# Not gaining weight?



## erfunhouse (Jun 8, 2013)

Sabo is 47lbs and he's been holding steady there for the last three weeks. What's up with that? Why isn't he gaining weight? I have him on TOTW Puppy Salmon mixed with the Prairie and he gets approx 5 cups a day though eats about 3-4 total. I have pro biotics and digestive enzymes mixed in. His poops are healthy, we have eliminated the diarrhea, but he isn't gaining weight! He's approx 20inches at the shoulder and has grown an inch in the last two weeks. He just turned 19 weeks. He gets a TON of exercise, either running at the park with us for an hour or two a day or a mile- mile and a half walk/hike...daily. On top of running around with us and playing at home. 

He is very well socialized and a great dog all around, but he just wont grow! He is a very pick eater but he does eat! Just not all of his food. 

Is it the food? Should I change it yet again? 

Other than making an appt with the vet (I am on the phone as I type) what else should I do? He will be 20 weeks on the 19th. Ears are up, he is teething though he has already lost a few teeth, his ears didn't even drop while he was teething!


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## erfunhouse (Jun 8, 2013)

Wrong measurement! I just re-measured TWICE and he is 22-23 inches tall! Could he have stopped gaining to grow taller?


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## kr16 (Apr 30, 2011)

Why is weight gain so important to you? Is he feeling and acting fine? He is heavy enough.


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## erfunhouse (Jun 8, 2013)

Its not the weight that concerns me---its the lack of gain. As a puppy he should not stop gaining, slow gain is fine, but a lack of gain isn't good. Granted I'm going based on human standard for children (I'm a nurse, what can I say?)


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## kr16 (Apr 30, 2011)

erfunhouse said:


> Its not the weight that concerns me---its the lack of gain. As a puppy he should not stop gaining, slow gain is fine, but a lack of gain isn't good. Granted I'm going based on human standard for children (I'm a nurse, what can I say?)



I wouldn't worry about it, your dog is pretty much right on for the age. The final weight for the breed standard on a male GSd is like 75-80 pounds max. They do not fill out until about 2 and 1/2 years.


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## Rbeckett (Jun 19, 2013)

+1 on what KR16 said. My girl just turned 2 on the 4th and she is only 57 Lbs. The vet said she might fill out a little but isn't likely to get any bigger than she is now. As long as your dog is active and healthy and continues to eat then I would let nature take it's course. Some dogs fill out and bulk up early and some never seem to. It is really up to the genes of the particular animal. As long as everything else is OK, relax and let him have some time to grow and mature, you really don't want him to get too big or too heavy really young because that will really affect his hip and bone development and may be the cause of issues later on in life. There have been a few studies that indicate that keeping a puppy lean and well exercised tends to increase their life span and reduce hip, joint and bone problems later on. I can not recall exactly who said that but I can look if you really want to read it yourself.. Suffice it to say it was not a run of the mill back yard breeder who said it though. Hope this helps relieve your concerns a bit, just try to relax and enjoy puppyhood for right now, they do grow up and mature way too fast as it is...

Wheelchair Bob


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## erfunhouse (Jun 8, 2013)

Thanks guys. Now that I got the diarrhea under control I just worry. 


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## justallen30 (Feb 22, 2013)

Good choice with TOTW. I have both of my GSDs on it and they eat 4 cups a day so Sabo is doing just fine. I'm sure there will be a growth spurt after the teething is over. But my two are lean and have great muscle tone. The high prarie blend has the most protein so I would feed that more than pacific stream. 

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