Why is my doberman pup so bony??

Question

I have an 8 week old doberman who is so bony!! When we got him from the breeder, you could KIND OF see his ribs, but i attributed that to him being small. I know the breeder knew what she was doing though (she knew how to take care of him well), and his litter mates all differed in size (some were skinny like him, some were bigger).
So, I feed him three meals a day. According to the bag (Hills Science Diet), I am supposed to feed him 1 1/2 cups of food a day, so I feed him three 1/2 cups of dog food a day. He is still so small, though! When I rub him bottom, I can feel his bones! Is this normal? I give him exercise, love and food, and he's super affectionate! Could there be something wrong with him, or does his metabolism cause him to be extra skinny?

P.S. RIGHT after feeding him, his tummy plumps up for about a half-hour.

Answer 1

He's probably loaded with intestinal parasites. The worms get all the food. Take the pup to your vet and get the proper Rx wormer. The OTC stuff is absolute garbage and doen;t work on anything except roundworms........maybe! Most breeders use that junk. Most pups have worms. Science Diet is not a good dog food. It has corn and soy. Try to find something better.

Answer 2

Some breeds tend towards being a little bony, even as puppies, and as you noticed it can vary quite a bit from puppy to puppy - even within a litter. Each pup is an individual.

Have you had him checked for worms, and is he up to date on his shots? If so, I wouldn't worry about it. You're giving him a good food and obviously love and care for him a lot! He'll fill out eventually, but will probably stay pretty scrawny through 'adolescence' - most breeds do. It's always better for a puppy to be slender rather than heavy, too much weight puts extra and unnecessary stress on growing bones and joints.

One other point - feeding guidelines are just that 'guidelines'. If your pup finishes up all his food within 5 - 10 mins (or less) feed him a little more each feed until after 10 mins there's some left in his bowl and he's no longer interested. Puppies will eat until they're full and if he's active and has a high metabolic rate he could need more food than he's getting.

Don't worry, he'll be a beautiful, sleek and handsome dog in no time - and Dobies are definitely handsome! Good luck.

Answer 3

Let me first say that Science Diet is a good food for your puppy. I've had dogs all shapes & sizes for over 50 years & have fed them primarily Science Diet. They've all been healthy except for the 1 diabetic, which has nothing to do with food, good coats & teeth. And with 6 dogs currently, very little waste to pick up.
Since your pup is young & active, he'll likely not put on much body weight until his bones quit growing. I have a male toy poodle (he's 2 yrs old) that is still bony & since he has not been neutered yet, his vet told me he probably won't put on much weight. Most unneutered males remain slim until they are neutered. Don't worry so much, he has plenty of time to get some body weight. It sounds like you are feeding the proper amount & taking good care of him. If you're still worried, when you take him for his next set of shots, talk to your vet about it. They should be able to give you some sound guidance.

Answer 4

Add some Bil - Jac fresh frozen dog food ( not the dry) to his diet.I would add about a 1/3 of a cup to each meal,for a total of one cup,in addition to his dry food ( I really like Eagle Pak or Diamond Naturals Puppy Food) I have owned dogs for over 40 years,and have not found a better food to put weight on,and it's a really good food.I've never known a dog to refuse it,either.If he doesn't start to put some weight on,you might have your vet do bloodwork to test for diabetes or some other metabolic disorder.He could very well have worms of some type,as well.When you take him in for the rest of his puppy shots,I'm sure your vet will be able to tell you what's wrong,but he could just need more food.Good luck with your baby!

Answer 5

Yes, Dobe's can be kind of knobby looking as pups. He'll fill in as he grows. If he seems really hungry after he eats, increase the amount. They grow so rapidly they need a lot of calories during this time. As he reaches full size in 6-8 months, gradually switch to an adult food.

Answer 6

A lot of dobies are on the thin side, especially the pups. They're still growing and they use up the energy as soon as they get it. Maybe you can up your dog's food a little bit to see if he gains a little more. But he might just be naturally thin, especially as a puppy. As long as he seems healthy and happy, there's no need to worry.

Answer 7

Dobermans are naturally skinny sometimes. Ours was well-fed and had the best care her whole life [of fourteen years] but was extremely active and very stream-lined.

If you can see the outlines of ribs, or the hip bones jut out, there is a problem.

Bring him to the vet and get him checked for worms and other health problems if you have not already.

Try a different food, as well.

Hill's is not a good quality food.

Good luck =]

Here's some dog food info:

Complete list of recalls:
http://www.howl911.com/

Some dog foods are nutritionally bad for your dog, as well. Here's some info, if you like.

Pet foods to avoid:
[Doane Pet Food, Diamond, and Menu Foods]
Nestle's Fancy Feast, Alpo, Friskies, Purina One, Mighty Dog, Dog Chow, Cat Chow, Puppy Chow, Kitten Chow, Beneful, One, ProPlan, DeliCat, HiPro, Kit'n'Kaboodle, Tender Vittles, Purina, Veterinary Diets
Del Monte's [Previously Heinz] Amore, MeowMix, Gravy Train, Kibbles 'n Bits, Wagwells, 9Lives, Cycle, Skippy, Nature's Recipe, and pet treats Milk Bone, Pup-Peroni, Snausages, Pounce
Colgate-Palmolive's Hill's Science Diet, Nature's Best
Proctor & Gamble's Eukanuba and IAMS
Masterfood's [Mars] Kal Kan, Mealtime, Pedigree, Waltham's, Cesar, Sheba, Temptations, Goodlife Recipe, Sensible Choice, Excel
Wal-Mart's Special Kitty, Ol' Roy
[This list is just a few. Use the next section to check the label of your choice if you're unsure]

List of ingredients to look for and to avoid:
http://www.wisepet.com/pet%20food%20ingr...

More to look out for:
http://www.thedogbowl.com/ppf/category_i...

Wonderful, fully informative site for lots more info:
http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359&m...

Good Pet Foods:

Here's a list of great, nutritional, foods for your pet. Make sure to look through the ingredients yourself if you have specific ideas on what you want your pet to eat:

Naturapet, Canidae, Nature's Variety, Wellness, Timberwolf, Merrick, Blue Buffalo

Answer 8

None of my pups were ever like this. Have you had your puppy vet checked yet? He could have worms & would need to be wormed. Any time anyone gets a new pup or dog they should have him / her vet checked within a week of getting the pet.