Need to fatten up my dog?

Question

I have a 7 month old GSD male whos a little thin. He has no lack of appitite but cant seem to gain weight. My female never had problems with this so Im not to sure on what to do.

Answer 1

First you should make sure there is nothing wrong.Have him checked for worms.Then if there is no med reason then you can get dry powder all purpose pet milk and top dress the food.You can get it from farm stores.Please make sure there is no med reason first.

Answer 2

I have the best answer!!!!
#1 at 7 mo your GSD should be a LITTLE thin as he hasn't developed yet. You know how most 12 year old boys can eat all day and still look like a beanpole? Same thig goes for your adolescent GSD
#2 If his ribs are really showing alot & backbone is prominent then definitely make sure he is parasite free or all the food in the world won't help.
#3 High QUALITY nutrition, not just QUANTITY is very important, especially the 1st year. Here is some good stuff that is still affordable, http://www.nutroproducts.com/ncdogpuppy.asp

Answer 3

The suggestion of having your dog checked for parasites is a good one. You should always check with your vet if your dogs health is ever in question. Also, your vet is the best one to tell you if your dog is truly underweight, or just looks like it because so many dogs are now overweight, just like their owners. I also second the idea of keeping him on puppy food until he is at least a year old. Puppy food has higher calorie count.

Having said that, Solid Gold dog food is a high quality, high calorie dog food.

When switching foods, do it in stages, not all at once as it can cause diarrhea. :( Introduce food at a ratio of 3 parts original food: 1 part new food for the first week. 2nd week 2:2, 3rd week 1:3, and by the 4th week you should be able to feed just the new food. If at any time your dog starts having loose stools, go back to the last ratio you served. So if when you go from the ratio of 3 parts original: 1 part new, to the equal portions ratio of 2:2 and your dog starts having the squirts, go back to the 3:1 ratio for another week.

Answer 4

Due to the dog being a GSD, you do not want to force him to gain weight. GSD's are prone to hip displaysia, which can be triggered by gaining too much weight too fast. I have had GSD's for years, and have two right now. He will fill out with age, just let it happen naturally. It is important that this breed of dog eat a large breed quality dog food. Mine have been on Iams since they were pups and have done great.

Answer 5

Every dog is built different. I had a male dog that was built thin too, but thats just the way he was built. He'd eat like a horse, but, he loved to run and was full of energy, so, he never kept weight on. My female on the other hand is on a low fat diet right now as she puts it all on! If your dog is listless or not himself, take him to the vet and see what he suggests. Maybe a higher protein dogfood would help. Good luck!

Answer 6

I used to have a staffy/bull dog cross that had the same problem until I started feeding him cooked pasta with every meal. He fattened up to a decent size pretty quickly - but didnt get overweight either.

Answer 7

some dogs are thinner as puppies. as long as you have him on the right and premium food for him and he's healthy just let him be. if you've taken him to the vet and he's parasite free and the vet isn't concerned, just relax. most males of this size of dog do not fill out until 2 years of age. you don't want to put extra weight on him right now if he's healthy. how did his parent's look were they thinner shepherds or more of the large boned variety?

Answer 8

You can keep him on puppy food, or swith him to a high perfromance dog food. It is specially formulated for very active dogs and will help them put on weight. Also, getting him neutered will definetly help.

Answer 9

DONT FEED IT HUMAN FOOD! or if u do, moderately! umm check out either petsmart.com or petco.com, they have variety of dog food.. theres a section where u can check for weight gain dog food. or u should go ask sumone at a pet store.

Answer 10

I HAD A BOXER AND I COOKED FOR HER. I'D COOK A POUND OF HAMBURGER MIX IN A CUP OF UNCOOKED OATMEAL, A CAN OF PINTO BEANS AND A CAN OF CUT UP GREEN BEANS JUICE AND ALL. YOU CAN ADD SPICES THAT YOUR DOGGIE LIKES, MINE LOVED GARLIC. YOU CAN ALSO ADD MORE TYPES OF VEGETABLE. THEN MIX A CUP OF THE CHOW WITH A CUP OF YOUR DOGS DRY FOOD TWICE A DAY REFRIGERATE THE REST. YOUR PUPPY WILL LOVE YOU AND BE HEALTHIER. I SOMETIMES SUBSTITUTED 4 OR MORE SCRAMBLED EGGS IN WITH DRY FOOD FOR BREAKFAST.