know if he is gaining.


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## weber1b (Nov 30, 2008)

We took in Max a couple months ago in the same condition. We finally settled on the same food but are giving him 6 cups per day. 4 cups would only maintain him as is. We were supplementing with wet food also but pulled back on a lot of things as we were dealing with some suspected allergy issues. Go ahead and push that up. We also were diagnosed with SIBO which we treated for a short while with Tylan powder but thought he was getting a recurrence of hives as a result. You might also want to look at supplements like a ProZyme. Has he been tested for worms? You also don't want to put on weight too fast, but it sounds like he could use more. I'm in the same boat, welcome to the club.


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## hops523 (Nov 23, 2008)

Yes,sometimes he does seem like he is still hungry. He eats the food fast,and will run back to me when he is done,and he looks like he wants more. How much more do you think I should add?

Thanks for the suggestions,it makes sense that feeding 4 cups would only maintain his weight. We will bump it up. We were thinkg of adding canned food as well,and I will look up those supplements.


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## allieg (Nov 4, 2008)

If he is eating too fast you might want to find a special bowl that they make for fast eaters.It is a compartment type bowl so they have to work to eat and it slows them down or I have read you can put big balls in the bowl so they have to eat around them..Bloat is a big concern if they eat too fast.


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## dd (Jun 10, 2003)

It takes a long time for a thin dog to gain weight and build muscle. It took a year for my rescue boy's hips to stop jutting out.


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## Laura H. (Feb 23, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: hops523A little over three weeks ago we rescued Bruno, an 18 month old male GSD. A week after we got him we took him to the vet and he weighed 65 lbs. Ever since we got him we could see his hip and rib bones, we still can see them today. Before we rescued him he was being fed Pedigree adult food. We have switched him to Natures Recipe lamb meal & rice. We feed him 4 cups a day split into two meals. For the most part it seems he hasnt gained any weight,though that could be because I see him every day and just cant tell. Im wondering if we are on the right track. Should we feed him more? Should we mix anything in with his food,such as: canned food,supplement,etc?
> Thanks


My last GSD Rocky was thin when he was young, I fed them dry food, plenty, but you could see his ribs. When we moved back to Ohio they stayed with my sister & she started to give him a can of Pedigree in his dry food. He gained weight & started to fill out & look healthy. I'd definitely try the canned food. I'm putting cottage cheese in my pups food right now because otherwise they won't eat their dry food & they need all their nutrition, they're almost a year old. Good luck


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

I remember his pictures - he's a big boy and 65lbs is way too thin for him. Is there any way you could feed him a third meal - lunch. I agree with the others, 4 cups isn't enough if he's still hungry and isn't putting any weight on. I would add another cup a day, preferably mid day becuase like Allie said, you need to be careful of bloat if he's woofing his dinner becuase he's very hungry.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

well first, i'd go have his weight checked, just to make sure that he isnt gaining weight. it could very well be a case of you not noticing because you see him daily.

i may be in the minority here, but i dont believe in increasing food (as much as cups) past the recommended amount for the purpose of weight gain and then decreasing once the desire weight is reached. as dd said, it takes a long time for a thin dog to gain weight and build muscle - so for it to be 'appropriate' weight and nice lean muscle mass - it should go on slow and steady, managed with the right level of exercise.

if you starve a person... once their diet is returned to normal (2,000 cals for example) their weight will eventually be restored, rather than increasing it to 3,500 cals which will put on weight (fat) much too quickly and isnt safe.

when i fostered for shepherd rescue - we added eggs and cottage cheese to the food for dogs that came in underweight. with my first foster i remember feeling like a failure because in 3 months he'd only put on 5lbs and needed another 10+. i wasnt told until later how excellent that was.

i imagine that your dog is in safe enough condition for him to have been adoptable... so i wouldnt worry so much about his weight. he's also young. on a better diet you will see other changes in his eyes, coat, energy, etc... if there is no change in a month or so, i would try a different food.

as suggested, try slowing him down when he eats... and if he still seems to want more, add veggies to his food or give him a recreation bone.

my dogs dont scarf their food down, but they are very eager eaters. my girl ALWAYS comes back wanting more (she's 9) she did it when she was 60lbs... she did it when she was 100lbs... so thats just her. when switching foods and trying to find out the right amount - i only increase or decrease 1/4-1/2cu at a time.

ETA: i just looked up natures recipe - i would definitely get him on a higher protein food. 20% protein and 12% fat is very low, esp for an 18mo old.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

i missed my edit time...

their weight ranges / rec feeding are very vague - but it does seem like a 65lb underweight dog should be eating about 5 cups of their food. because of the low protein, low fat, and high volume of food - personally, i would look into a different food.

my 2yr old male has been on canidae, chicken soup, wellness and TOTW - he's never eaten more than 3 cups.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

What are his stools like? Where did you rescue him from?

I would probably start with a general deworming. Although he's probably been checked for worms there are some that aren't as easy to see on the fecals.

After that I would feed him the amount recommended for his current weight + 10%. I generally do not try for more than a 10% weight gain or loss at one time.

So, since you said he weighed 65 pounds I would be feeding him the amount for a 72 pound dog (65 + 6.5, rounded up).

Once he hits that you would go for 79 lbs. Then 87 and so on until he reaches the desired weight.


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## Doc (Jan 13, 2009)

One sure way to put weight on him is to increase the fat content (%) of the kibble. Most of the hunting/sport kibbles are higher in fat. And are many of the cheaper kibbles.


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## hops523 (Nov 23, 2008)

Yes,bloat is a concern we had with him eating so fast. Ive started to put smaller increments of food in his bowl at feeding time until two cups is reached. I do like the idea of mixing canned food,so I think that is something we will try.

Yes,if necessary we could feed an extra meal during the day.

camerafodder: We will be taking him back to the vet within the next week,and will get his weight checked. I have talked to a few other people as well,and they feel the same way as you,and dont think we should feed more than recommended. I like the idea of adding cottage cheese to his food. We have been researching different types of food, but arent sure on what to choose.But I have heard pretty good things about natures recipe other than the amount of protein.

lauri & the gang: His stools used to be wet while we were switching his food,but besides then they have been solid. We rescued him from a GSD rescue in Colorado. How much food do you think a 72lbs GSD should get?

Thank you so much for all the replies.


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## Ocean (May 3, 2004)

> Originally Posted By: DocOne sure way to put weight on him is to increase the fat content (%) of the kibble. Most of the hunting/sport kibbles are higher in fat. And are many of the cheaper kibbles.


I would have to strongly disagree with this idea. Yes, feeding high fat food will increase weight but the cheaper kibbles and typical hunting/sport foods on the market are full of nasty ingredients that are bad for the dog. Number one ingredient they have are corn or corn gluten meal for the calories. Just about the worst kind of food ingredient for dogs. And the high fat content is from unnamed animal fat, w/c comes from rendered animals of unknown origin.
Putting on weight is not a good goal if you end up poisoning the dog.
Also, you want the weight gain to be in the form of muscle not flab.
The best way to get an underweight dog up to scale (pun intended) is through raw meat and bones.
The weight gain might be a bit slower but it is the right type of weight gain.
Duck meat has more fat than chicken or beef or other common types. Dogs will gain weight quickly on duck meat. Raw or cooked.

If one can afford it, today's high protein/low carb grain free dry dog foods would be second best. The Evo formulas typically have high fat content too. Any formula w/over 20% fat as a number of grain frees do can put on weight if the god is not an athlete. 

Canned food is good as a topper to increase a dog's appetite and I have yet to see a dog that did not go crazy over tripe, canned or raw. Just about the most nutritious food you can give a dog too. In a wolf pack the alpha female gets to eat the tripe as she is the one that has puppies and the most rights to the best food. If you make friends with a butcher they might give you green tripe for free as they are supposed to throw it away.


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## hops523 (Nov 23, 2008)

Thanks for the reply Ocean. 

I have been researching Canidae dog food, and I found a place that sold it around here. Ive been looking at the Lamb Meal & Rice Formula. Does anyone think that would do? Protein is 21% and Fat is 12.50%. Or do you think Chicken & Rice is better, its protein is 26% and fat is 15.50%


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## debbiebrown (Apr 13, 2002)

i think three meals a day would be a good choice. the problem with adding to much food is over feeding can cause diarrhea, etc. but, you will know its to much if this happens.
a better choice would be to maybe feed the three meals space things out a bit, and possibly add some kind of digestive aid to help him absorb his food and digest and distribute it better.

debbie


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: hops523Thanks for the reply Ocean.
> 
> I have been researching Canidae dog food, and I found a place that sold it around here. Ive been looking at the Lamb Meal & Rice Formula. Does anyone think that would do? Protein is 21% and Fat is 12.50%. Or do you think Chicken & Rice is better, its protein is 26% and fat is 15.50%


Personally, I would go with either the Chix and Rice or the ALS rather than the Lamb and Rice.


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## Doc (Jan 13, 2009)

Mine ate the old version of Chicken and Rice. They hated the Lamb and Rice one.


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## hops523 (Nov 23, 2008)

Oh ok thanks. Can anyone tell me the difference between All Life Stages, and Chicken & Rice? We will be picking up one of them tomorrow. The recommended feeding for his age and size with Chicken & Rice is 2-3 cups a day, with All Life Stages it is 3-4 cups a day. Does this mean the Chicken & Rice is more filling for him? It does have more protein and fat than ALS. And should we still give him a little extra food? Maybe a cup above the highest amount recommended?
Thanks


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## hops523 (Nov 23, 2008)

Sorry, I missed my edit time. 

But all the places who sell Canidae, also sell Chicken Soup. Does anyone think this would be a good food for him as well? It has less protein, and fat than Canidae Chicken & Rice though, so I am a little hesitant to switch him to this.


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## Ocean (May 3, 2004)

Both Canidae and Chicken Soup have had good reviews on this board. The Canidae Chicken and Rice has higher protein and fat content than their ALS. Your dog's tummy might actually feel more filled w/the ALS since you might end up feeding him more of it than the C&R. Both have the same calories per cup so the ALS w/d give him more calories w/the greater number of cups. The ALS has different kinds of meat.


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## hops523 (Nov 23, 2008)

Ok thanks. Right now I think its between Canidae Chicken & Rice, and ALS. Im kind of torn between the two. And then I think about Chicken Soup, and consider that as well. Im just not sure. Would it make a difference if I said Bruno has been scratching ever since we got him? We've tried everything the vet recommended, and they havent helped. We are thinking he might be allergic to something in his food.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

You must have looked at it wrong. The "recommended" feeding amounts for the Chix and Rice are the same as the ALS. They also have the same number of calories.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

It he is "itchy" I would stay away from the Chix Soup it is were me. That is the ONLY kibble that I have ever fed that caused my dogs to be itchy.

It also has over 100 less calories a cup than the Canidae, so you would have to feed more of it. 

If he is that itchy, I would probably try something like Natural Balance Duck or Fish formuals.


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## hops523 (Nov 23, 2008)

Oh oops, yes I did. For the ALS I was looking at 75-100lbs.

EDIT: Ok thanks, I will look into Natural Balance, and I am still considering Canidae.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

How much does he scratch, a lot or just occasionally? And just a little or like something is driving him CRAZY

Depending on where you live, the weather this time of year can cause some dogs to get dry skin just like we do and can cause them to scratch.


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## hops523 (Nov 23, 2008)

He scratches alot, and its like something is driving him crazy. We used to be able to see alot of dandruff on his skin/fur. We took him to the groomers, and they gave him a bath with oatmeal in it. Before that, we started to put fish oil capsules in his food, so there hasnt been any dandruff anymore. But still tons of scratching.


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## Ocean (May 3, 2004)

His scratching may or may not be food related. Since you are changing his food anyway, it might be a good time to see if a different food w/d make a difference. You said you were giving him Nature's Recipe Lamb and Rice. 
The main ingredients of that formula are: Lamb meal, ground rice, ground whole wheat, cracked pearled barley, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), lamb digest.
So I suggest you try food that does not have any of the above ingredients and see if it makes a difference.
Lamb and Rice is typically used for dogs that are allergic to chicken protein. Not a lot of dogs are allergic to lamb. A lot of dry food w/grains have rice, wheat or barley. Some dogs are indeed allergic to any of those. 
So you need to look at the ingredient label of your new food. 
Canidae has some grain free formulas that don't have rice, wheat or barley. You might want to try those and see what happens.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

If he is scratching that bad and doesn't have any medical issues. (Meaning Mange, fleas ect...)

I would really thing about feeding him a limited ingredient diet. Like one of the Natural Balance ones or one of the other kibbles that use things other than Chicken, Turkey, Lamb ect...

The food may not be the cause of the scratching, but you never know.


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## Doc (Jan 13, 2009)

I'd go with Natural Balance over the other two.


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## hops523 (Nov 23, 2008)

I read about the grain free foods Canidae has, and I like the idea of them, but Im not sure if they are avaible at the stores. I also looked up the Natural Balance foods and some have less protein and fat than what wer are feeding now. Wouldnt that defeat the purpose of switching his food so he can gain weight?


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## Ocean (May 3, 2004)

The Canidae Salmon Grain Free w/d be something that doesn't have any of the grains or protein source that his current food has, plus has high protein and fat for weight gain. You can see if that's available in your store.
I've had good results w/Natural Balance for an allergy sensitive GSD. You are right that they are relatively low in protein and fat, but all you do is feed him more cups. 
Btw, you say your 18 mo old is 65 lb. That doesn't sound terribly underweight. If your vet is not concerned, I wouldn't be either.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

Ocean,

If you see the pics of him, he IS thin. He looks like a pretty big boy that could DEFINATELY use some weight to get to "ideal".


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## Ocean (May 3, 2004)

Didn't see the pic, must have been on another thread. thanks


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

i also just went and looked at his weight. he IS underweight, but not terribly. from the photo - even 10lbs would make a ton of difference. as mentioned, i would focus on increasing his protein and fat... go ahead and feed him a half cup over the recommendation for his current weight - and he should catch up in less then 6 months easily.

i saw his photos before and did not make the connection between the two.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: OceanDidn't see the pic, must have been on another thread. thanks


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## Ocean (May 3, 2004)

Nice looking boy. He'll look awesome once he's in tip top condition. Thanks for rescuing him hops.


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## hops523 (Nov 23, 2008)

Thanks for the replies. I think we might be going with the Canidae Grain free diet, if the stores have it here. Either way I will let you all know what we got.

Thanks Ocean, haha we've always wanted to rescue a dog.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

Just in case you haven't seen it yet, Canidae has a "store locator" on their website.

That way you can see what places in your area carry Canidae and call and ask them if they have the grain free. If they don't carry it they can probably order it. (You can also compare prices if more than one place has or can get it.)

Canidae store locator.


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## hops523 (Nov 23, 2008)

So we went to 3 stores, and none of them had Grain Free Canidae. We ended up getting Chicken & Rice. We also picked up some Fish & Sweet Potato canned food. While we are switching him to Canidae, do you think it would be ok to top it off with the canned food? Or is that too many new things in the bowl and one time?

Thanks for the store locator BlackGSD. We went to the first 3 places on the list, because all the rest are very very far.


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## Ocean (May 3, 2004)

Let us know how he does on the chicken and rice. If your dog is allergic to anything on his current food, I would bet on the wheat. Your new food does not have wheat so let us know if his skin condition improves. After a lifetime of eating Pedigree, it might take a few months before he has all the toxins out of his system.
I would hold off on the Fish & Sweet Potato canned for a few days. That way if he does not take well to a new food, you know which one it is. I assume he's got a normal appetite.
Seems like you really care for your new boy. Lucky dog. Good luck!


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## samm (Dec 8, 2013)

*My puppy is severely underweight..*

I got my german shepherd puppy yesterday and she's severely
Underweight, she weights in at 1.4kgs for an 8 week old girl. I'm giving her puppy milk and meat rich foods that I have been advised to give her but she just seems ridiculously small for her age. She is a pure breed german shepherd completely up to date with all vaccinations and worming.. Is it normal for her to be so small?


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

samm said:


> I got my german shepherd puppy yesterday and she's severely
> Underweight, she weights in at 1.4kgs for an 8 week old girl. I'm giving her puppy milk and meat rich foods that I have been advised to give her but she just seems ridiculously small for her age. She is a pure breed german shepherd completely up to date with all vaccinations and worming.. Is it normal for her to be so small?


Hello Samm, you may get better responses if you start your own thread. Look through the different forum titles, I think there are forums for puppies/weight or "health" related issues. She does sound small, hope you get some answers.


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