he is not necessarily mine. he's my boyfriend's and his brother's... but since they still live with their mother, jay lives outdoors. i know how to take care of dogs, trust me, i work with dogs and i lived with dogs all my live. i'm just looking for other's opinion..
Jay always seeems to look skinny.. My boyfriend free feeds him, so I suggested we start putting him on a breakfast and dinner only schedule and removing the untouched after an hour or two.
i'm thinking he has worms.. only becase he just seems to always look skinny. which if he does, i will definately get him on dewormers.. but i'm wondering if some pit owners.. that don't use their pit for aggresive show or what not.. just have the pit for love... if it may just be the built of him.
thanks to any help
2007-10-23 17:32:37 · 12 answers · asked by kristinej0yce 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
he is very active. he'll even just run in huge circles in the backyard .. beautifully clearing heights...
2007-10-23 17:46:29 · update #1
If the dog is very active he may just be burning off all the calories. It is important to know the quality of the food he is eating. If it is a cheaper food their may not be enough nutrients in it to sustain his weight. A lot of dog foods have too many fillers in them. A good rule is to stay away from "grocery store" food. If you can only get them in a pet store they are usually better. Deworming is never a bad idea, it cant hurt to do it so you should have him wormed. Also he may just have a high metabolism. My jack russel is only 10 lbs but is in great health, though everyone always tells me she is too thin. Deffinately check the food though.
2007-10-23 18:06:41 · answer #1 · answered by vettech1328 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I know that alot of pits are very muscular dogs, and so shouldnt look too skinny. It is possible, that he's not getting good quality dog food which is causing him to be skinny. Especially if he's really active.
Also, if you are concerned about worms, when you take him into the vet ask the vet if he is underweight/average weight.
I have a boxer who is skinny, but muscular and to me he looks skinny but it's just because of his build.
He may getting bored with being free fed, and i think putting him on a schedule of breakfast/dinner would be a really good idea, just to mix things up a bit. It may actually entice him to eat a good amount of food.
good luck.
2007-10-24 00:46:33 · answer #2 · answered by JB 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pit Bulls were never meant to live as outdoor dogs, ever. He may look skinny, but I can guarantee his emotional suffering is far greater than his physical suffering may be.
If he lives tethered please read this -> http://www.unchainyourdog.org
If he lives loose in the yard they are risking his escape, and countless things happening to him. Pit Bulls are the #1 stolen dog in the country. Many for status symbol, and many countless others used as bait dogs to train fighters. There are also the ones that are shot, and poisoned by people claiming the dog was 'vicious' when it wasn't.
Pit Bulls long for human affection and companionship constantly. They are extremely eager to please and want to be with their owners at all times.
I have a Pit mix and a Pit Bull. My mix is nearing 3, and she just started to fill out. My Pit Bull is almost a year and had a rough start to life before her rescue 3 months ago. She is a healthy weight now with a defined waistline yet no visible ribs, but she will grow a little thicker as she ages.
If you think the dog is sick, please urge your bf to take him to the vet. Also he should NOT be free-fed. He should have set mealtimes with the proper amount of high quality food for his weight.
Photos would help in determining if the dog is indeed too thin. Do not trust some of the pit bull photos you see online, especially from "breeders" and "kennels". A LOT of thos photos are of some monster dogs that are NOT a good representation of what a pit bull should really be. To get you acquainted...
Good example:
my baby, Butterfly- http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v681/LuvlePuff/butterflysunshine.jpg
Bad Example:
poorly bred, off skew, Pit Bull-
http://kinnemankennels.com/images/bettisxdilly2.jpg
Bad Example:
Emaciated, Underweight Pit Bull
http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/image/caleb2.jpg
I hope that helps...
2007-10-24 01:16:56 · answer #3 · answered by Rachel 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well, its possible that he's just skinny, but the Center for Disease Control recommends that you have your dog cehecked for worms at least once a year. Especially if he is outside. Just to rule it out. Call your vet & see if you can bring in a fecal sample. It usually cost only like $30. There are several worms that besides causing problems for the dog, can be transmitted to humans... yuck! So you should definately make sure this is not why he is skinny.
2007-10-24 00:41:47 · answer #4 · answered by California Vet Tech 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is he active? Some active dogs just don't put on a lot of weight. Some dogs don't like to eat either. i would put him on a breakfast and dinner schedule. Then you can have a better idea of how much he's eating. I would get him checked for worms just in case. Pitt's are pretty athletic. Just don't make him too fat. You should be able to see some rib, not a lot, and feel them with your hand. You should also feel the hips. Just make sure he's healthy and eating enough.
2007-10-24 00:41:29 · answer #5 · answered by yeehaneeha 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How old is he? Mine didn't really fill out until 2 and 21/2 yrs old. I would worm him and the vet can help on the feeding schedule. Some are slimmer than other anyway. Pits are dogs with lots of energy and he may need more feeding than what he is getting.
Best bet is to take him to the vet and talk to them.
2007-10-24 01:00:40 · answer #6 · answered by Buster 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's always great to get a health check and any necessary de-worming as well as checked for heartworms and kept on prevention when clear.
It's not unusual for an APBT to have a thin build though they are somewhat strong built in areas when filled out. Here are some examples of very healthy APBT's that don't have the Arnold Schwartzenegger look:
http://www.apbtconformation.com/adbastandard.htm
2007-10-24 01:24:38 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Deworming him is a good place to start from, perhaps if that is not the case look at changeing his diet depending on his age, go with the requirements for his age.
Nice choice in dog, I'm jelous. ;D
2007-10-24 01:42:32 · answer #8 · answered by Unicornrider 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have a very active GSD. I thought he was skinny to. When I took him to the vet, the vet said he was fine. You need to take him to the vet.
How old is the dog? Did you have him checked for heatworm?
2007-10-24 00:58:22 · answer #9 · answered by White wolf 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Definitely get him checked for worms and get him up to date on everything, just to be safe. You should be able to FEEL (not see) ribs when you rub his back. Good luck!
2007-10-24 00:40:40 · answer #10 · answered by a gal and her dog 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋