Skinny dog
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Thank you very much! He is a sweet boy.
It's hard to tell in the pictures but his hip bones do stick out. You can tell a little, I tried to get some pics that showed it better, but these are all I got.
He isnt super skinny, his hip bones just stick out, it seems like he has no muscle on his butt or something. Or that his hip bones are just too big for him?
It's hard to tell in the pictures but his hip bones do stick out. You can tell a little, I tried to get some pics that showed it better, but these are all I got.
He isnt super skinny, his hip bones just stick out, it seems like he has no muscle on his butt or something. Or that his hip bones are just too big for him?
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I think your dog looks great in those current pics! It looks like your dog has a bit of a roach to his lower back (arching) which can cause the appearance of the spine or hipbones to become more prominent. I'd say work on building up some muscle tone if your really worried, but I think he looks fine. What a cutie!
I have the same problem with my Hungarian Vizla/retriever mix. Because of the Hungarian Vizsla in him he is kind've like Greyhouds-they just are naturally skinny. He has been seen by the vet numerous times and he is fine. We give him worm stuff when we're suppose to. So, when I take him on a walk or just take him with in the car everybody stares at him like they think he is starved. I have tried all diferent foods-both dry and can. Have you tried the Purina "Moist and Meaty" its like a hamburger dry food. It comes in pouches. You just give them a pouch a day. Its supposed to be good for filling dogs out as thats what our vet told us and he has gained a few pounds, but still looks terribly SKINNY! Hope the "Moist and Meaty" helps, if you do try it.
Good luck! Also, if I ever find something that works really well for fattening them, I will post on here
Good luck! Also, if I ever find something that works really well for fattening them, I will post on here
He really does look just like Max at that age. I bet he'll start to fill out in a couple of months. He's a fine looking boy and Maxy24 hit it on the head. Many people immediately jump to the conclusion that a healthy, fit, naturally lean dog is underweight bcause they are so used to seeing dogs carrying too much weight.
He actually looks like a full GSD to me....I am in the same boat as you right now I think. My male is 8 months and he seems to have finer bones right now. Although his rib cage is really large, measuring from the top of his back to the bottom of his stomach, so I think he may develop into a pretty big dog. His waist seems to be very skinny and also his legs are thin too right now but you cant see his ribs and can't even feel each individual rib. People give me that look too and some even make comments like, "He looks skinny". It is kind of embarrassing and frustrating becasue people dont' know how much time and care you put into your dog. My dog has a lot of Czech bloodlines in him, and those dogs seem to be more finer boned. Although he doesn't seem to be that tall right now, he weighs 75 lbs, which is already part of the average male scale....I really dont know where all this weight is??? lol I really think that they fill out as they age....they don't finish developing until between 18 and 24 months....so I assume that is muscle and bone thickening time. Slender is acutally good for GSD's at a young age because they are developing a lot of their joints and plates and too much weight can be very harmful on those joints. I know its frustrating...at least your dog is eating 5 cans a day...mine turns his nose up at Canidae (which is what I feed), mixed with egg, yogurt, and canned Canidae food!!! He really doesn't have much of an appetite, eats about 3 cups a day, and would not eat even 1 cup if it was just dry food.
Hang in there, ignore uneducated remarks from people, and give him lots of excersize...its will help with muscle developement.
Hang in there, ignore uneducated remarks from people, and give him lots of excersize...its will help with muscle developement.
He looks a little lean, and too little tail to be full GSD to me, the last picture makes me think there is a touch of sight hound in him. Other than that hip bone, he looks great, so I wouldnt worry much, and see what happens. Our beagle x pointer actually looks very similar, the high rear end makes it look much bonier than it is. Same with all the pictures I've seen of Chessies... high rears look bony.
Buster looks like he has huge hip bones... until you go at pet him, then you realize he just has a tuft of fur on each sticking out!
Buster looks like he has huge hip bones... until you go at pet him, then you realize he just has a tuft of fur on each sticking out!
I think he looks good too. He's a young man, they go through phases of being thin like that. He looks like a full GSD to me, even with the tail. Just a finer boned dog, that's all. His face is longer and narrower. My daughter's boyfriend's family has a GSD that is about 6 months younger than our Gunnar, and he's totally different looking- more like your guy with his finer features vs the giant head and thick neck that Gunnar has.
ok so disclaimer, i havn't read all the responses to this thread, but i have an experience with this. When i adopted marbles (at the time a pup now a happy 13 year old lab) she was abused, her previous owner locked her mom, and all of her siblings in a closet, marbles was the runt of the litter (or so we thought due to her weight, so we thought. But she was always a happpy dog. i am 21 now so when i got her i was a young man, but i was very mature (long story as to why) and i delt with most of the happenings of the Dog. Our animal control guy would come around and take my dog out of her outside keep because she was "under weight" and looking back the guy was right for thinking so, but the persistant harrasment that occured after i brought in vet records of her weight and health went over the top. But, to make a long story short, last year around christmas she got very sick, wouldn't eat for anyone and had no energy(she was always an energenic dog) So i came home from college, about a three to four hour drive, which i made in some sort of horrific records that i don't even want to say. Got home and she finally ate very little for me when i hand fed her. But i went downstairs to clean up because she was having loose bowl movements when i found throw up with some blood in it. We took her to the vets and after a few day stay, blood work and x-rays they concluded she had a large tumor inbetween her rib cage that needed emergency surgery.. They pulled a softball sized tumor out of my dog. She then went from a Lab that weight 25-35lbs to a normal, 55-60lbs. she is currently healthy as can be. so i can understand the fear that comes with having an underweight dog and it not being your fault. I would listen to your vet and see if it fills out, if not, see what's wrong. Good luck, hope my story helps with taking some of your fear away from having a Dog you're nursing back to health with weight, i know the issues that come for the owner with that.
With care,
Brian
With care,
Brian