# Starving dog



## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

So apparently Dakota thinks I am starving him.







The past 2 days he has finished his food and come over to me in the kitchen whining non-stop and sitting and begging.







He doesn't really beg any other time during the day, just right after he eats. I already know he gets more food than what is is supposed to. According to his foster mom, it's very hard to put weight on this guy. I would agree. If I have been over feeding him it doesn't show. His last weigh in was at 80 lbs. up one pound from when I got him...in September. I calculated and he gets somewhere between 1650-1800 Calories each day. I measured all his meals that are in the freezer and they are all roughly a pound, plus he gets 4 oz of a mixture of potatoes, yams, and pumpkin all mashed together, and then a tablespoon of yogurt or a raw egg. 

I KNOW I am not underfeeding him that is for sure...Should I only give him part of his meal and then give him the rest after he finishes?







Is he going through a growth spurt? He will be 2 in February, which makes him 22 months old. Why does he act like he is starving? Is he just milking me like a cow.....am I that much a puff?


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

Your dog is skinny, he is not putting on weight, he is hungry -- I'd say feed him more. Maybe a thrid meal?


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

how tall is he? Is he actually underweight? If he is then I would add an extra meal as middleofnowhere suggested to better distrubute his calories.


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## ahlamarana (Sep 22, 2008)

I agree, if he is thin and hungry, feed him more. There is no set feeding rule for all dogs. My 80 lbs GSD gets 2 lbs of food per day, and I have a Malinois here that is 60 lbs that gets almost 3 lbs of food per day and is still very lean.


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## DogGone (Nov 28, 2009)

For now I would be tempted just to feed him more.

However the next time you take your dog into the vet I would recommend telling your vet that your dog seems to have an unusually large appetite yet apparently seems to be skinny. There is a remote possibility that there could be an underlying disease that is probably not urgent. I would look for signs of worms.

It's probably just the diet or how much exercise the dog get's. Dogs are like people in that they all have different rates of metabolism. Some people can eat like a pig and not gain any weight; some people eat very conservative and exercise extensively yet manage to gain weight.


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## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

Well he is going to the vet on Friday. So I will ask him then. 
For now here is his stats. 

Dakota
Height: 29-30'' Wasn't cooperating
Weight: 80 lbs
Activity: He gets two 45 minutes walks a day. At least one session of ball outside. Some play time inside throughout the day. 2-3 times a month we go on 3-4 mile hikes. So I guess Medium.

I would describe him as the 3L's. Long lean and lanky. He still hasn't filled out yet IMO. He looks fuller than when I got him but most of that is his winter coat that has come it. I will add some photos after I post this. 

I am fairly sure he doesn't have any worms. He was checked when I got him in September and treated in June for hooks. 

This is from his medical history I received.

* neutered at 10 mo.
*weighed 62.5 lbs at 10 mo.
Not sure if it will help. 
Okay. Picture time.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

The GSD that MAGSR just took for me was 29" tall and 100lb. he should have been about 110# . He was really big boned. We guessed him to be about 3 years old so he was done filling out.

How are his ribs? ARe they sticking out? Or can you feel them but still a layer of meat on him? 

DO you have pics of him from the top? side?


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

If he is 29-30"(are you measuring at the shoulder?) at 80# then I'd say he is skinny. 
Do you have any pics you can post? 

Karlo is 27" and at least 82#, I can feel his ribs, hips and backbone as he hasn't filled out yet at 9 mos. also long, leggy and lanky!
My pup would eat more if I let him, and sometimes I do give him more. 
I would bring in a fecal when you go to the vet, just to be sure he is still clean.


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## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

First...ignore the mess and the crappy quality of the photos. All of the pics are from my phone. (One of the perks of having your house broken into....not). I will include some older ones of him. Maybe a month or two old. 

His ribs don't stick out. I can feel the back ones (last 4). The vet rated him at a 4 (on the scale) in September. Wanted 5 more pounds on him. I have put on 1. When I fisrt got him I could feel his spine and the tops of his hip bones. His hips feel better, but I can still feel his spine. (his lumbar vertebrae)
Taken on Monday:








Taken this afternoon:









These were taken within a month after I got him:
























This was about a month ago, post fluff:










And these were taken tonight:


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## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

I was measuring with a tape measure... that he did NOT like, So 29'' is probably the correct height. I did measure at his shoulders.


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## DogGone (Nov 28, 2009)

If you say he’s about 22 months old I would say his weight/build is perfect. He is slightly skinny but at that age it is a good thing to be slightly skinny because when they get older they tend to get fatter. If they get too fat they can be more susceptible to joint problems.

Beautiful dog.

Why did you treat him for hookworms in July? Did he test positive? Was he symptomatic? Did you see the worms? Or was it just preventative?

Sometimes I think hook worms and some other worms can be difficult to entirely get rid of. I think they recommend two treatments two weeks apart but sometimes it takes more treatments. I think it also is wise to treat the areas where he defecates if possible. From what I understand sometimes they can reinfect themselves or others.

You probably should monitor his stool for blood (sometimes blood in the stool can indicate a worm infection). Periodically check the gums to make sure that they have some fait redness (some blood). If the gums too pale that could be a sign that your dog is anemic. If he’s anemic you might want to add another egg a day to his diet for a while to supplement lost iron.

I think hookworm is part of the reason that heartworm *plus* is becoming more popular is that it can be effective against hookworms.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

He looks good to me, does he have a nice muscle tone?
Love his pigment!
Agree w/ DogGone about the worm treatments, hard to get them eradicated unless you do a series of treatments and poop patrol.


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## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

He was not in my care in June. He was treated for hookworms by the shelter vet after intake and a fecal float. He was also tested when I got him to be safe ( late September) and came back negative. 

And I don't really see a problem with his weight. Just how he acts about not getting enough food. This has only happened the past week maybe. He is definitely not too skinny. I'm just worried that if I add more food I will get loose stools and a plump bear instead of a GSD. 

I guess I will just add in a lunch snack and see if that helps his hunger, maybe not having to go all day without food will help.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Well it will make for good training sessions, he is obviously food motivated! Save that 3rd meal for training


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## GSDSunshine (Sep 7, 2009)

hmmm.... not sure ground turkey would over so well as a training treat...or beef heart... or well anything he eats.....And he already gets NB Lamb rolls, and turkey weiners for treats. And a stuffed kong (PB) every other day or so. And marrow bones occasionally. I swear he has the metabolism of a michael phelps.


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

I agree with the others, he looks good - not too skinny. 

I sometimes give my dogs a recreational bone right after feeding them. Stretches out their eating time, and gives them some mental work. It seems to be more satisfying for them to spend some time working on something for a bit as part of their meal. I mean, even if calory dense, if all your meals where gone in two or three bites, you would still feel psychologically deprived, even though you were getting enough.


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## Raziel (Sep 29, 2009)

People in america are not used to seeing thin dogs.
These are working dogs.
Most of my friends dogs are HUGE. They Kilo & think hes starving.
Hes just healthy.
Its better to have him a bit thinner than overweight, as that could cause health problems.









Your dog looks lovely!


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## DogGone (Nov 28, 2009)

Let’s put the psychology cap on: Perhaps we are misreading what Dakota is trying to tell you.

Perhaps Dakota isn’t really telling you that he’s hungry perhaps he just wants some more attention; some after dinner entertainment/socialization. Wolves often after they get done feasting will get together and have a howl or some other socialization session. Perhaps after your dog gets done eating he comes up and asks you for more entertainment. If the only entertainment you provide is more food that might make him happy for a couple minutes; but perhaps he might be more happy if you play ball or took him out for a walk or cuddle and/or wrestle. He’s probably old enough and trained enough that he probably understands a few words. Next time you observe this after meal begging behavior; perhaps you could give him a few choices and see which he prefers.

When my dog wants something often she will just come up and stare at me or put her head or her paw in my lap or at my side as if she is begging for something. Since she can’t talk I have to evaluate her mood and her movements and ask for a series of questions and give her a set of choices. Sometimes she’s telling me she needs to go the bathroom, sometimes she’s telling me she’s bored and wants to play, sometimes she’s telling me she’s sick or in pain, sometimes she’s telling me she’s hungry, sometimes she’s telling me that there’s someone or something outside.

For a dog using language to make a choice may be something new and bizarre to them. To get them accustomed to making choices based on words I will often show my dog two different toys and say the name of the toy and see which one makes the dog more excited, then I will play with the dog with that toy; eventually it should dawn on your dog that you are using language to give it a choice. Sometimes they catch on right away; sometimes it takes a few sessions and a few days.


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## natalie559 (Feb 4, 2005)

I'm lucky enough to have met Dakota and he is not too skinny. To me he appears to still be the the gangly teenage stage. I remember thinking Penny would never mature past it, but she finally did. In time his chest will broaden and he won't look as thin.

If you feel he is still hungry I would try one of two things: 

either increase the potatoes thus increasing the volume of food making him feel fuller without adding that many calories

- or- 

vary the volume of food you feed him am vs pm, as in my dogs get some potatoes, an egg and a bit of liver for breakfast (small meal) then they get all the meat plus a bit of potatoes in the evening (large meal) after all is quiet. This way they get that larger substantial meal and then get to go sleep it off.


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## natalie559 (Feb 4, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: onyx'girlHe looks good to me, does he have a nice muscle tone?


That's a good point about muscle tone. Dakota was just switched to 100% raw from kibble and not enough time has passed for the muscle to develop on the new food.

The thing is that if you do decide to feed him a bit more and he gains too much you can always cut it back down. And your watchful enough to keep a check on this.


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

He looks good! I think a good big ol' recreational meaty bone after dinner would be good. Give him something to chew on but not go overboard on calories. 

Or maybe he's just saying "mom this raw stuff is sooooo good! I want more pleaz!"


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## smyke (Sep 24, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: GSDSunshineI swear he has the metabolism of a michael phelps.


... or its just munchies.









sorry, couldn't help it.


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