What is a safe weight gain for a rescued adult male German Shepherd? I recently adopted a 29 inch tall adult male GSD following his seizure from his owner for abandonment. According to the shelter documentation, he weighed just 75 pounds at the time of seizure and he weighs 80 pounds now after five weeks of time. I have had him for two of these five weeks and am trying to make sure that he gains weight slowly, but safely and steadily over the next few weeks and months. When he was at the shelter, he was eating once daily and the food was donated, so there was no consistency in the quality. Now that I have him, I would like to know if there are any general guidelines as to how much weight gain is considered a safe gain for an adult dog. He is now eating two times daily and his appetite is decent. He is somewhat of a picky eater, but does eat and is now accepting treats and biscuits too.
At 80 pounds currently, every vertebrae and rib is immediately palpable under his coat when I run my hands over him. The crests of his hips are also quite pronounced. There is no "flesh" on his chest, shoulders or hindquarters either. He is happy, loved and eating now and I am just wondered if there are any general guidelines for a safe and steady weight gain. I am in no rush and am aware of overfeeding, bloat and obesity concerns as well.
With a truly undernourished dog I will feed 3-6 small meals a day (the more underweight the more feedings) so that their stomach can build back to a point where it can handle increased foods.
I usually add a little canned Merrick to the food - maybe 2T, and mix it with some water to make a gravy.
I would also be watching for pudding poops and would have the vet run a fecal.
He has been fully vet checked and was just neutered last Friday as he had kennel cough when I got him. He is heartworm negative and he had five days of Panacur in the shelter with a negative fecal by my vet following this.
Does anyone know what is considered a safe weight gain per week or month for a dog? I know that there are guidelines for safe weight gain and loss for people, but what about dogs?
Most pups gain about 2 pounds per week in their first 6 months. But they are growing. At your dog's level of undernourishment I would guess that to be an acceptable level. But that's only my opinion, I am no expert.
generally a safe 1-2 pounds a week should be fine but i would prefer no more than that so the dogs system isnt shocked by the sudden weight gain. dont forget to exercise so he can build up that muscle tone again!
generally a safe 1-2 pounds a week should be fine but i would prefer no more than that so the dogs system isnt shocked by the sudden weight gain. dont forget to exercise so he can build up that muscle tone again!
From what I've seen with rescues- regular feeding of small meals and over time the dog will get to the correct weight. It sounds like his current weight gain is perfectly acceptable.
But almost more importantly as he continues to put on weight- exercise. Please keep in mind that some Shepherds are not built like Rottweilers or Labradors. I had a friend who rescued a Shepherd who usually owned large bully breeds and Rotts and no matter how much weight she put on him...she was flabbergasted that she could still feel his spine! Well, that was because of the way his ribs attached and the lack of muscling on his back. He didn't need to add any more weight (He was plenty hefty enough)...he just needed to muscle up! Ribs should be able to be felt, and maybe even see the last 2. Just a caution not to let him get fat...
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