# Why is my Female German Shepherd so skinny?



## Rezource

Ok so what is the average weight for a 7 month old Female German Shepherd cause my Female GS weighs about 16 to 17 kg but she is skinny, I have been told that by everybody I know. And how many times should I feed her a day cause I feed her once a day but in a large quantity, but should I be feeding her 2 times a day?


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## 45yearsofGSDs

From my experience, 2 to 3 times/day in smaller portions. One time/day in a large quantity is a good qualifier for an inverted stomach. After she eats, keep her inside for 1/2 to a full hour before she gets to go out and romp again. GSDs are very high energy dogs as I'm sure you know and they need a lot of calories to burn.


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## Cassidy's Mom

Feed her twice a day. If she's too skinny, increase her meals. Can you feel all her ribs easily? Can you see the last rib or two, or can you see all of them?


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## Harry and Lola

A good weight for 7mo GSD bitch is about 23kg with a good average being between 22 and 24kg depending on height. At 17kg she is at a 5 month old weight. Because she is still very young you might want to consider feeding her daily food 1/2 in the morning and other 1/2 at night.

What are you feeding her? And how much are you feeding?


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## Galathiel

We can't tell you what a good weight for your GSD is. There is no true weight guide as it depends on the individual. At 7 months, she may be going through another growth spurt and that usually makes them lanky. She will fill out. Being lean is better than being overweight. As long as she isn't emaciated (all ribs showing, hipbones protruding, loss of muscle mass), she will catch up when her growth slows down.


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## SuperG

Rezource said:


> Ok so what is the average weight for a 7 month old Female German Shepherd cause my Female GS weighs about 16 to 17 kg but she is skinny, I have been told that by everybody I know. And how many times should I feed her a day cause I feed her once a day but in a large quantity, but should I be feeding her 2 times a day?



How about a picture of her.....easier to tell if she is underweight.

GSDs have a classic lanky stage as well. 


SuperG


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## Lucy Dog

Most people don't have a clue what a healthy dog looks like. I get comments all the time from people I know that my dogs are skinny. Fact is they're healthy and just right weight wise.

Post a picture.


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## Rezource

Ok so here's some pics of her that I just took today.


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## SuperG

Rezource said:


> Ok so here's some pics of her that I just took today.


The 2nd and 3rd pictures make her look a bit on the lean side....you might take the advice of an earlier reply and feed her twice a day. I also do agree with another earlier poster who stated* "Most people don't have a clue what a healthy dog looks like. I get comments all the time from people I know that my dogs are skinny. Fact is they're healthy and just right weight wise."
*
If one has to choose between an overweight pup/dog or lean pup/dog I would always choose a lean pup/dog. From the pictures you sent a few additional pounds wouldn't be the worst thing.

Also see what your vet thinks as well......I'm certain they know much more than me.

SuperG


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## Baillif

I'd feed her around 3 to 4 cups per day in as many feedings spread out through the day. If she was showing a little rib I'd consider that ideal. Keep em on the thinner side it is good for their joints in the long run.


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## Lucy Dog

For a 7 month old puppy, she looks perfectly fine. She'll fit out naturally with age.


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## brembo

As others have said, keep em skinny and lean. Pups are going to be ribby and bony, 1-2 years the muscle will begin to really build and some of the poky bony-ness will go away.


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## nicky

Wish I would of seen this thread a couple months ago. I was worried about my 6 month old being too thin so I took her to vet. I was sure she had worms or something worse. She is my first GSD. The vet told me that actually she was a little too heavy but nothing to worry about. At that time she weighed 68 lbs which he said was large for a female that age.


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## Harry and Lola

To me she does look too thin. Having an EPI dog I am sensitive to underweight dogs and feel going by researched average weight guidelines can help people determine whether the dog is skinny due to lack of food or medical issues such as EPI.

Are you feeding adequate amounts of food? What are you feeding her?

I had rose coloured glasses on for months regarding why my male was so skinny, I honestly thought he was a fantastic weight, I could easily feel his ribs, had a very small waist, however when I had him weighed I realised (according to the weight guideline) that his weight was that of a 1 year old, and he was 2 and 1/2 years old. This woke me up and I spoke to my vet about it, turns out he has EPI.

Going by researched weight guidelines which have a range of acceptable weights for different ages and sex can help novices, breeders as well as Vets who are not experienced with the breed to be guided by acceptable growth and weight ranges which may prevent problems caused by over feeding or under feeding,


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## mcdanfam

We feed three times a day....1 1/4 at a time....we have people tell us Millie is thin, but the trainer said she is great and will fill out with age...they seem to like lanky for a few months here and there while growing. 
At 1 year she is now 65lbs.....but I have noticed over the last few days....he chest and hips are filling out....


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## _Zero_

I would say don't be too concerned with her weight unless you notice other, concurrent problems, like consistently loose stools, gas, discomfort, hair loss/dull coat, flaky skin, etc. GSDs are notorious for looking very lanky before they're full grown, so an otherwise normal dog can indeed appear underweight. But if your dog is showing other symptoms, the weight could actually be an issue, and indicative of a more serious underlying condition like worms, EPI, or IBD.

My nearly three year old male was skinny for a loooong time. Everyone I talked to kept reassuring me-- "it's nothing to worry about. GSDs are just like that. He'll fill out eventually." Well, eventually his problems escalated and we've spent the past seven months trying to get them under control-- serious autoimmune problems attacking his digestive tract. Once we finally found the right med for him he started putting on weight and is now heavier than he's ever been.

I'd just recommend keeping a close eye out for other issues and if you notice anything make a trip to the vet.


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## Harry and Lola

People used to tell me about Harry that yes he is skinny, but he is fine, it's just his build, nothing to worry about, leave him to grow and fill out etc etc etc.

However, it turns out the reason why he was skinny is because he has EPI.

I wish I had of woken up a lot earlier and not so much listened to people say he is fine etc then I could have treated him a lot earlier for EPI and he would not have developed fear aggression and go through such a massive personality and confidence change due to the fact that the poor thing was starving to death.

If you feel your puppy/dog is skinny ask yourself am I feeding the correct amount of food, if no then increase food if yes then look at medical issues. Also be guided by his stools as the amount, consistency, colour and smell tells alot.


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## _Zero_

Harry and Lola said:


> If you feel your puppy/dog is skinny ask yourself am I feeding the correct amount of food, if no then increase food if yes then look at medical issues. Also be guided by his stools as the amount, consistency, colour and smell tells alot.


This. Even if the stools aren't cow paddy or liquid diarrhea, consistently loose stools (slightly sloppy, leaves a bit of residue on the grass), having frequent bowel movements (e.g. three or four or more per day), really bad smelling stools, etc. could mean there is an underlying problem in the digestive tract that is making her skinny.

I'd start by checking how much you feed her versus the recommended feeding guidelines on the bag. Also look into how many calories there are per cup of the food you're using. Some common brands are relatively low calorie. In that case you might try a different food that has a higher calorie content. 

If increasing her food (or the calories per day) doesn't help (and you should start seeing weight gain in the first couple weeks) consider heading to the vet for a thorough exam-- full fecal exam and basic bloodwork to start.

This isn't meant to alarm and there is every possibility that she's a normal weight (it's very hard to tell over the internet/from pictures). But like Harry and Lola we waited too long, and would have had a far easier time had I listened to my instincts instead of everyone else telling me my skinny guy would "fill out eventually."


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## havery

What kind of food are you feeding her? I suggest 2-3 feedings a day, my girl will throw up or just not eat enough if I feed her one big meal. 

It's hard to tell from those pictures, but my first reaction is I'm not a fan of the hip bones sticking out like that. A trip to the vet certainly can't hurt just to rule out any GI problems for certain. However, that being said, my girl went through this stage, too, around 9-10 months and I freaked out and took her to the vet. He told me he saw it in young GSD females all the time and to expect her to start filling out and packing on muscle soon...he was right. People still comment she's skinny, but she's just lean with long muscle, because she's a VERY active dog. You can see her rib cage but not the individual ribs. She's also filled out very nicely since I switched her to a better food (one that was grain free and meat based, most importantly).


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## Rezource

Baillif said:


> I'd feed her around 3 to 4 cups per day in as many feedings spread out through the day. If she was showing a little rib I'd consider that ideal. Keep em on the thinner side it is good for their joints in the long run.


And nope, you cannot see her ribs at all, the only thing that makes her look skinny is her waistline, you can see her bones from the waistline but not her ribs. And I am starting to feed her 2 times a day now and she does look a little bit fatter.


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## RubyTuesday

I'm a fanatic for lean & I see a female that is so thin it s/b determined whether she has health problems such as metabolic problems, parasites or auto-immune disorders. IF not & she's active & happy with clear eyes, healthy skin & good coat then you can (& should) quit worrying. Nor should you try to put additional weight on a healthy dog. That does nothing but soothe human sensibilities. IF there is a health problem, address/solve the underlying issue & she will naturally gain additional weight.


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## Thewretched

Twice a day is better, 


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## Rezource

RubyTuesday said:


> I'm a fanatic for lean & I see a female that is so thin it s/b determined whether she has health problems such as metabolic problems, parasites or auto-immune disorders. IF not & she's active & happy with clear eyes, healthy skin & good coat then you can (& should) quit worrying. Nor should you try to put additional weight on a healthy dog. That does nothing but soothe human sensibilities. IF there is a health problem, address/solve the underlying issue & she will naturally gain additional weight.


She has a good coat and her health is ok.

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## Pamala

Your baby looks exactly like mine. I can't get him to gain weight. His hip bones stick out and I'm worried about injury because he has no muscle. Did yours fill out on his own or did you find the cause?


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## Stonevintage

What did your vet say?


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