GSD Weight Issues

[Zoya]

Hi, I have a 1.5 yr old GSD bitch, Alex. The problem is that she is not putting on weight. She is fed twice a day - biscuits/kibble in the morninig and mince meat boiled with rice and vegetables in the evening. I have had her dewormed, but she is still really skinny. Two weeks ago I got her spayed, but she still hasn't put on any weight since then. Help! I don't know what to do.

[doggiedad]

you could have a smaller GSD. how big are the parents?

[llombardo]

Originally Posted by Zoya

Hi, I have a 1.5 yr old GSD bitch, Alex. The problem is that she is not putting on weight. She is fed twice a day - biscuits/kibble in the morninig and mince meat boiled with rice and vegetables in the evening. I have had her dewormed, but she is still really skinny. Two weeks ago I got her spayed, but she still hasn't put on any weight since then. Help! I don't know what to do.

How much does she weigh and how tall is she?

[Kayos and Havoc]

Welcome to you and Alex!

GSD's are not chunky dogs, they should be lean. Is she ribs sticking out thin or can you feel her ribs unnder her skin? You should be able to feel her ribs and see a nice tuck in her belly where the ribs end.

Can you post a picture?

[Freestep]

Can you post pictures of her? A side view of her standing, and a top view with you standing over her? Likely she is just going through a phase, many GSDs look lean and gangly around adolescence. Now that she is spayed and coming out of adolescence, she should begin to fill out in the coming months. What are you feeding her, and how much?

[reynosa_k9's]

I had a GSD years ago with the same problem. I found that he couldn't have chicken (the vet said this was a common issue w/GSD's) and he also had to have a digestive enzyme supplement.
Once the chicken was cut out and the enzymes added he filled out nicely.

You said she was dewormed. Was she checked and dewormed for tapeworms? Typical wormers may not work on the tapeworms and they can sometimes be a bit more difficult to treat.

You should have her vet checked. Hopefully it's something simple to fix. Good luck and keep us posted!

[Zoya]

It's great to be here and have others who share the same passion - love for dogs

Alex's ribs are showing and I can feel her spine. I will take a pic of her standing, from the side, and post it today.
She gets fed about 2 cups of kibble/dry food in the morning and then around just under a kilo of mince meat boiled with rice and vegetables in the evening.

I don't think she was checked for tapeworms, which I should probably have checked, thanks

The other thing is that she loves hiding my shoes. If there's three pairs lying, she'll take one of each. Any reason why?
Thank you everyone for yoru advice, it's really appreciated

[Zoya]

hey everyone, am obviously technologically disadvantaged can't upload any photo here, well have no idea how. I tried and an error message keeps popping up saying the message is too short. What can I do, I really want everyone to see my Alex. I did manage to add her to the Album, so how do I post here? Help.........

[carmspack]

I would guess too much low protein food - this from the Grim, UTI thread , link provided , but applies to this situation "Australian veterinarian Ian Billinghurst, whose book Give Your Dog a Bone introduced the BARF (Bones and Raw Food or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) diet to dog lovers around the world, describes how to adapt his menus for urate-forming dogs in a report posted at several websites.
“In Western countries today,” he says, “I am led to believe that a typical homemade diet for stone formers would contain about 80 percent rice, 10 percent vegetables, and 5 percent meat. This is an appalling diet to feed any dog. This is borne out by dogs forced to endure it. They suffer from numerous problems including continual hunger, a lack of energy, poor coat condition, and difficulty in maintaining weight or severe losses of weight.” Such a diet is not only deficient in protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals, he says, but it does not prevent stone formation.
The raw meaty bones Dr. Billinghurst recommends are chicken necks, chicken backs, chicken wings, and turkey necks. “Use plenty of puréed or pulped vegetables,” he says, “including lots of leafy greens. The diet could also include eggs, cottage or ricotta cheese, yogurt, and olive or flaxseed oil, supplemented with vitamin B complex, vitamin E, kelp, and a teaspoon of cod liver oil several times a week.” Cod liver oil is important for urate-forming dogs fed a homemade diet that does not include liver.
Feeding a changing variety of eggs, cheese, dairy products, and small amounts of medium-purine meat, poultry, and fish along with low-purine vegetables, fruits, and supplements – as well as ample water to keep urine diluted – can help any urate-forming dog stay healthy and happy."

the diet you are mentioning for your dog is difficient - especially if the rice is white , and hasn't been soaked or sprouted to remove phytic acid which inhibits mineral absorption.

[Zoya]

Somehow managed to upload these