[Femfa]

Did anyone else's dog ever go through a second, lanky growth period around the year old mark?

Ryka was finally starting to fill out and look proportionate just before her first birthday. While she's definitely feminine in her build, she currently just looks like a bean pole of a teenager again. She's eating a higher caloric food and awhile back she was putting on weight because of it (she even had saggy teats!). Now she's eating more than before and still looks scrawny, plus acts like she's constantly starving. I'm having her dewormed just in case - and honestly I can't find anything in her poop despite dissecting it - but goodness does she ever look thin and awkward! Pictures don't even do it justice, because in photos she looks quite lovely. Or at least in my biased opinion . It sounds bad, but I'm kind of hoping it's worms and not a growth period... I really don't want her to get any bigger. I always wanted a small rocket of a female, lol! Currently I have a large, adorable doofus.

 

[Jenny720]

Yeah I think two to three years It takes them to fill out it depends. After three is when the weight can creep on - any extra calories under three years of age seems to just to burn right up!

 

[Hellish]

I too have been fretting over my adolescent's sudden slenderness. Back at the 7 month mark I was dieting him hard because my trainer said he was a fatty and we cut out all training treats (substituted green beans) and reduced his intake and it was STILL slow going to get his weight down.

Now at 13 mos. I can feel each vertebrae as I run my hand down his back. Maybe the texture of his wavy coat makes it feel worse than it is. And yeah, voraciously hungry. Nothing suspicious with his poops. Pano has been traveling thru the limbs again so he is not getting exercised much either - keeping him quiet is a challenge and nope, that does not diminish the appetite either. Trainer has said he looks good and to not let him lose any more weight. I find myself sneaking him the contraband MilkBones the trainer had forbidden him before and I am not seeing an increase.

 

[JessicaR]

I was just wondering the same thing lol! Zelda turned 14 months old last week and all of a sudden she looks real skinny and of course she decided today not to eat all her breakfast. I think she just likes to see me stress!

 

[Femfa]

So long as I'm not the only one! It's hilarious how when they finally start to look normal, over night they just become gangly little furry monsters again...