[Liesje]

My dogs both eat kibble, either Nature's Variety or Canidae. Sometimes they also get plops of cottage cheese and other table scraps that are OK for dogs.

I feel like Kenya is looking rather scrawny. I'm all about lean dogs, but she's looking a little TOO lean. I'll add a pic as soon as they finish copying onto my computer. I've started road working her alongside a bike. I want to add muscle and not just fat. I know the road working means she should probably eat more too.

I'd like to give her some toppers to add cals and help her put on a few lbs. What are some good things for that? I need things that are easy to find, since I don't personally know of any mom-and-pop butchers. I do have an unlimited supply of raw venison, but I'm a little leery of using something raw from a wild animal. Do I give her some meats with fat? What about skins? Could I just give her some raw chicken drumsticks with the skin? I've never fed raw before besides marrow bones.

 

[Liesje]

Pic from today. Do you think she is too thin? I feed her more kibble than it says on the bag, and usually she doesn't eat it all.

She looks OK sitting and in head shots, but I'm worried she is too thin when I look at her stretched out.

Please be honest. We are starting herding and agility again soon, so I want her to have energy and be strong, but not too large that it hurts her joints. She's naturally small, finer boned.

 

[matt1970lemans]

I think she looks fine.Can you feel her spine very easy?can you feel her ribs?You have to remember that most of the dogs in america are fat.Everyone wants a bigger dog,don't know why.My dog is small also,he's only 76 lbs and a year and a half.I feed him what he needs,I just started feeding raw and he likes it.I'm not sure about your dog but my dog is lazy but will perk up if I want to play ball,I can do it for about 45 mins and he wants more,then he goes home and sleeps.I think its there age.How old is your dog I would guess under 2.

 

[onyx'girl]

I feed raw and Onyx is always hungry. She was weighed yesterday and is 88.3#! But she is 27" so doesn't look fat. She is muscular. I don't see her ribs, but can feel a couple. I think the sables really look ribby more than the other colors. Onyx is bi-color and so you don't see it in pics. If you were to feed raw, I would maybe check out a local meat processer not a butcher, and get a beef grind. If you are going to Marshall to train, Galesburg Meat. co(which is 5 minoff 1-94) has a dog food grind that is only 50 cents a lb. It is beef heart/tongue, and some fat. I only feed this a few time a week, it seems to be pretty rich. I would feed the venison~organic! It is probably much better than the hormone/vaccinated, etc fed cattle. It is lean though, so I don't know if Kenya would gain weight from that. Do you give eggs? Or maybe yogurt instead of cottage cheese. More benefits in yogurt. She looks fine to me in the pics, but you are the one that can feel her.

 

[Liesje]

Originally Posted By: matt1970lemansI think she looks fine.Can you feel her spine very easy?can you feel her ribs?You have to remember that most of the dogs in america are fat.Everyone wants a bigger dog,don't know why.My dog is small also,he's only 76 lbs and a year and a half.I feed him what he needs,I just started feeding raw and he likes it.I'm not sure about your dog but my dog is lazy but will perk up if I want to play ball,I can do it for about 45 mins and he wants more,then he goes home and sleeps.I think its there age.How old is your dog I would guess under 2.

She is 4 years old, about 22" tall and last weighed just under 60lbs. I like her lean, but today for some reason she just looked really thin. I think her coat is sort of dull right now, maybe that's why.

I'll try adding the egg back in. I'll have to get some dog yogurt since mine is low cal and has artificial sweeteners.

I am going to Marshall on May 9. Do you live near there? Kenya's breeder is starting a GSD/SchH club! Maybe I can check that place out.

If you guys think the venison is OK I can try that, but yeah it's all very lean. We always keep "stew cuts" which are cuts that don't taste that great for humans and should be cooked in conjunction with other things, but I'm sure a dog wouldn't care.

I guess I would just rather supplement than have to change kibbles entirely. Coke has a sensitive stomach and can't eat certain things, so when one kibble works I'm reluctant to make any major changes. He doesn't really get any supplements b/c of his stomach.

 

[matt1970lemans]

I think honestly it better to have a slightly skinny dog then a kinda big one.the skinnier one is better off and healther.My vet tells me the same thing.You know your dog if she is still hungry or if she is onlyeating so much try giving her more food that is rich,venison is good,my dog loves it.

 

[onyx'girl]

Originally Posted By: Liesje
I am going to Marshall on May 9. Do you live near there? Kenya's breeder is starting a GSD/SchH club! Maybe I can check that place out.

I heard about that, but is this invitational only? I didn't see anything on the website. I am about 50 min to the west(1-94) of Marshall, and go to the meat place in galesburg just for the dog blend. They also have fresh(frozen) beef bones cut into nice size for $1.00 a bag, about three lbs. I went to a private lesson w/ Julie a few mos ago and stopped then to get meat, told her about the place. If you get yogurt, just get some plain yogurt, Kacie doesn't like it , but Onyx does, Onyx will eat almost anything!

 

[Liesje]

I PMed you.

I'll try to stop at that place next week. Hopefully, a friend is coming with me and hopefully, she will be interested in stopping.

I keep forgetting to buy the "dog" yogurt (plain stuff), will have to write it down. I had been giving Kenya a raw egg a day but twice she got this really slimey runny poop which she pooped in the house and the only thing I could thing of was the egg or maybe it was bad? I've been scared to do it since, but her coat is lacking appeal so I may try again.