# 6 Month Old GSD Won't Eat Enough



## Beeznik (Mar 27, 2008)

Hey everyone. I have a 6 month old German Shepherd. I have noticed that she's a picky eater, but yesterday I brought her to the vet and he said she looked skinny and should eat more. I've heard that GSD's can be picky eaters by nature. Anyhow, I've tried mixing her food with pumpkin mix, didn't work. I'm getting pretty paranoid. I just put her in her crate with her food, hopefully she'll eat it then.

Any ideas out there?


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## dd (Jun 10, 2003)

What are you feeding her?


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## vcroft0313 (Feb 3, 2009)

How much is she currently eating and what is she eating? Can you see/feel her ribs? Do you have a pic?


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## Beeznik (Mar 27, 2008)

I'm feeding her nutro natural choice for large breed puppies. She eats when she wants to, really. She ate yesterday morning, but we added stuff to it. Didn't eat for the rest of the day and didn't eat today until we added stuff to it. Honestly, I don't think she's dangerously skinny, but she is skinny. She certainly doesn't act sickly. Nonetheless, my vet had me worried.


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## Beeznik (Mar 27, 2008)

I want to reiterate that she's always been a picky eater, my vet just kinda got me worried.


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

Maybe she's no longer enjoying that food? IMHO she should be eating more than one meal a day. 

Have you tried something else...like plain yogurt mixed in the food?

Has she always beeon on this food?


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## Beeznik (Mar 27, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: aubieMaybe she's no longer enjoying that food? IMHO she should be eating more than one meal a day.
> 
> Have you tried something else...like plain yogurt mixed in the food?
> 
> Has she always beeon on this food?


We actually just switched to this food recently because we thought she might like it better. She liked it a lot at first...then got bored of it it would seem.

Yogurt huh?


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## gslore (Dec 29, 2008)

I would be careful with Nutro. From what I understand, they do not use human quality meat in their formulas. She may be reacting to some of the ingredients.

My girl is a fussy eater too. But she will always eat when I add Wellness canned food. 

I have yet to find an animal that will not eat Wellness. My cats love it too.

HTH


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

I'd think she's prob not liking the food much anymore. Let the fun food swapping begin! 

I add not quite a tablespoon to the puppers food. My shep mix Dunc never eats breakfast, but by adding a little bit of plain, lowfat yogurt he's begun eating two regular meals a day.


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

do you have any pics of her standing up? its hard to say from that pic, but she does not look too skinny to me. imo, too many vets seem ok with a "meaty" looking dog. a gsd should be lean.

i agree, too, that it may just be the food. there are tons of choices out there. trial and error. alot of stores have cheap or free samples bags to try.


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## Beeznik (Mar 27, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: roxy84do you have any pics of her standing up? its hard to say from that pic, but she does not look too skinny to me. imo, too many vets seem ok with a "meaty" looking dog. a gsd should be lean.
> 
> i agree, too, that it may just be the food. there are tons of choices out there. trial and error. alot of stores have cheap or free samples bags to try.


I was thinking about the same thing. She does look skinny, and you can see some ribs. However, I have talked to people who said their dogs would be skinny until about a year and a half, and then start filling in around then.

The problem with switching foods is that she seems interested at first and then she quickly loses interest in the brand. I'll give a few more a try though.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

For our GSD's, it's better to keep them slim that fat the first year or so (forever???). And it is hard to see in the photo when she's laying down. She looks fine.

You want a bit of a belly tuck from a side view, and you should also (if looking down at her from above when she is standing) see an indent where her ribs end.

Since my Elsa was a VERY picky eater until she was 5 years old and I added Bretta to the house (and not sure adding a new puppy is the BEST recommendation to increase an appetite with competition....) what worked better was adding a bit of 'something' to her high grade kibble. The nutrition was from the kibble, and it was surprising how little 'something' was needed (with water to gravy it up) to get her eating. Like a few tablespoons of almost any of my supper left overs. Yogert? Grated cheese? And you know how cats are finicky and picky? Well they have to make extra yummy and stinky food to get them to eat and it also works for my Elsa. 1/4 can of stinky cat food plus water, added to the kibble was always a sure way to get her eating.


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## Doc (Jan 13, 2009)

How old is your pup and what does she weigh? Maybe a little warm chicken broth over her kibble will help. Be careful - she maybe setting you up for a life long "change my food" game.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

> Quote:How old is your pup and what does she weigh?


Doc, you aren't asking me, right? My 'puppy' is now 10 yrs old and it was easier for me to cave, put a teeny bit of anything in her food and KNOW she would eat, then really watch her not eat for over 3 days the one time. I don't care what that game was, I wasn't playing. For my peace of mind, I add a teeny bit a cat food and get to watch my dog eat a normal meal.

If you are asking about the original poster, they said their puppy was 6 months old in the subject line.


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## Beeznik (Mar 27, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: DocHow old is your pup and what does she weigh? Maybe a little warm chicken broth over her kibble will help. Be careful - she maybe setting you up for a life long "change my food" game.


She's 6 months, weighs in at 40 lbs.


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## Beeznik (Mar 27, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: MaggieRoseLee
> 
> 
> > Quote:How old is your pup and what does she weigh?
> ...


I agree with you. It drives me nuts when she doesn't eat but one meal a day. I think we she would go 3 days if we let her.

I'm going to try adding some Blue Buffalo canned food to her dry food first. If that doesn't work, I'll definitely try the cat food.

What kind of cat food do you use.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

How much(how many cups) does she eat in a day?


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## new_wind (Oct 24, 2008)

As Said, trial and error, when I got my girl the breeder told me he feed her with Pedigree, but she stop eating, maybe was the adjustment, I played with some cheap stuff like Iams and others including Purina pro plan, nothing work, then somebody here send me the link to food reviews and I choose Blue Buffalo wilderness, she really like it but that is for very active dogs since my girl is growing up I change to BB LPB and so far is working, 
I start the feeding every day with 1/3rd of the canned food to add some variety and as soon she finish I give her 1.5 cups of kibble, she eat all, she also have develop a beautiful soft and shiny coat, she is not fat, not stinky, her stools are firm and not in huge amount.
I thought my girl look skinny but the vet shows me some graphics on the dog’s body and she seems to be in the ideal shape.
I found the graphic on the internet, 
Body Condition system


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## Beeznik (Mar 27, 2008)

OK, I took some better picks. Let me know what you think. We fed her some beef with rice and veggies last night, then I ran to the store and got some BB canned food to mix with her dry food and she ate it.

So, we'll probably continue to mix the dry and the canned food.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

Have you thought about feeding her a higher quality and more calorie dense kibble? That way it would take LESS food for her to get more calories.


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## Beeznik (Mar 27, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: BlackGSDHave you thought about feeding her a higher quality and more calorie dense kibble? That way it would take LESS food for her to get more calories.


I am open to suggestions, yes. I was thinking of making a move to Blue Buffalo.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

If she will eat it, that would probably help. (As long as she does well on it of course.)

The Blue Buff chix and Rice has 462 calories a cup and the lamb and rice has 504 just to give you an idea.
(These are the adult formulas. I didn't list the puppy or large bred formulas because I don't feed puppy or large breed foods.)


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

I feed the adult sweet potato/fish at 490cal a cup. Mine love it. In the morning I add a little less than one Tbspn plain yogurt. The BB canned foods also kick butt.


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## Beeznik (Mar 27, 2008)

Well, she ate her second regular meal in a row. Seems like canned BB mixed with her dry food does the trick (She seems to love it.). We'll probably make the switch to BB dry food as well. We feel a lot better. She ate a cup this morning, and a cup and a half tonight. Mixed in with about 1/3 of a can of BB each time. Does that seem like enough?


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## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

I think she looks fine for a pup that age. Like those have already said, too many people, including vets, think that ALL dogs should look "meaty".

You might also have a dog that eats only what it needs, when it needs it. I've had several of those before, but my current female is a real chower, hungry or not.

My neighbor and I got new GSD pups within 45 days of each other. Mine is a voracious eater, and consumes whatever I put in front of her in about 30 seconds. I suspect she will eat until she explodes.









My neighbor's pup, on the other hand, only eats when it feels it needs to. Like I did with some previous dogs, they leave a bowl of kibble out all day long. She never gorges herself, and she's perfectly healthy.

If your dog is not a scarfer, you might want to try leaving a bit out at all times and simply monitor the bowl. Just don't make it so full that it would end up being more of a regular meal if she decides to suddenly woof it down, cause that would just make her sick. For now, you can simply use this as a barometer, of sorts. It could be that your dog has a different "food clock", and gets an appetite when you least expect it. 

Disclaimer: These are only suggestions. I am in no way recommending that you do anything. Just giving you food for thought so you can pick and choose what you think might be appropriate to help you arrive at a resolution.


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## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: BeeznikWell, she ate her second regular meal in a row. Seems like canned BB mixed with her dry food does the trick (She seems to love it.). We'll probably make the switch to BB dry food as well. We feel a lot better. She ate a cup this morning, and a cup and a half tonight. Mixed in with about 1/3 of a can of BB each time. Does that seem like enough?


Wait a minute... how long have you had the dog? If you just got it, it could be used to other food, or be spoiled, and just not eating what you're feeding because it's holding out, you know what I mean?

Other than that 1/3 can is plenty for a mix, but how much of the kibble are you mixing it with?


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## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

Ignore my second post above. Seems that you have gone through different foods, which means you've had her long enough by now that it can't be the original food she ate.

But, are you feeding ANYTHING in between meals? You can spoil them with too many good-tasting treats, and she could be holding out for those. Again, just thoughts.


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## Beeznik (Mar 27, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: MrLeadFootIgnore my second post above. Seems that you have gone through different foods, which means you've had her long enough by now that it can't be the original food she ate.
> 
> But, are you feeding ANYTHING in between meals? You can spoil them with too many good-tasting treats, and she could be holding out for those. Again, just thoughts.


She's been a picky eater since we got her, and we don't give her too many good tasting treats. Usually just milk bone, or small ones for training.

She ate well. I mixed 1 cup of dry food with the 1/3 can, and the second meal I mixed a cup and a half of dry food with the 1/3 can.


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## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

Looks like you got it under control then. Good job!


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

She seems a little bit on the thin side to me. 

And it IS hard to figure out amount the first year or so. Cause as they grow they need more for the first year(ish?), then in the next year(ish) I back off if I notice my dogs are too heavy.

It seems to me I was giving closer to 4 cups (2 in the am and 2 in the pm along with the canned cat food) for my pups. But then backed off to about 3 (to 4 depending on activity level and time of year) when they were adults. 

Since the amount of canned cat food I give is really only 1/4 of a can (plus the water), and it's those tuna fish can size ones 5-6 oz) I just buy anything on sale (Friskies is usually good). A huge benefit of the cat food is it comes in tons of different flavors. Variety seems to help get Elsa's eating going too.

Course if the canned dog food is working, that's fine too. It was just easier and more affordable for me to get a good kibble (like the Blue Buffalo) and then use the canned cat food.


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## Beeznik (Mar 27, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: MaggieRoseLeeShe seems a little bit on the thin side to me.
> 
> And it IS hard to figure out amount the first year or so. Cause as they grow they need more for the first year(ish?), then in the next year(ish) I back off if I notice my dogs are too heavy.
> 
> ...


I'm going to gradually get her to eat more food, but I didn't think it a good idea to give her too much off the bat when she hadn't been eating much before. I hope to eventually have her up to 2 cups in the morning and 2 cups at night.

Thanks everyone for the advice.


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## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

Like MaggieRoseLee, I also vary my food. Up until last week, I was feeding 6 cups total of dry food (accommodating for activity level and growth I was seeing), spread out over 3 meals. I am now feeding just under 5 cups a day, still over three meals.

While it may sound like a lot to some people, my dog is quite active and I do not feed snacks or treats between meals, although I do use a small bit of kibble from time to time when teaching something new.

The recent cutback was for lower activity due to inclement weather, because she looked like she may be slowing a bit in growth, and because the new food I went to seems to be being assimilated better than the previous foods I tried. I am prepared to adjust back up if necessary.

I feed over three meals because smaller meals are better assimilated by the body, and because then she's not left out when I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: Beeznik. She ate a cup this morning, and a cup and a half tonight. Mixed in with about 1/3 of a can of BB each time. Does that seem like enough?


I would say probably not. If it was a high calorie food, that would likely be a good amount. Does the bag say how many calories a cup your kibble has? (I thought I saw it on the website before, but then when I looked again I couldn't find it.)

For instance, my pup eats 3 cups a day. She is almost 11 months old now but has been eating close to the same amount since 6 months. Her kibble is 468 calories a cup. However she also gets various people food throughout the day.


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

i found this chart which is helpful. it lists calorie content for various kibbles:

http://www.petobesityprevention.com/images/Dog_Dry_Foods.pdf


Nutro Natural Choice Puppy/calories

Lamb Meal & Rice/ 333
Small Bites Chicken, Rice & Oatmeal/ 328
*Large Breed/ 346*
Large Breed Lamb & Rice/ 338

on a different note, it seems to me that it would be difficult for a kibble to have a very high meat content and be in the lower calorie range.


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## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

I can't believe someone went WAY out of their way to make that chart. Thanks for the link.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: MrLeadFootI can't believe someone went WAY out of their way to make that chart. Thanks for the link.


Me either, but it is AWESOME!


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## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

Sweet!!!
(Too bad it's not on a spreadsheet







)


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## thezinger (Nov 6, 2008)

she looks about the same as my 5.5 month old.

she just went through a picky eating stage as well. i switched kibble to sold gold wolf cub and mix it with maybe 1/8 of a can of innova puppy. then add a bunch of water and stir it all together. she loves it.

i had one vet tell me she was to skinny, then i talked to another who owns a shepherd and he said she looks perfect. i knew she was fine and ignored the first vet anyway.

i think some vets have a generalized idea of what a dog should look like and dont make much effort to see the difference in breeds. whereas others take pride in knowing the differences. those are the vets you want to find.

as for feeding, if mixing foods doesnt work. my last dog, (a lab) didnt eat much at feeding time. so we just left food out at all times. she would walk by occasionally. take a few bites and continue on. and it worked out she was eating roughly 2 cups a day, which was about right for her size.


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