# Feeding 5 cups of food per day and pup is still skinny



## Roman'sGirl1975 (Mar 11, 2016)

Yesterday my husband and I purchased an 8 month old male GSD pup we have named Cash, His owners were feeding him 5 cups of Hills Science Diet per day. From what they told me their vet told them to do that to keep him lean at this age. I have seen lean dogs and I have seen dogs that are skinny. Cash looks too thin to me. His ribs can easily be seen and he just looks too thin. His spine is easily felt and his hips are the same way. I don't want to get him to the point of being obese but I want him filled out a lot more than he is. I understand keeping a pup slim and lean to keep developing bones healthy and keeping joints strong but when is lean too lean? Valkyrie is lean but her ribs are not easily seen she has a nice tuck and looks really good. She is 6 1/2 months old will be 7 months on Saturday.


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## ausdland (Oct 21, 2015)

I'd transition to a better quality all life stages food with higher calories per cup and/or add boiled meat, eggs and a starch.


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## Nurse Bishop (Nov 20, 2016)

When was he last wormed?


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

Hi RomansGirl!

SCIENCE DIET! Eeeeekkkkk! 


Look at the differences in protein content:

*Science Diet Large Breed Ingredients:* Chicken, Whole Grain Wheat, Cracked Pearled Barley, Whole Grain Sorghum, Whole Grain Corn, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Meal, Pork Fat, Chicken Liver Flavor, Dried Beet Pulp, Soybean Oil, Lactic Acid, Flaxseed, Potassium Chloride, Iodized Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Oat Fiber, Taurine, Mixed Tocopherols for Freshness, Natural Flavors, Beta-Carotene, Apples, Broccoli, Carrots, Cranberries, Green Peas.
*
**Fromm’s Gold Large Breed Ingredients: *Duck, Chicken Meal, Chicken, Oatmeal, Pearled Barley, Brown Rice, White Rice, Dried Tomato Pomace, Dried Whole Egg, Menhaden Fish Meal, Lamb, Potatoes, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Cheese, Salmon Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Flaxseed, Brewers Dried Yeast, Alfalfa Meal, Carrots, Lettuce, Celery, Chicken Cartilage, Monocalcium Phosphate, Calcium Sulfate, Salt, Potassium Chloride, L-Tryptophan, Dl-Methionine, Taurine, Chicory Root Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Sodium Selenite, Sorbic Acid (Preservative), Vitamins [Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Choline Bitartrate, Niacin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Biotin], Minerals [Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Magnesium Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Cobalt Carbonate, Calcium Iodate, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Magnesium Proteinate, Cobalt Proteinate], Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Longum Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Pediococcus Acidilactici Fermentation Product.


As Ausland said the dog needs better nutrition.


Moms


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## Deb (Nov 20, 2010)

I would have a full check up at your vets and change food. A lot of vets sell Science Diet, it's part of their income, so don't be surprised if your vet says to keep the Science Diet. I would not.


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## Thecowboysgirl (Nov 30, 2006)

Sometimes they just need more. I think mine was eating 6 cups a day when my vet say "he is way too rhin, you've got to feed him more" MORE than six cups? I think I may have even fed him 7 cups a day very briefly during a growth spurt.

My dog was always eating quality food and sometimes just hard to keep weight on him. He just turned two, he is still intact, and is just now easy to keep weight on that I have to be sure he isn't over eating or over weight.

Victor High Energy is a better kibble that is high cal, you don't have to feed nearly as much to keep them looking decent


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Science Diet is expensive for as bad as it is. From is good but it is also pretty expensive. 

I use Diamond Naturals Adult Chicken and Rice and I wean puppies on the food and feed it to critters of all ages. 

*Ingredients:*
Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Grain Brown Rice, Peas, Cracked Pearled Barley, Pea Flour, Chicken Fat, Dried Beet Pulp, Egg Product, Natural Flavor, Fish Meal, Flaxseed, Salmon Oil (Source Of Dha), Potassium Chloride, Salt, Choline Chloride, Dried Chicory Root, Kale, Chia Seed, Pumpkin, Blueberries, Oranges, Quinoa, Dried Kelp, Coconut, Spinach, Carrots, Papaya, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Animalis Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Reuteri Fermentation Product, Vitamin E Supplement, Beta Carotene, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Vitamin D Supplement, Folic Acid.

*Guaranteed Analysis:*
Crude Protein (min.) 26.0%
Crude Fat (min.) 16.0%
Crude Fiber (max.) 3.0%
Moisture (max.) 10.0%
DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) 0.05%
Zinc (min.) 150 mg/kg
Selenium (min.) 0.3 mg/kg
Vitamin E (min.) 150 IU/kg
Omega-6 Fatty Acids* (min.) 2.5%
Omega-3 Fatty Acids* (min.) 0.4%
Total Microorganisms* Not Less Than 1,000,000 CFU/lb (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium animalis, Lactobacillus reuteri)
*Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles.

*Caloric Content:*
Metabolizable Energy (ME) 3,708 kcal/kg (368 kcal/cup).


The cost is currently $35 for 40 pounds. It gives you a good bang for your buck. I have a youngster who is almost 8 months. I give him 3 cups twice a day, but Jenna eats some of that (she gets 2 cups twice a day. I figure the boy is eating for growth and the girl will be 12 in a month, so she can eat what she wants. 



Sometimes, the dogs seem to do better on a mid-range food that has some fillers in them. They eat more because the calorie content is less, but the protein:fat ratios seem to be easier on them. 


Generally my adult females get 1.5 cups twice a day. Growing puppies need more.


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## Roman'sGirl1975 (Mar 11, 2016)

He was wormed at his last vet visit. I normally would feed him Taste Of The Wild puppy to get him weighted out but I would like to do so at a slightly slower pace. I might look into the Diamond Naturals or maybe a couple other grain free puppy foods for him. He is a fine looking dog with a sweet temperament and did really well at the fireworks display two nights ago. He would have settled down and went to sleep if the guy who invited himself to sit with us had left him alone. This guy kept trying to steal him and kept saying that Cash needed a better home than mine because I was starving him to death. Keep in mind we bought two hotdogs apiece for the pups as a special treat.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

My 95 lb male ate tops 4 cups a day
Shadow at 50lbs gets 2.

How are you all feeding this much kibble???


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

Carly eats 3 cups. Russell eats 3.5 cups, and the almost 11 month old puppy eats 4-5. She'll slow down eventually. Right now she's like a teenage boy, lol.


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## Roman'sGirl1975 (Mar 11, 2016)

Cash is pretty active and really strong. I took him for a short walk in the neighborhood the other evening and took a long line with me so that he could run and play. He wrapped his lead around my legs and managed to take me down. After the run and walk I put him in his crate and fed him 6 cups of food and he gobbled that down and was begging for more.


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## newlie (Feb 12, 2013)

The rescue who pulled Newlie from the shelter told me that they were feeding him 7 cups a day as he was slightly underweight. He weighted 70 pounds at the time, but he is tall, and was going through that phase when their chests look thin and all you can see is legs. I can't remember the name of the food , but it was from Costco and I remember people saying it was a decent food. I kept him on the 7 cups for a while and then started cutting back when he was somewhere around 85 pounds. Since I have had Newlie, he has been on a number of quality dog foods, as a matter of fact, I sometimes think his food costs more than mine, lol. I was always searching for a food that would help his itchiness. He has been on Earthborn Great Plains Feast (bison) for some time now and I think is doing well on that.

Over a period of several years, I would cut back on Newlie's food a little at a time thinking at his age, he would not need as much and each time, he would lose a little weight. At the lowest, he was on 3 and a half cups a day. Toward the end of this, I noticed him starting to do things he had never done before , like getting in the trash and trying to nose the lid off his food bin. When I took him to the vet, Newlier was down to 70 again! Poor boy, he was hungry!

I asked the vet about upping his food to 4 cups a day and the vet said most dogs his age don't have the kind of energy he does and he thought 5 cups would be better. Newlie is somewhere around 6 or 7 years old now and on 5 cups, is staying around 78-80 pounds. He gets 2 cups twice a day and then around another cup for treats, playing "Find," etc.


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## Bzika (May 11, 2017)

If none of the other methods you implement help put weight on him you may want to speak to the vet about the possibility of him having Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI). Usually the stools would be more like wet blobs and that would be a big sign of the malabsorption, however there are atypical cases where the stools appear normal and there's still a lack of digestive enzymes. Something to keep in mind if conditions don't improve. Good luck!

Check out this foundation, they can help you get an accurate diagnosis. 

Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) for Dogs Foundation, Inc. | EPI4Dogs Foundation, Inc.


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## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

I'll tell you how bad Science Diet is.... Shelby, my shepherd mix was eating Science Diet when I got her from the shelter. I bought some so I could transition her. She wouldn't eat it. I figured, fine, I could use it for treats for my other dog. Natty Boh is a hound and eats ANYTHING - even inedible things. But he wouldn't eat Science Diet. Yep! It's that bad.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Roman'sGirl1975 said:


> Cash is pretty active and really strong. I took him for a short walk in the neighborhood the other evening and took a long line with me so that he could run and play. He wrapped his lead around my legs and managed to take me down. After the run and walk I put him in his crate and fed him 6 cups of food and he gobbled that down and was begging for more.


Puppies can bloat. Many people let their dog settle after a lot of exercise before feeding them. And they usually divide their total intake into at least 2 meals per day. 

You are feeding a food with a LOT of fillers in it. That could be another factor in favor of bloating. 

I always fed puppies more than once a day, but for a while I went to once a day feedings for my adults. Not immediately, but I started noticing them losing weight. Sheps sometimes have trouble maintaining weight. If you feed more food, their systems will often give you a loose stool. A loose stool generally means that some food is expelled prior to all the nutrients be absorbed into the system. So you feed more, have mushy or loose stool, and the dog gets skinnier. 

By changing to two meals per day, I think you see less loose stool, do to over-feeding and you can feed for growth -- 1/2 total intake plus 1/4 to 1/2 cup extra, twice a day.


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