# puppy to thin?



## kgowland (Mar 12, 2014)

Hi there, Ive recently got my first german shepherd puppy Gunnar he's doing great...at least I thought until I went to the vet at 11 weeks and she mentioned that he was lean and I needed to feed him more. When I first got him he was 15lbs at 8 weeks and at 11 weeks he was 25lb. I feed him 3 1/2 cups of blue buffalo puppy large breed food. I thought he was a good weight. I can feel his ribs and spine but he doesn't look thin (could be because he's so fluffy). Are all puppies naturally lean or should he be chubbier?


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

Most vets, and I work for one, are used to seeing rolly puppies. GSD should be lean. Your pup is growing great, putting on weight and a good pace. I would not be worried. 


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## ZoeD1217 (Feb 7, 2014)

He's the same size as my Zoe! I'm new so i have no real "expert" advice  our vet was happy with Zoe's weight though. 

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## kgowland (Mar 12, 2014)

Thanks that makes me feel better! He's been the greatest puppy ever so far!


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## gurlonfire2004 (Jan 15, 2014)

I would also say that is a good weight. My (female) puppy weighed 25 pounds at 12 weeks. And now at 17 weeks she weighs 36 pounds. You should be able to feel the ribs but not see them.


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

kgowland said:


> Hi there, Ive recently got my first german shepherd puppy Gunnar he's doing great...at least I thought until I went to the vet at 11 weeks and she mentioned that he was lean and I needed to feed him more. When I first got him he was 15lbs at 8 weeks and at 11 weeks he was 25lb. I feed him 3 1/2 cups of blue buffalo puppy large breed food. I thought he was a good weight. I can feel his ribs and spine but he doesn't look thin (could be because he's so fluffy). Are all puppies naturally lean or should he be chubbier?



My pup was 16.5 lbs at 12 weeks and is now 26.7 pounds at just shy of 17 weeks.


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## Harry and Lola (Oct 26, 2013)

25lbs is a good weight for an 11 week old GSD male. It is best to grow them slowly and not allow them to become obese.


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## blackshep (Aug 3, 2012)

Sounds ok to me. I'm glad my vet supported my keeping my pup lean, I had another vet tell me she was too thin, which was a bit upsetting, but my regular vet said not to worry.

Can you post some pics in good lighting, from the side and from the top down?


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## kgowland (Mar 12, 2014)

He's 12 weeks on Friday.


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## Harry and Lola (Oct 26, 2013)

what a stunning looking boy


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

Lean and mean.....some good replies to your concerns and question from previous posters.....the fascination of so many to get a pup bulky and heavy or worry if they aren't, seems rampant almost.... I think you have it figured out already.....*" I thought he was a good weight. I can feel his ribs and spine but he doesn't look thin (could be because he's so fluffy)."
*
Plenty of time to fatten 'em up if you choose ...I wouldn't....

Personally, I believe there is merit in letting their skeletal structure mature with a lighter load on them as previously mentioned.


SuperG


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

kgowland said:


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Yes...great looking pup....

I'm never good at this but is he a coat?

SuperG


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## VTcoach (Jun 28, 2005)

*Weight*

He doesn't look bad, weight wise. If you are going to worry about it though, bump him up to 4 cups per day if he will eat it. The food intake will relate to his exercise level and will certainly increase as he gets older. Watch for loose stools though, as too much food can go through them too fast.


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## kgowland (Mar 12, 2014)

Super g I'm not sure what you mean by ' is he a coat'. I did up his food to 4 cups but he wasn't eating it all so I'm just sticking with 3 1/2 cups. I'd rather have a healthy pup than a obese pup


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## Eiros (Jun 30, 2011)

3.5 cups sound like a lot for 12 weeks?? He looks like a good weight right now... It's better that they are lean. 

By "coat" they meant "long-coated".


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## A girl and her dog (Jan 25, 2014)

I'm no expert, but I think he looks great and that his weight for 11 weeks is fine, if not too heavy. That would depend on his skeletal structure though - taller/longer should weigh more. My one year-old, although not a GS, was very thin until he reached one year. I feed raw, and that keeps excess weight off similarly to what I hear about Blue Buffalo. And like someone else said, vets are used to seeing plumped up puppies fed on high-carb kibble. If you're happy and feel that your pup is healthy, don't worry about it.


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## kgowland (Mar 12, 2014)

Both the parents were long/medium haired (if there's such thing as medium haired) I believe they defiantly weren't short haired....I'm still learning all about german shepherds


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

Very cute! :wub: Delgado was only 20.6 lbs at 12 weeks and 30.6 lbs at 16 weeks on the vet scale, he grew slowly and only really started filling out in the last 6 months. Your pup has lots of growing ahead of him so I wouldn't worry at all


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