# GSD not gaining weight- tried everything



## sophhskz

I have a 1 year old German Shepherd, super tall and skinny. I've tried just about everything to help him gain weight. I will try and upload a picture later of what he currently looks like; he has been going up and down in weight but has always been underweight. Even with his rapid pace of growing he's too underweight for it to be normal and he doesn't care to eat his food like normal dogs.

Stool is normal size and shape and color. He had giardia once when he was younger but it was rechecked and cleared up. He has been checked for ELI and his pancreas and both are normal. 

I have him on Nulo dog food currently- it's grain free and has live probiotic cultures. I also supplement him for his joints and have him on probiotics that I keep in the fridge. 

I've tried different dog foods, and yes I know to switch them over slowly- I have a degree in animal science and I know what I'm doing so I'm at a loss right now as to what to do.

Most recently tried to incorporate raw meat following the guidelines and that hasn't worked.

Any ideas?


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## dz0qp5

A 1 year old is still a young pup. Think of it as a 7 year old boy. Many lines don't fill out until they are 2 or 3. For these dogs, with some of there orthopedic issues, skinny is better than heavy. With that said I have had better luck with some of the more traditional dog foods and no supplementation.


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## Springbrz

Pictures would be helpful when you can post them. Until then...how tall is your boy and what is his current weight?


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## cdwoodcox

Unless his ribs are showing and he looks like a homeless hobo dog then I wouldn't worry about it. 
I have found with my female who was super skinny that feeding her kibble in the morning then kibble in the evening with 1/2 - 3/4 pounds of raw ground meat mixed in helped to fill her out nicely. Then I backed off to 1/2 pound or just a little under to maintain.


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## girardid

a heathy dog at a year old should be lean and not have extra fat. you should not feel the need to put weight on him. The reason you think he is skinny is because at that age their muscles haven't filled in quite yet. As long as he is active and has energy dont worry. Most working dogs always show a rib or two so no need to worry. 
Check out the picture this is a prime example of a healthy working dog. Even in the standing picture at the bottom right you will see a couple ribs.


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## cloudpump

sophhskz said:


> I have a 1 year old German Shepherd, super tall and skinny. I've tried just about everything to help him gain weight. I will try and upload a picture later of what he currently looks like; he has been going up and down in weight but has always been underweight. Even with his rapid pace of growing he's too underweight for it to be normal and he doesn't care to eat his food like normal dogs.
> 
> Stool is normal size and shape and color. He had giardia once when he was younger but it was rechecked and cleared up. He has been checked for ELI and his pancreas and both are normal.
> 
> I have him on Nulo dog food currently- it's grain free and has live probiotic cultures. I also supplement him for his joints and have him on probiotics that I keep in the fridge.
> 
> I've tried different dog foods, and yes I know to switch them over slowly- I have a degree in animal science and I know what I'm doing so I'm at a loss right now as to what to do.
> 
> Most recently tried to incorporate raw meat following the guidelines and that hasn't worked.
> 
> Any ideas?


Is he neutered? If so at what age?


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## sophhskz

He does look like an overly skinny hobo dog haha. I know that it's healthy for their ribs to show- he is overly underweight


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## sophhskz

Neutered at 5/6 months old


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## sophhskz

I know that's what a healthy gsd should look like and he was there a few months ago but now he is much more underweight. All ribs visible from a distance.


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## sophhskz

I do not have a current height or weight I will get pictures today


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## voodoolamb

sophhskz said:


> Neutered at 5/6 months old


Neutering changes the growth and development. Testosterone is needed to "tell" the growth plates when to close and to develop muscle defintion. It slows the upwards growth and starts the filling out growth.

It is common for juvenile neuters like yours to have tall lanky looks while growing/their younger years. Only to balloon up with higher body fat percentages once they hit maturity. 

Endocrine deficiencies can wreak havoc on the body. Especially during growth. 

Considering the substantially increased risk of orthopedic disorders in early neutered animals being light is probably going to be in his favor.


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## sophhskz

Being neutered at 6 months is not early ; if anything it's late. When then would you say he would start filling out instead of growing upwards?


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## cdwoodcox

sophhskz said:


> Being neutered at 6 months is not early ; if anything it's late. When then would you say he would start filling out instead of growing upwards?


The newer studies show that 18-24 months old is the better time to neuter. Once the growth plates close.


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## voodoolamb

sophhskz said:


> Being neutered at 6 months is not early ; if anything it's late. When then would you say he would start filling out instead of growing upwards?


It is waaaaaaay early. Especially for a large breed dog. Many studies have been published in the past 10 years about the effects of spaying/neutering - especially pediatric neuters. My own vet will not alter large breeds until 18 - 24 months. 

Here's a good article with plenty of studies referenced in the foot notes:
Long-Term Health Risks and Benefits Associated with Spay / Neuter in Dogs - Dogs Naturally Magazine

The thing is, he probably will never become a well muscled dog. Testosterone is paramount to body composition. It builds muscles as opposed to fat stores. 

IME early neutered animals are either lanky or fat. They don't have the hormones to become well muscled and filled out. The early neutered animals I've seen that look filled out are actually chunky. It's especially apparent in livestock - castrating steers leads to well marbled meat (AKA Fat!!!). The same thing happens to dogs when they are castrated young. 

As long as he doesn't have an underlying health issue, then enjoy your boy's "dancer" body


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## carmspack

sophhskz said:


> Being neutered at 6 months is not early ; if anything it's late. When then would you say he would start filling out instead of growing upwards?


not really . This is really young to be neutered.

quote "Back in the 1990s, studies showed that dogs spayed or neutered before one year of age grew significantly taller than dogs not spayed/neutered until after puberty. And the earlier the spay/neuter procedure, the taller the dog."

article in full Health Risks of Early Spay Neuter

another thing you have to consider is his genetic heritage . What are his littermates like ?

what are his parents like?

I have seen some GSD look like borzoi -- (AM show lines) very narrow faces , finer boned , difficult to ever get any muscle on them .

you can't get Don Knotts to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger . 

does the dog have a good appetite?
is the dog an easy going dog or does he have nervous energy .
is the dog lazy, depressed, happy , active?

the poster of the stop obesity black gsd -- my thoughts on this is that this is TOO slim .

a dog that is heavy duty working has to have some padding , some energy to draw on , some protective cover against rips , tears, bites - injury 

the dog doesn't look strong. The dog looks like a fashion runway model, not like a healthy sporty , fit and active model.


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## Fodder

voodoolamb said:


> As long as he doesn't have an underlying health issue, then enjoy your boy's "dancer" body


 :nono:


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## Jax08

sophhskz said:


> Being neutered at 6 months is not early ; if anything it's late. When then would you say he would start filling out instead of growing upwards?


Not only is it early but there are two studies out there showing a high correlation to everything from torn acl's to cancer in animals desexed early. One specifically from U.C. Davis using German Shepherds as their subject.


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## voodoolamb

Fodder said:


> :nono:



You're right 

Dancers are well muscled. I was trying to think of a nice way to depict thinness. Bad analogy.


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## MineAreWorkingline

carmspack said:


> the poster of the stop obesity black gsd -- my thoughts on this is that this is TOO slim .
> 
> a dog that is heavy duty working has to have some padding , some energy to draw on , some protective cover against rips , tears, bites - injury
> 
> the dog doesn't look strong. The dog looks like a fashion runway model, not like a healthy sporty , fit and active model.


There is more to a GSD's health than joint health. That is only one component. 

Dogs are supposed to have good muscle and some fat for health.

I think the dog in the picture looks very lacking in musculature.


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## selzer

Ok, lots of dogs are neutered young. That is done. I don't think we should stop there when we are thinking about what might be going on with this puppy. When we are myopic in any sense, we can miss important shtuff going on. 

First thing first, has he had bloodwork, fecal, parasite check -- worms, etc., tick panel, test for SIBO -- I take it EPI is what has been checked already? 

You are feeding grain free. Why? Sometimes we think that grain-free food is better for our dogs because it is meat-based and more what a dog would eat in the wild. Well, our dogs are not in the wild. They have been domesticated for thousands of years. They have eaten off of the refuse of humans forever. Yes, in the wild a dog would not eat corn, wheat, or rice; he won't eat potatoes or peas either, and those are generally in your grain-free diet. 

I guess what I am suggesting is that THIS dog might do better on a middle of the road food, that has some grain in it. Sometimes fats and calories will metabolize within the system better with starches or grains, and the pup will have a better appearance. 

There are many things that can prevent a dog from wanting to eat. For some reason, I am thinking liver shunts as an example. Whatever it is, you need to be working with a professional who can run the tests and get down to the bottom of his issues. If your regular vet is stumped, then it may be time to go to a specialist. Ask your vet to recommend a specialist. 

If your dog looks skinnier than that dog in the pictures shown, it is way too skinny. That dog is not fit, it is thin. You should maybe see a rib or two, not a rack of ribs. Yes, youngsters sometimes take some time to fill out, but they shouldn't be that thin. You see the pup, and if you think he is too thin, he probably is.


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## sophhskz

He has had all of the blood work, tested for epi, fecal, sibo.

I've been thinking of switching to honest kitchen and trying him on that. And no he does not have a "dancers body" I think that's extremely disrespectful the way you guys are coming at that. He is well muscled when he has weight on and he's not slim he's thick like his dad but it's hard to tell right now because he's so underweight.

The honest kitchen has digestive enzyme supplements as well as probiotics (which he was already on) and I was thinking of trying the salmon meat one since it's lower fat , which my vet recommended because of his sensitive stomach. So that on top of the added digestive enzymes was going to be my next step.


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## sophhskz

This was him at a decent body weight 2 MONTHS AGO- note - he is way skinnier now I do not have a new picture of him as I'm on vacation. That is an extra large dog igloo behind him and he's grow in size since this picture was taken. 

Again he is way skinnier now. This is only to show his body structure . If y'all wana be rude you have no place commenting on my post , that is not what this forum was set up for


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## sophhskz

*pics to show body structure at good weight*

















this is him at 9 months old at a good weight- NOT CURRENT PICS - just to show his body structure. he will gain weight one week and lose it the next week. this is him at a good weight.


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## LuvShepherds

People are trying to help you, so you are going to get a lot of comments about why he might be too thin and what can be done or not. Early neutering can cause side effects later. So can Giardia. But you can't go back and fix either one, so you need to fix what is in front of you. I would start with a blood panel and full fecal testing. Is he digesting food properly? Are there other symptoms that can be used for a diagnosis? Would a diet change help? Are you feeding him enough for his age, size and activity level? Is he getting enough exercise? Does he have food allergies?

Edited because I saw you have already tested for some things. What about thyroid? An underactive thyroid can cause weight loss in dogs rather than the weight gain people get.


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## sophhskz

He has had a full blood panel as well as several fecals that all came back clear. His activity level is above average and he is fed extra for that. I'm not sure if I have checked his thyroid function yet but I believe we have ; I will double check with my vet right now. 
He gets a lot of exercise, yes, and it doesn't seem to be food allergies because he hasn't had any diarrhea or loose stools or vomit. I do think it has something to do with being able to fully digest and malabsorption but we already tested for ELI.

That's why I was thinking of trying honest kitchen now because I've only so far tried different varieties of kibble.


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## Deb

sophhskz said:


> I know but people saying my dog probably has a "dancers body" not to be descriptive but trying to be rude and disrespectful and posting dumb pictures i think is not the reason this forum is here. It's for help.
> 
> He has had a full blood panel as well as several fecals that all came back clear. His activity level is above average and he is fed extra for that. I'm not sure if I have checked his thyroid function yet but I believe we have ; I will double check with my vet right now.
> He gets a lot of exercise, yes, and it doesn't seem to be food allergies because he hasn't had any diarrhea or loose stools or vomit. I do think it has something to do with being able to fully digest and malabsorption but we already tested for ELI.
> 
> That's why I was thinking of trying honest kitchen now because I've only so far tried different varieties of kibble.



People are trying to help you. But what one person calls underweight is maybe not what another calls underweight. Without seeing what your dogs actually looks like, it's hard to help other than give suggestions. Being rude to those people who try to help you won't elicit much help. You're not at home? Perhaps it would help you better to wait until you get home and can post some pictures of your dog as he is now. People do want to help you.


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## sophhskz

I'm not being rude ?? I'm asking other people not to be. And I know I'm not home but I'm getting picture soon of him sent from home so I can upload them here as I get suggestions from people on here as to the underlying problems


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## Fodder

Voodoo mentioned a dancers body referring to YOUR description of him being "tall and skinny"

I provided a photo to show that dancers can absolutely be fit and well muscled which would actually be in your defense :thinking:

Voodoo then clarified that it wasn't the best example...

I highly doubt any harm, offense or disrespect was meant... Either way, it was in response to your description of your dog w/o any photos provided.

I have a skinny dog.... 25" and 60lbs, he doesn't even get a puppy pass. Call him a dancer, a model, who cares... say he resembles a herion addict and I'd be offended. Get it?


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## sophhskz

I'm getting a picture uploaded in the next hour or two so people can see his current weight


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## Slamdunc

A GSD's weight will fluctuate and so will body type as he grows. He may be going through a growth spurt and seem to be thin. GSD's do not fill out completely until 2 1/2 or 3 years old. The worst thing you can do is try to "fatten" him up or put weight on him at this age. Let him grow naturally, feed a high quality and exercise him regularly. Don't stress over his weight if you have had all those tests done, he is more than likely fine and healthy. Just a little trim at the moment. A dog's weight will fluctuate with the seasons and dogs tend to lose some weight over the winter. 

A thin GSD is preferable than a fat GSD and please do not let this dog become heavy. He looks good in the pictures that you posted, no need to worry. Let him grow naturally and accept a little fluctuation.

Pics of a properly conditioned GSD:


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## sophhskz

Ok thanks do you guys still think it'd be beneficial to switch him over to honest kitchen dehydrated from the Nulo kibble he's on right now? He does fine with gradually switching over


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## voodoolamb

sophhskz said:


> I know but people saying my dog probably has a "dancers body" not to be descriptive but trying to be rude and disrespectful and posting dumb pictures i think is not the reason this forum is here. It's for help.


Actually I said dancer's body because I was looking for a nicer way to describe a thin body. Fodder kindly pointed out that I was incorrect in my analogy because dancers are actually very well muscled. 

It wasn't said with the intent of rudeness.

Your dog doesn't have a dancer's body, he doesn't have the testosterone required to achieve that type of body composition. It's basic biology. Testes secrete testosterone, testosterone tells the pituitary gland how much follicle stimulating hormone to put out, FSH determines intramuscular fat deposits. Testosterone it's self also plays a huge part itself in overall body composition and muscle development. 

Your dog is a eunuch, he is going to develop differently. Depending on what you base "what a german shepherd should look like " on - he may NEVER fit your expectations. This isn't anything against him or you. It just is what it is 

If that is an XL igloo, and he has gotten taller since that pic - he is a very tall GSD. Those XL igloos stand at 31 inches according to Amazon. Increased height is typical of dogs neutered before their growth plates are closed. Does your dog come from Over-sized lines? The gaining one week, loosing the next thing is also typical of a dog that is growing in height. You dog still has plenty of growing left to do. 

We are probably both working under different definitions of "well muscled" as well. Lack of musculature is typical of young dogs, it is especially typical of young neutered dogs. Something to keep in mind as your boy grows and ages is his overall body composition. The higher levels of intramuscular fat I mentioned above means a dog will LOOK fit and well muscled, but there is a lot of fat in between the muscle fibers. An experienced hand can feel the difference that the eye cannot see.

So please, don't take offense to the way your dog's body has been described. It is nothing against him! Just descriptive terms. He looks like a great dog and that is all that matters.

And please do post an updated pic when you are able to.

The honest kitchen is a great brand. Very high quality products. Most dogs do well on it. You mentioned that he has a sensitive stomach. Have you looked into the possibility of malabsorption and leaky gut syndrome?


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## LuvShepherds

I can't answer that without seeing him. If he is American Showline, they can be taller and thinner, and take long time to fill out.


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## voodoolamb

Gahh you all type much faster than I do! Disregard my above post. Other people said it better  

Anywho!

The honest kitchen had done wonders for a LOT of dogs. It even turned my sickly senior around. Highly digestable.

Anywho... Try looking into leaky gut and see if it fits your boy! 

Whoa, Does My Dog Have Leaky Gut?


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## selzer

It wasn't rude. 

Dancers, both males and females are incredibly strong and muscular -- I am talking professional dance, where they do ballet or the lifting and gymnastics. It requires grace, strength, musical ability, and not an ounce of fat. 

It wasn't meant to be rude. 

Now, I've had some skinny dogs, and was trying to feed them the higher fat, higher protein food and switched to 50/50 of the higher fat, higher protein/ lower fat, lower protein, and it really did not do what I was hoping and expecting. I went with the lower fat, lower protein food, lower calories, so I fed more of it. And my dogs responded. I think it is 26/16 protein/fat as opposed to 32/25. Grain free foods tend to have higher protein and fat. It is not always the best bet for growing puppies. 

Again, if you are feeding grain free because you think it is better for your dog, it may not be. Some of our dogs do better on lower protein, lower fat. Just throwing that out there. 

Good luck.


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## sophhskz

It definitely could be leaky gut as a result of him having giardia for a while and the use of strong antibiotics after. I will get him the honest kitchen digestive enzymes and continue with the probiotics and salmon oil and see how he does! Thank you all


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## voodoolamb

sophhskz said:


> It definitely could be leaky gut as a result of him having giardia for a while and the use of strong antibiotics after. I will get him the honest kitchen digestive enzymes and continue with the probiotics and salmon oil and see how he does! Thank you all


You might also want to consider supplementing with gelatin or bone broth. It does wonders in repairing in intestinal lining. 

Should be really easy to give if you switch to the honest kitchen just mix it right on in


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## sophhskz

Is that something I could purchase online and how much would you suggest giving??


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## sophhskz

I will look It up thanks!


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## LuvShepherds

One of mine had Giardia. I finally started using a quality plain Greek yogurt as a probiotic and I have seen good results with that.


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## voodoolamb

sophhskz said:


> Is that something I could purchase online and how much would you suggest giving??


You can get it at your regular grocery store. Unflavoured beef gelatin. It will probably be down the baking aisle around the canning stuff or jello.

I just do a heaping spoonful or if I buy the knox brand a single envelope. 

It's also awesome for the joints and skin health as well as soothing tummy troubles. Lots of collagen.


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## Springbrz

Ok...just viewed the pictures you posted of your boy at what you feel is a good weight. Personally I think he is actually a tad (and I do mean tad) bit heavy in those pictures. But he is still growing so some leaning out has probably been a good thing. Obviously without currents picks of him it's all moot. 

Nulo is a Dogfood Advisor 5 star rated food so I don't think you need to worry about the quality there. If he is otherwise doing well on Nulo I would leave well enough alone. But that is up to you, not me. 

I think as a society we have gotten way to used to seeing over weight dogs and cats that we (the collective general population we) have forgotten what a properly weighted well conditioned dog should actually look like. 

Example: My female is slender/finely built. As a youngster around a year she steadily weighed around 63 lbs. I thought she was too thin. My vet and many on this forum kept me reminded that she was still young and hadn't filled out so don't worry about it so much. Over the next year...yes, I said year...she gained a measly 5 lbs. Now she looked good. Ideal weight my vet said. She looked good for her frame and you could still see her last two ribs (all of them when she stretched) had a nice abdominal tuck. However, people in the general public said she looked skinny, I should feed her more, I got looks like a starved my dog a lot :frown2:. Now at 3.5 She is up to 73 lbs.(only a 5 lb gain) Everyone in the general public thinks she looks awesome. Compliment my gorgeous dog. My vet said she would like to see her back a 68-70 lbs and I agree. We are working on it. 

My point is...if there are no health issues...give him time to mature and I bet you will see a weight increase without doing anything different.

Not the best picture but this is my "chubby" girl at 3 years


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## DominicanNYC

sophhskz said:


> I have a 1 year old German Shepherd, super tall and skinny. I've tried just about everything to help him gain weight. I will try and upload a picture later of what he currently looks like; he has been going up and down in weight but has always been underweight. Even with his rapid pace of growing he's too underweight for it to be normal and he doesn't care to eat his food like normal dogs.
> 
> Stool is normal size and shape and color. He had giardia once when he was younger but it was rechecked and cleared up. He has been checked for ELI and his pancreas and both are normal.
> 
> I have him on Nulo dog food currently- it's grain free and has live probiotic cultures. I also supplement him for his joints and have him on probiotics that I keep in the fridge.
> 
> I've tried different dog foods, and yes I know to switch them over slowly- I have a degree in animal science and I know what I'm doing so I'm at a loss right now as to what to do.
> 
> Most recently tried to incorporate raw meat following the guidelines and that hasn't worked.
> 
> Any ideas?


Take him off NULO my German Shepherd was on that he would not gain weight at all I was giving him 4 cups for breakfast and dinner and he wouldn’t eat any of it. I would come home and it’s still there, my brother came to town and his German Shepherd is also 1 (the same age as mine) he said he feeds his dog ROYAL CANINE I went to Petco and bought it and Bronx is gaining weight a lot of weight. I recently took Bronx to the vet and he was 63 pounds when he was 8 months he was 89 pounds idk what happened. I changed Bronx whole diet he eats raw now with fruits vegetables and raw meats and I give him 2 cups of ROYAL CANINE for breakfast and for dinner then at around 11pm I give him 2 cups of food before bed. Let me tell you Bronx seems so much happier and he’s eating everything he licks his bowl clean I was so happy when I saw him eat everything, I still am his ribs aren’t as visible as they were 2 weeks ago so I’m doing something right. His tail wags more his eyes aren’t as red he’s improving.


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## DominicanNYC

sophhskz said:


> I have a 1 year old German Shepherd, super tall and skinny. I've tried just about everything to help him gain weight. I will try and upload a picture later of what he currently looks like; he has been going up and down in weight but has always been underweight. Even with his rapid pace of growing he's too underweight for it to be normal and he doesn't care to eat his food like normal dogs.
> 
> Stool is normal size and shape and color. He had giardia once when he was younger but it was rechecked and cleared up. He has been checked for ELI and his pancreas and both are normal.
> 
> I have him on Nulo dog food currently- it's grain free and has live probiotic cultures. I also supplement him for his joints and have him on probiotics that I keep in the fridge.
> 
> I've tried different dog foods, and yes I know to switch them over slowly- I have a degree in animal science and I know what I'm doing so I'm at a loss right now as to what to do.
> 
> Most recently tried to incorporate raw meat following the guidelines and that hasn't worked.
> 
> Any ideas?


I get my German Shepherds raw food from RAWFEEDINGMIAMI they’re the best


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## Sonny1984

look into dyne weight gainer for dogs. I gave it to my pup from 2 months - 9 months and he did well on it. Also check out psyllium husk - it can help solidify the stools. Very helpful if you find something he likes to eat but the stools are loose at first.

also do you have a pic where you think he’s underweight? Does the vet share you concerns about his weight? Some vets give better breed specific advice than others, as I think you’ve seen, but their opnion is valuable


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## drparker151

5 year old thread brought back from the dead.


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## WNGD

And the OP never did post a pic of her dog she considered skinny.....waste of a thread, waste of time.. 
Why start these if you're not serious about help?


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