# Does he look thin to you? He's 10 weeks now



## SwaF (Dec 10, 2012)

My breeder had him on Eukunuba but when we took him home he wasn't eating much of it going through maybe a cup to a cup and a half for a week so I started switching him to Fromm LBP, and he was going through maybe 2 and half to 3 cups of a mixture of those two for the last 2 weeks. But he still doesn't seem to gain any weight, he seems really thin to us, he was about 14 pounds at 9 weeks. Every time he looks like he gained a bit of weight it's usually gone by the next day. He's crated a lot of the times, for an hour after he eats, 30min before he has to go outside, and after he plays for a few hours where he naps it off. Even if we left the bowl in his crate sometimes he still doesn't really eat it. He loves pumpkin and we started mixing a bit of that into his food. He doesn't seem hungry, he's always energetic. We been to the vet 3 times in the last 2 weeks and they never said he was too thin. Am I being paranoid? 

He's been dewormed by the breeder and the vet.


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## N Smith (Aug 25, 2011)

He looks good to me. You may be *slightly* paranoid...

He has some nice lean muscle both front and back and an apparent indent after the last rib. The first picture is deceiving because he is drinking and they tend to suck it in when they are eating and drinking.

The second picture looks more true, so going on that picture I think he looks good.

GSD's should be kept lean for life, a little moreso as young dogs. Listen to your pup, he is self regulating. Let him choose how much to eat over 3 days so you can measure it out more accurately, then only give him that amount on a scheduled feeding (I am not a fan of free feeding, but if it works for you, you can do that too). How I do this is take 2 cups and put it in the bowl, let the pup eat as much as he is going to in 10 minutes. Pick the rest up and re-measure, now subtract and you know what he is eating per sitting. Do that for 3 days so you can get an accurate reading of the median amount. This is where you START, you can adjust according to growth, exercise, stress etc.

Increase the food as he grows, or if you notice him searching for more when he is done, and keep an eye on his weight.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

We need to keep them leaner than other pups, but this is hard the first year when they grow so fast and the amount of food they need keeps changing every week.

I personally think he's a bit thin, so already you have 100% of your viewers disagreeing  I know I have to break up the meals during the day to get my pup to eat. 4 cups once a day will not get eaten while 2 cups twice a day may. 

Some of our GSD pups are extremely picky eaters too. Have you seen --> http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/feeding-our-puppy/162644-pup-doesnt-want-eat-picky-eater.html


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## blackshep (Aug 3, 2012)

I also think he's a wee bit thin, BUT I do agree that it's much better for this breed to be lean, especially as they grow.

As N Smith said, the first pic isn't great because they suck in as they eat or drink. 

It's really hard the first year when they are going through growth spurts. Are you feeding him in one sitting? It might be too much food at one time, maybe split the feedings up. When my pup was your pup's age, I split her meals into three feedings.


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## SwaF (Dec 10, 2012)

Oh no we're feeding him 3 meals a day, we basically measure out 1 cup every meal and give it to him he eats for about 10 min finishes maybe 1/4 to 3/4 of a cup and he would get distracted, chew something else wait about 20min and polish off the rest. We mix in a bit of pumpkin into his meals since it gets him to eat a bit more but other than that there are days where he just eats maybe 2 cups, sometimes he eats 3. Our breeder seems to think he is really thin, his sister is about 18 pounds right now and going on 4 cups of eukunuba a day. Gosh I hope I'm just being paranoid but people keep asking us if we're feeding him enough or if we should take him to the vet.


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## blackshep (Aug 3, 2012)

Get used to it, people always think GSD's are too thin when they're an appropriate weight. LOL 

Can you put him in a quiet room with the door closed while he eats, so the distractions are less? Maybe do heaping cups, to get a few more calories in.

How's his poop? I'm just wondering, because my puppy had on and off bouts of loose poops and ended up having giardia, which can block nutrient absorption. As soon as that got taken care of, she's putting a little weight back on. 

I don't like changing food too much, but maybe if you can find something he likes the taste of better? Fromm is a good food, I had my girl on Orijen LB puppy, it was too rich for her though. Now I have her on Acana.


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## Justaguy (Nov 20, 2012)

He looks fine to me. You don't want a fat GSD you want him lean and agile like their suppose to be.


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## Fynn&Vandy (Dec 10, 2012)

I think he looks pretty average. He's a little thin but, our four month old pup is the same way. She's very lean even though she eats a ton. She started to get a little puppy chunk on her (I was so excited) but then hit a growth spurt and, is super lean again. She has crazy long legs and, well our vet is very happy with where she is. Until she hit four months I was feeding 1 cup 3xs a day. She loves to eat but two meals where too big for her. If he's a slow eater, enjoy it. Every time we up Vandys food she gobbles it down and pukes. Just the first time but, still gross. Thank god we got a bowl to help slow her down. Everyone (especially my Mom) tells me both of my pups are too skinny. Fynn is a big dog, he's tap dancing on the line between lean and, "thick" right now. He's perfect. Vandy keeps growing and, is eating plenty. As long as your vet is happy with his progress and, he's eating his food I'm sure he's fine. He's super cute and, doesn't look unhealthy by any means!!


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

I am looking at it not from the weight but from the condition issue . The dog is lean , but lean with a weak look to it . You can be lean and strong. Good lean muscle , integrity to the ligaments and cartilage .
This is what is missing . You still need to be well nurished . Immune health relies on this. 
The dog in the picture is straddling the bowl with some left over kibble . So I don't think it is an issue of the dog not being offered enough. Pumpkin is a filler , the kibble has lots of "filler" so the dog may very well feel full before he has his nutrient needs met.
The way I feed my pups is nutrient dense , calorie low . 

maybe Saphire or Rush can post a picture as their pups are about the same age ?


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

He's thin, yes. We want them lean but not that lean. And trust me, I like a lean dog!
But there's thin/lean and then there's "sickly" looking and he looks sickly.
Adding a meal during the day will certainly help. I'd do 1-2 cups midday if you can. 
Or add cottage cheese, full fat, not the 2% or non-fat, or yogurt, again, full fat. Mix it into his food.

I've found that adding salmon oil and a dollop of coconut oil can put on a nice little bit of fat where it needs to be. Both are good for growing dogs, as well.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

yes, he looks like a good wind would blow him over . 
but not the owners fault because they are feeding him to the point where he has left over kibble. What is being fed is at fault --- all these fillers that are put into puppy, senior and weight maintenance formulas are in a way starving the animal. It couldn't eat more - then starts using its own body tissue for protein (catabolizing). An egg on top, cottage cheese, yogurt , goat milk soaked, or a topping of chicken gizzards, chicken hearts. But why gild the kibble - change kibble , over haul and go on a good raw -- . A pup should glimmer with energy and mischief in the eye . He looks drained and tired .
not commenting or faulting the owner who is trying their best


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

No, not owner's fault at all


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## zivagirl (Jan 5, 2013)

SwaF said:


> My breeder had him on Eukunuba but when we took him home he wasn't eating much of it going through maybe a cup to a cup and a half for a week so I started switching him to Fromm LBP, and he was going through maybe 2 and half to 3 cups of a mixture of those two for the last 2 weeks. But he still doesn't seem to gain any weight, he seems really thin to us, he was about 14 pounds at 9 weeks. Every time he looks like he gained a bit of weight it's usually gone by the next day. He's crated a lot of the times, for an hour after he eats, 30min before he has to go outside, and after he plays for a few hours where he naps it off. Even if we left the bowl in his crate sometimes he still doesn't really eat it. He loves pumpkin and we started mixing a bit of that into his food. He doesn't seem hungry, he's always energetic. We been to the vet 3 times in the last 2 weeks and they never said he was too thin. Am I being paranoid?
> 
> He's been dewormed by the breeder and the vet.


Please, relax with your beautiful pup. . He's beautiful. Pups will have their pudgy moment, then suddenly gain an inch in height/length where suddenly, they look skinny. Next thing you know, they'll eat enough to sustain the body's upcoming need for that growth spurt. 

Feed according to label, love and exercise, teach and train. He'll be fine and will enjoy his relaxed human.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

We all crack me up  But at least they have a ton of options to look at.

Of course, since I'm right, and have had 2 picky GSD's.... I'd say it's what you are feeding. REally try to add something more yummy to get the food down. My normal pups inhale 100% of what I put down in less than 5 minutes and that is NOT going on with this puppy that doesn't want to seem to eat at all. Plenty is being offered.

Did you have a chance to click on and read ---> http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/feeding-our-puppy/162644-pup-doesnt-want-eat-picky-eater.html

Cause I'm betting if you follow some of those tips you'll suddenly see a hungry pup that scarfs down it's meals and you won't be worried any more.


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## zivagirl (Jan 5, 2013)

Glad to amuse. :/


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

zivagirl said:


> Glad to amuse. :/


You know I was kidding, right? :crazy:

One of the best and worst things about forums is all the different opinions. And I know I'm not always right (but if I want to dream, is that a bad thing?  )


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## zivagirl (Jan 5, 2013)

MaggieRoseLee said:


> You know I was kidding, right? :crazy:
> 
> One of the best and worst things about forums is all the different opinions. And I know I'm not always right (but if I want to dream, is that a bad thing?  )


Blasted hormones! I swear, it'll be the death of everyone around me. 


The thing is, whenever anyone presents something such as this original poster, the immediate response brings this almost 'OMG' quality. I see the picture and just don't see 'weak' puppy. I see a pup at an awkward stage. Once the cute puppy 'roundness' subsides and quick growth spurts come and go, people tend to panic. If people spend the growth period of their dogs' lives worrying about ears standing, and of their pup is growing at average speed, they'll miss the opportunity to enjoy what is, in the big picture, such a short moment--puppydom.


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## MichaelE (Dec 15, 2012)

Lisl looked a lot like that at 10 weeks and had me wondering and worrying about her weight too. I thought she looked slightly on the thin side as the puppy does in the OP.

Three weeks later and all that has changed.


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## SwaF (Dec 10, 2012)

Thanks everybody for your input, I started putting a bit of coconut oil and yoghurt into his food but I'm worried that would just put fat on him rather than good strong muscles like Carmen said. I'm gonna look into a raw diet for him. If anybody has good suggestions for a good puppy menu I would really appreciate it. 

I'm just concerned about the nutrition balance, if i give him supplements and ground chicken with bones as a staple would he get all the nutrition he needs? should i add veggies? does he need veggies? I'm guessing any chicken frames or necks of any sort would be given as a treat or chew, I'm just concerned about his meals.


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## SwaF (Dec 10, 2012)

Oh also his poop is fine not to dry not to runny, and he is usually high energy during the day, those pictures are actually taken quite late or else we can't get him to stand still. (those pictures were taken in the 2 seconds he stood still)


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