# Help me fatten my pup!



## joshj408 (Aug 25, 2014)

I have a 6 month old GSD and he is 45lbs. I can clearly make out all of his ribs. He eats 3 cups of food twice a day. We feed him Blue Buffalo Large Breed Puppy Food. He does play a lot with my other dog and is very tall so I'm hoping he is just growing up before out. Any inout would be great!


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## Mister C (Jan 14, 2014)

Would you mind posting some pictures? A shot looking directly down on the dog would be best. That way the members here can see what kind of waist he has.


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## Regen (Mar 8, 2007)

Have you tried simply increasing the amount of food somewhat? The guides on the bag are recommendations, but you have to adjust them based on metabolism, activity level. And it usually is hidden somewhere in small print, that puppies can require up to twice as much as the recommended amount.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Pics would help. Weight and age are not really an indicator of whether a dog is too thin. My dog was 34lbs at 6 months and has never needed fattening. He's a normal sized male and will fill out within the standard.


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## joshj408 (Aug 25, 2014)

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## joshj408 (Aug 25, 2014)

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## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

I'm sorry. Looks scary underweight to me. What did your vet say?


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## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

My boy looked pretty thin (not as thin as yours). He is currently getting 6+ cups of puppy food a day, but he is a year old and he isn't gaining height any more. If your dog is having normal bowel movements and there aren't any underlying medical conditions, I would say feed a little more and see if he gains weight over the next few weeks. At 6 months old, he should be putting on noticeable weight.


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## joshj408 (Aug 25, 2014)

Stonevintage said:


> I'm sorry. Looks scary underweight to me. What did your vet say?


i know!!!! the vet said hes not too concerned with how long his legs are and just how tall he is. vet said he is growing up before he out. ill have to start feeding him a lunch meal


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## joshj408 (Aug 25, 2014)

eddie1976E said:


> My boy looked pretty thin (not as thin as yours). He is currently getting 6+ cups of puppy food a day, but he is a year old and he isn't gaining height any more. If your dog is having normal bowel movements and there aren't any underlying medical conditions, I would say feed a little more and see if he gains weight over the next few weeks. At 6 months old, he should be putting on noticeable weight.


his stool is solid andthe vet saidhe is healthy


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## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

I would trust the vet if everything else looks ok. The other posters are not freaking out so far, so they must have seen this before. 

That extra lunch meal sounds great. Hopefully some of the more experienced people will post here to help you out with additional advise. I had a super skinny GSD, nothing put weight on him. Vet had me try a supplement treat for him, he gain 5lbs but that was it. 

It's called satin balls and the recipe is easily found on the internet. You may want to try it at this point. 

Also, my dog never stopped, he burned up all the food he ate. When he did show the weight gain, I had been enforcing some "quiet time" for him a few times per day so the food would have time to absorb. Call them "doggie siestas" if you will...lol


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## BARBIElovesSAILOR (Aug 11, 2014)

Stonevintage said:


> I would trust the vet if everything else looks ok. The other posters are not freaking out so far, so they must have seen this before.
> 
> That extra lunch meal sounds great. Hopefully some of the more experienced people will post here to help you out with additional advise. I had a super skinny GSD, nothing put weight on him. Vet had me try a supplement treat for him, he gain 5lbs but that was it.
> 
> ...


Such a good point. In my house I make announcements every time CaptIn is eating that they can't play with him or do anything with him for at least an hour after he finishes eating. This helps to prevent certain things such as bloat which can be very dangerous.it also helps digestion.


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## qbchottu (Jul 10, 2011)

Is he neutered?


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## Regen (Mar 8, 2007)

I would say he looks very skinny, but healthy otherwise. Definitely increase his calories. Watch and see how he tolerates the increase, and once he starts putting on some weight, adjust food as needed.


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## Mister C (Jan 14, 2014)

He does look too skinny. Seeing the first rib is fine but you can plainly see many of his ribs in that second picture. 

As someone else suggested above, enforcing a quiet time after eating is a good idea to prevent bloat and may help reduce his calorie burn rate.

Others here are experts on feeding. Personally, I choose to feed raw (K9 Kravings to be exact) but there are some quality kibbles out there too that I would consider.


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## Eiros (Jun 30, 2011)

My pup went through this at the same age... became very thin and ribby because he was growing. Rather than increasing the kibble (just led to more poop, and tummy issues) I added some higher calorie items to his existing diet.

Satin balls are a great idea, also we used eggs, high-quality wet food, tripe, and pre-ground prey-model raw from a local grinder. 

Slowly he caught up and filled out to a healthier looking weight. I still keep him lean, though.


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## joshj408 (Aug 25, 2014)

thanks for all of the help! ive started giving him an extra 2 cups of food for lunch. if that doesnt work i will start looking at the other recommendations. andyes he just got neutered last week


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## Mister C (Jan 14, 2014)

joshj408 said:


> thanks for all of the help! ive started giving him an extra 2 cups of food for lunch. if that doesnt work i will start looking at the other recommendations. andyes he just got neutered last week


If he still does not gain weight you might want to check for EPI. Just an idea that I don't think was raised yet.


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## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

Mister C said:


> If he still does not gain weight you might want to check for EPI. Just an idea that I don't think was raised yet.


Wouldn't EPI result in poor formed stool?


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## Mister C (Jan 14, 2014)

eddie1976E said:


> Wouldn't EPI result in poor formed stool?


Frankly, I'm not well-informed about EPI other than knowing that it can make it very difficult for a dog to process food and gain weight. I was just throwing out an idea for the OP. 

To your point, the dogs I have seen suffering from EPI were a fair bit skinnier too--emaciated would be the word I would use for an untreated EPI dog. It would make sense that their feces would be affected too.


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## qbchottu (Jul 10, 2011)

He's a lanky, awkward adolescent male. I'm not too concerned about weight unless he exhibits poor stools, growth deformities, or behavioral issues. 

I would put him on a low protein higher fat diet. Increasing food by large amounts when the food has high protein can result in pano. 

It's not great idea to neuter a lanky male at 6mo. He will have a harder time filling out and bulking up in the long term - he will also be slightly leggier. 

Add good fats to his diet. Salmon and coconut oil are good.


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## joshj408 (Aug 25, 2014)

qbchottu said:


> He's a lanky, awkward adolescent male. I'm not too concerned about weight unless he exhibits poor stools, growth deformities, or behavioral issues.
> 
> I would put him on a low protein higher fat diet. Increasing food by large amounts when the food has high protein can result in pano.
> 
> ...


Unfortunately we didnt have a choice on the neutering. he only had one ball drop and the vet said that the longer it stays up in his belly wherever it was, the greater the chance was that he could develop puppy cancer.


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## joshj408 (Aug 25, 2014)

well good news. with the addition of 2 cups at lunch, it has deffinitly helped him start to gain weight slowly but surely!


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