Insufficient Calories / Low Quality Diet
The first place to consider is their diet. A German shepherd that isnt receiving enough calories for how active they are will eventually lose weight. So too will a GSD that is consuming low-quality food in general.
Moderately active German shepherds need around 1250-1550 calories per day, whereas highly active German shepherds need around 1550-1750 calories per day. Highly active working GSDs may even need upwards of 2000 calories.
Either the quality of the food is fine, but the portion sizes are too small , or the quality of the kibble is lacking. Its commonly found that there are fewer calories and overall nutrition in low-quality kibbles than in high-quality kibbles .
How To Fatten Up A German Shepherd
When you notice your german shepherd is underweight then your best choice is to consult a vet and make sure nothing is wrong with them. However, if your vet has given them the all-clear, then here are some great ways you can help your german shepherd gain weight.
Give Them Food With A Higher Amount Of Calories
Not all dog food is created equal. The type of food youre giving your german shepherd at the moment may not have enough calories in it to help them gain weight.
If this is the case, then you should consider swapping to a different type of food. You should look for foods that are high in protein and fat. Also, make sure theyre not full of filler ingredients.
Arguably the best food you can give your german shepherd to help them gain weight is Bully Max High Performance Super Premium Dog Food.
With 525 calories per cup, you should notice an increase in your german shepherds weight over time.
Try Puppy Food
As well as using high-calorie dog food you could also give your german shepherd food made for puppies.
This type of food is designed to sustain a puppy when their growing. Just think, if it can support a puppy going from something so small to so big, its going to be able to help your german shepherd gain weight as well!
If youre going to use puppy food, you shouldnt swap completely. Mix 50% puppy food with 50% adult food.
If you do plan on feeding your german shepherd puppy food make sure you consult your vet first.
Increase The Number Of Meals You Give Them
What To Feed Your German Shepherd Puppy
Being the responsible owner of a German Shepherd comes down to a lot more than just giving your dog enough love and exercise. A proper diet is essential to a GSDs health, and it is up to you to ensure that your dog is getting the food that it needs.
The best way to ensure that your German Shepherd grows up to be a healthy and vibrant dog is to make sure that you begin feeding it properly when it is a puppy.
Its essential to make sure that your puppys food is well-balanced with the appropriate mix of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.
Here we will take a look at some GSD feeding and nutrition essentials, as well as some of the drawbacks of neglecting to feed your GSD a proper diet.
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Can Dogs Eat Skinny Pop
No, dogs should not be given Skinny Pop popcorn as it contains sat and oil. Dogs can only eat fully popped plain popcorns which do not contain salt. The kernels of popcorn should not be given to dogs as it may get stuck in the teeth of dogs and may also be a potential choking hazard for dogs.
If your puppy is receiving plenty of nutritious food and is still skinny, he may have a health problem.
Intestinal parasites, contagious diseases like parvovirus, bacterial infection, diarrhea, vomiting and intestinal blockage can cause a puppy to be too thin.
Why Is My German Shepherd Lean
It is being protective German Shepherds are naturally protective of their owners and they are commonly used as guard dogs for that reason. Your German Shepherd might tend to lean on you because it is being protective. This would be more likely if it also tends to follow you around and it does it when you are outside.
Also Check: Taking Care Of A German Shepherd Puppy
Take The Dog To The Vet
Why is my German Shepherd so skinny? You may want to get him or she checked out at a veterinary clinic because the dog could be suffering from a serious health condition.
Before you bring your dog to the vet for examination, make sure that he or she is in good overall health. This can be done by testing the dogs eyes, legs, liver, kidneys, blood pressure, and heart rate.
Your vet should perform a complete physical exam, collect urine and feces, and check for heart and lung problems. Blood tests will also reveal any existing diseases.
Keeptrack Of Weight Gain And Loss
Begin a schedule of weekly weigh-ins to keep track of your German Shepherds weight when looking to bulk-up your dogs body. You want to know if they are gaining weight, losing weight, or remaining the same.
This helps you to decide if your weight gain plan is working or if you need to adjust your plan. If your dog continues losing weight or if you see a lack of progress, take your dog back to your veterinarian.
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Iams Proactive Health Large Breed
Rating:
Large Breed Chicken and Whole Grains is one of 14 dry recipes covered in our review of the Iams ProActive Health product line.
- First 5 ingredients: Chicken, ground whole grain barley, ground whole grain corn, ground whole grain sorghum, chicken by-product meal
- Type: Grain-inclusive
- Profile: Maintenance
- Best for:Adult shepherds only
Iams ProActive Health Large Breed derives the majority of its meat protein from chicken and chicken meal. Dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 25% protein, 14% fat and 53% estimated carbs producing a fat-to-protein ratio of about 56%.
This classic, grain-inclusive large breed design has been made by Iams for years and is a nutritious fit for adult German shepherds. Calcium levels are a bit high for shepherd puppies. Easily recommended.
Sample buyer reviewIAMS is a product that I have turned to for complete nutrition for my dog as well as my cats! In fact, I have been feeding IAMS to my cats for over 20 years! Sure there are higher priced pet foods, but why would you want to pay more when you get the proper nutrition and a quality product at a reasonable price!
Gsd Puppy Feeding Recommendations And Guidelines
The GSDCA offers these recommendations for monitoring and adjusting your German Shepherd puppys daily food portions as your dog turns six months old.
- Make sure clean, fresh water is always available to your dog.
- Only feed your puppy a high-quality, complete, and balanced puppy food made for large-breed puppies .
- Do not add any vitamins or health supplements unless your dogs veterinarian specifically recommends this.
- Be careful about adding in any extra treat foods unless your dogs veterinarian says the food is okay .
- Learn how to weigh and measure your GSD puppys height and weight at home and track this weekly.
- Ask your veterinarian to teach you how to feel along your dogs torso and rib cage to see if your dog is too thin, too plump, or just right.
- Talk with your dogs veterinarian immediately if your puppy does not eat for more than two consecutive meals.
As we mentioned earlier in this article, a six-month-old German Shepherd puppy is likely going to look very similar to how it will look like an adult dog.
But on the inside, there is still so much growing and developing to be done.
What you feed, how you feed, and how much you feed can have everything to do with how strong and structurally healthy your GSD puppy grows up to be.
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Should A German Shepherd Eat Home
The best meal any animals, or even humans, can consume is something that has been prepared at home. It is likely to be fresher than any canned or packaged stuff that you find in the store.
However, most dog owners are not adequately equipped or willing to deal with the complications that preparing home-cooked meals present. And because of the importance of your GSD getting all of the nutrients that it needs, this is not something that you should undertake unless you are adequately informed and fully prepared to do so.
Its important that you weigh the pros and cons of producing home-cooked meals to your dogs diet. That extends well beyond just diet, although that is naturally the most important consideration to make.
Malinois X Puppy Photos
Jacali
Jacali the Malinois X
I received word from someone in my area who knew of someone who needed to find homes for some GSDxMalinois pups. I never thought about getting a mix, but Im not one of those people who care for pure-bred or pedigree dogs . In my eyes, a mixed dog is as valuable as any other dog, and seeing as the mix of these two breeds could make an overall healthier dog, I was inclined to take one in.
Jacali the Malinois X
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Your Dog Has One Basic Need Understand This And Training Will Be A Breeze
See that cute puppy snuggled up on your sofa? See that old dog that needs to learn new tricks?
They look to you for guidance
And Heres the trick:
The most valuable thing you can do for your dog is to show him that you are a good leader.
If you’re thinking good leadership is establishing yourself as an alpha’ you’re wrong.
Your dog knows you’re not a dog and so will never see you as a dog or an alpha.
Being a good leader means your GSD can and will always look to you for guidance.
Think about it
If your pooch is looking to you for guidance they feel comfortable and safe and that creates an environment of trust.
Being a good leader is about using brains over brawn to teach your German Shepherd.
How Much And How Often To Feed A Senior German Shepherd
Senior German shepherds tend to experience weight fluctuation, meaning that the amount of dog food your dog should eat varies greatly depending on your dogs body condition. Generally, senior dogs will be benefited from eating more often with less portion size.
Lets say if I used to feed my dog twice a day, then I would feed him three times a day during his senior year. Three meals per day is a maximum you should give unless your vet specifies otherwise.
As for the portion size, I would suggest speaking to your vet to get an optimal ration. One last thing that Id like to add is that water is an essential part of your dogs diet. Its necessary to aid in digestion, flush the toxins out, and maintain a body temperature, so dont forget to provide easy access to clean, cool fresh water at all times.
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There Are Two Ways To Determine How To Feed Your Puppy
The most pressing questions you probably have about your new puppy are how much to feed them and how often lets go over a few things to consider.
Many people use the food bag as a starting point to decide how much to feed their dogs. However, a label on commercial food is one of the easiest ways to overfeed your growing puppy.
Dog food labels may raise feeding guidelines by up to 25% to ensure the diet meets or exceeds NRC requirements. Its more accurate and healthier for your puppy if you calculate and measure meals yourself.
Feeding your puppy involves regularly evaluating and tracking their weight. You should be able to assess how close your pup is to their ideal weight just by looking at them.
Weight charts are useful guides, but they dont account for an individuals variations from the norms. Also, dont forget to include treats in your calculations for daily food allowances!
If you give a lot of treats during training, for example, you need to account for it by decreasing meal sizes according to your pups weight or body condition.
Assessing Body Condition
Drake Center for Veterinary Care uses a body scoring system modified from Purinas charts and other sources.
Puppies will vary in their body scores and may change rapidly within a few days. Pups often lose their abdominal tuck right after a meal.
Puppies under 16 weeks old commonly have a pot-bellied appearance without much abdominal tuck.
Volume
Calories
Why Does My Great Dane Look So Skinny
During the first two years especially, their bodies will inevitably appear skinny and lack the muscularity of an adult Great Dane. This is completely normal, and you can rest assured that they will fill out in due time.
How do newborn German Shepherd puppies look like? About 400 or 450 grams in weight, so that gives you an idea of their size. They are very dark in colour, dark brown, almost black. The colour, if they are black and ran, lightens up when they get older, and the dark recedes to create the traditional saddle pattern.
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Make Them Work For It
The next thing you need your dog to do is to realize that they need to do something if they want a treat. Start with something simple, like sitting or coming when called. As soon as they do it correctly, press the button then give them a treat.
Eventually, theyll learn that you expect them to work for their treats. Theyll start to look to you for direction and wait for your command so they can get their reward.
What Temperature Can German Shepherds Withstand
German Shepherds are comfortable with temperatures as low as -4.
Anything below that and your GSD will have problems regulating temperature.
If a German Shepherd has thick fur, great surface area to volume ratio, and large muscle mass, they can withstand temperatures between -9 and -12 for a short period.
But not all German Shepherd dogs have an ability to regulate body heat in temperatures as low as -4.
As it gets colder, some GSD will have a hard time coping.
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Treats To Help Your Gsp Gain Weight
If youre worried that your GSP is skinnier than he should be and if youd like to develop stronger muscles in your dog, treats can help.
Its often recommended to offer additional treats rather than feeding your dog more at mealtimes, as it may be better to get concentrated protein to help build muscles than to get more dog food.
Here are some treats that can help your GSP to gain weight in a healthy way.
Why You Should Give Home Cooked Food A Try
This is something you should check with your vet as it can be tricky to give your dog a balanced diet with home-cooked food. As long as your vet agrees, your dog may respond better to fresh food, especially as it may offer a better texture or flavor.
These are the main reasons why your German Shepherd may be underweight. The good news is that there is plenty you can do to rectify the situation. The first step is to seek medical assistance for your dog, however.
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Do They Suffer From Intestinal Malabsorption
German Shepherds have a higher incidence of a condition known as intestinal malabsorption. The issue is sometimes linked to another health issue known as exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. This, too, is a health condition that German Shepherds can develop.
With intestinal malabsorption, the absorptive layer of the stomach is damaged. This means that your dogs digestive system isnt able to absorb nutrients from the food, causing them to lose weight.
You may notice excessive or continuous diarrhea in dogs inflicted with this issue. Their appetite will also remain the same but the weight loss will be steady.
Your vet will need to run blood and fecal tests to check for this condition.
Month Old German Shepherd Puppy Weight
When your GS puppy is 2 months old, you can expect him or her to weigh between 16 and 20 pounds, depending on the sex of the puppy. Females will always be a little lower on the scale than their male counterparts.
They are bigger dogs and do gain weight quicker than other breeds, but you still want to watch for signs of gaining too much too quickly or being underweight.
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How To Check If You Have An Underweight Or Overweight Dog
Date updated: 23 11 2018
Just like a human, your four-legged friend can fluctuate in weight slightly throughout its life. But if you find yourself looking at a noticeably skinny dog, or your prize pup suddenly looks a bit tubby, there could be a problem.
For dogs, being overweight or underweight might be a sign that there are underlying health problems. And if your dog isnt brought back to a healthy weight, its at risk of developing serious issues in future.
Fortunately, theres an easy way to see whether your dog is at a healthy weight. You dont need any scales, and you can do these checks with lots of affection to keep that tail wagging!
Watch the video below to see Everypaws own vet demonstrating.
1. Feel your dogs ribs
Stand your canine chum up and run your hands over their sides. If you cant feel their ribs or if you cant feel them very well theres too much fat and you have an overweight dog.
If theres too much rib, i.e. you cant feel much between your dogs skin and its ribs, you have an underweight dog.
2. Feel your dogs spine
Perform the same test on your dogs spine by running your hands over it gently. Again, you should be able to feel the bones, but they shouldnt be protruding. If you cant feel the bones, or they seem to be buried under fat, you have an overweight dog. If the spine is very pronounced with little or no flesh on top of the individual vertebrae, you have an underweight dog.
What to do if you have an underweight or overweight dog