RE: Skinny German Shepherd
Raw diet best. Build immune system. Nzymes. com for granules, especially if you have trouble giving raw as main diet. Improved skin, coat, joints, elimination,stomach, mood, the whole magilla. No vaccines, could be the whole problem. immune system could have been destroyed because of adjuvents like mercury, squaline, antifreeze that are included in vaccines. Check vaclib.org to get info that is documented truth. You might never vaccinate again.
Posted on 11/16/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepherd
By all means get another vet. I feed my GSD Purina One Large Breed Weight Management food. That works well for her and she likes it. She's healthy and her weight is good. You don't want an overweight GSD, but you don't want him emaciated either. Let another vet get a good look at him. There seems to be something causing him to be so thin if he doesn't have parsites, etc. I've had so many GSD's, and I have been fortunate that they have all been healthy. Good luck!
Posted on 10/02/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepherd
Hey all...just wanted post something on my GSD. I am going through the same thing as most of you. My boy, 3 year old GSD went from 95lbs to 72 in 4 months. He was fine throughout all of his life for the most part..some hot spots, sensitive stomach, etc. I changed the flavor of his food from sweet potato and fish to Duck and within a week he developed a ear infection that we battled for 2 months and several vet visits. He soon started having problems going number 2 and his stool was getting very small, pencil size in fact. He would strain and moan and squat for 30 minutes. Back to the vet only to hear that he needed a ton of expensive tests and had a digestive disorder ; more than likely the lack of an enzyme to digest his food.
Throughout the months I kept telling my vet that I thought it was a bacteria problem maybe coming from the ear, but was always told no and suggested the EPI testing and a barium study. I just found it very odd that all of his problems began right after the duck feeding and am ear infection. My vet said it was just moisture and she put him on antihistamines for the allergy that was causing his ear problem. Nothing worked and he just got worse until 2 weeks ago he had a blow out in the house and it was god awful, that sickly smell that screams infection or parasite. He also threw up 2 times, a yellow slimy vomit. He had 2 of those within 2 hours and was very tired and looking like he was on his way out.
I found a new vet first thing in the morning and he went right to the ear and said this is a problem. His temp was 104, and has been between 103-104 for several months..all other vets said that it wasn't a problem. New vet said 101-102 max. Two weeks prior I had a full chem panel done and everything looked good. My new vet looked it over and explained if he had issues the numbers would be different 99% of the time. He gave me some ear drops which fixed his ear in 6 days! He also gave me flaygl and amoxy (said they work best together) and a broad dewormer because he found a hook work egg in addition to some flaygl bacterium in the stool.
Within a week he gained 4 pounds, and by the second he has gaind 7 pounds! He looks great. His coat has always been perfect even with all his issues. From all the straining he also developed anal fistulas that were very bad and my old vet said he had a autoimmune issue and wanted to treat him by suppressing his immune system and some expensive creams, etc. I used peroxide and water to clean after he goes #2 and some neosporin and it cleared that up as well.
He's doing good so far, just looks to take some time in gaining any size to his stool. This might not be the entire problem, but as of now he's on track again. I'll report back in a few months and let you know if he got better or worse. Hope this helps someone going through this. Sorry for the bad typing..just in a hurry but wanted to get this out.
Take care all GSD owners and best wishes. This is my boy at a healthy 95 pounds. Oh yeah, Dr D in the post below said give milk. I don't agree with that. GSD's don't do well on milk IMO. It can cause all kinds of issues, especially in show dogs.
Posted on 09/24/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepherd
Another thing to consider is Addison's Disease! If your dog has been checked for EPI and does not have it, think about Addison's. Addison's can go undiscovered until a crisis hits and then it can be awful. I had no idea what was wrong with my first shepherd. She was tall and skinny, had a lot of diarrhea but not the characteristic greasy yellow stools of an EPI dog. The vet tested her for EPI and it was negative and he had no idea. She went in for grooming and the groomer mistreated her and she went into an Addisonian Crisis! Rushed her to the vet who quickly gave her an injection of prednisone and she "arose from the dead".
A month later we tested her for Addison's and it was a borderline positive. We started treating her and she is doing well. She is now 10 1/2 years old and her Addison's is under control and she has gained 20 healthy pounds. Addison's affects their ability to eat as it affects their jaw muscles, as well as other things.The vet did some studying on Addison's and he feels there are a great number of undiagnosed AD dogs who never get treated and are destroyed because they simply never do well and their owners give up.
Posted on 09/20/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepherd
I found this site and said omg, I'm glad there are others. My Sammy is 2 she will be 3 in December healthy as a horse, but she looks so sickly. Being skinny, she eats everything, and runs like crazy. i live on a couple of acres so she has a good exercise routine. I'm googling every tip I just read. Thank you.
Posted on 08/14/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepherd
I have adopted 2 German shepherds from the pound. One was an older healthy fixed female with horrible teeth. The other is a young female I had spayed at adoption. The young one is about 2 years old and skinny. She was about a year old when I adopted her and very skinny. You can still see her ribs, hip bones and has no stomach to speech of. She eats table scraps, pancakes and her food bowl is full of dry high performance food she can eat when ever she wants. She still can't gain weight after a year. Any ideas to fatten her up, she is very active.
For those of you who fear animal control because your dog is too skinny. They will just come into your house, ask questions, see how the dog lives and then leave. My dog has food and water all the time. If you explain to them what you have done to help your dog gain weight then they will not take the dog. Just be honest if they ever come to visit.
Posted on 07/13/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepherd
Give them some milk. also, add some chicken broth.
Posted on 01/28/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepherd
My gsd female is 2yr and was embarrassing to take for a walk she was so skinny weighed just 28kg. I tried all different types of food tinned/dry extra treats even fed her puppy food thinking the extra vit, protein etc would be good to build her up, but it just made her sick because it was too high in protein, when i asked the vet for advice he said feed her chappie and mix, it worked! after 3 weeks she looks like she should and a shiny coat to die for. I'm going to take her to be weighed and see how much she's gained!
Posted on 12/31/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepherd
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By Sables mom (Guest Post)
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I have a 1 1/2 year old female shepard. When she was around 5 month old she started to vomit bile and had loose stools to the point of being pure blood. She has been to the vet and tested for all possible causing. EPI was ruled out but she does have SIBO. She looks like a cartoon character out of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit". You can see her ribs and hip bones. She only weights in a 50 lbs. I have tried hollistic approaches to treatment and she get high doses of probiotics along with hollistic dog food. We seem to have the diariah under control but she does not seem to be putting any weight on. I also think that one day the aspc will be knocking on my door to investigate a dog abuse situation.
Posted on 12/08/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepherd
Yes epi is very important to get checked out in german sheps but it is not always what is wrong. I have spent a lot of money an several tests for them to tell me she may or may not have it I have also tried all kinds of food and supplements I even had her on the powder for epi and nothing. She will be 2 in oct and weighs 67 pounds but man can you see her bones. She runs a lot and is a picky eater, look at the symptoms for epi loose stool with gray color always eating and drinking that might be epi if normal stool etc. they may just be skinny and one day will fill out and are they fixed dogs that are not fixed can be more skinny than others good luck.
Posted on 09/15/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepherd
My two year old Shepherd had the same things, losing weight, the runs, and drinking lots of water. We took him to the vet and had his blood tested and he has a disease known as EPI, enzyme pancreas insufficiancy or something like that.He needs some powder to be put on his food from now on, the stuff is expensive, at the vet it was $76.00 for 4 ounces!
We tried switching dry food first to Eagle Pack Holistic Select and his stool got normal and he has gained about a pound a week so far.
Read up on this EPI thing, it says it hits German Shepherds bad.
Posted on 09/13/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepherd
My shepherd (Bronte) is 4 years old and he is skinny too. I have taken him to three different vets and they all tell me he is fine and healthy. You can see his bones, ribs, hips,everything. I have tried different dog foods, exercise all different things to fatten him up with no avail. I have agonized over this for so long. Today I stumbled upon your blogs about this to find I am not the only person with this problem - the one comment about the lady watching the animal precinct was the same fear as my own!
Posted on 08/27/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepherd
This is crazy, I have a female German Shepard that just turned 3. She looked very skinny too. She weighed 45 pounds. I could she her ribs and hip bones stick out. I just started feeding her a thing called satin balls. which you can look up the recipe on the web. It is what the humane society's use to put the weight on them fast. My Mural has already put on 5 pounds in 5 days thats pretty darn good. It is completely safe and vet checked. I really recommend trying it cause puppy food did not work for my gsd. nor did anything else. I wish you luck.
Posted on 07/28/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepherd
My male German shep is 67 pounds at 15 months old and looks skinny. Is this normal?
Posted on 07/22/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepherd
Our male GSD Toby lost 23 pounds at 10 months old --went from 93 to 70 pounds in 3 weeks, and was so skinny he looked like a dog who could fall through a crack. He was ravenously hungry because not being able to absorb his food, he was actually starving. Our vet did a fasting TLI test and diagnosed him with EPI (exocrine pancreatic insufficiency). His pancreas fails to manufacture the digestive enzymes necessary to break down and absorb food. Various breeds can get it, but it's most common in German Shepherds, and is a disorder transmitted genetically (it's a recessive gene).
We joined the Yahoo group k9-EPIGLOBAL and found tons of information there that have helped us to treat his EPI and SIBO. We now feed Toby Dick Van Patten's Fish and Sweet Potato Kibble (it's grain free and he thrives on it). We mix it with pancreatin powder that we buy over the internet (powdered pig enzymes to replace his own) and mix with his kibble with enough cold water to dissolve it 1/2 hour before we feed him. We also mix in 1/4 tsp Tylan powder every morning (antibiotic to control SIBO) and 1/8 tsp probiotic every evening.
14 months later, Toby now weights 100 pounds and is a beautiful, healthy, active dog in every other respect, but he'll have to be on this feeding regimen for life (we anticipate he'll live a normal span). I urge you owners of skinny shepherds to investigate EPI. Those who write about foul smelling cow pat stools should also look into SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth), which often accompanies EPI. Those ploppy stools are a sure sign of it. Good luck!
Posted on 05/14/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepherd
This can also be a lack of proper exercise. German Shepherds with good genes will typically not get overweight, so feeding them a lot doesn't mean they will gain weight. In fact, you don't want your dog to gain fat, you want them to gain muscle. Now, unfortunately a lot of people are taking in German Shepherds as pets and not offering them the exercise they need to develop muscularly. If you want to "bulk up" a shepherd, it needs vigorous, difficult exercise. I start by running my shepherds with a bike until they can run at least 10 miles without breaking. Then, get them a weighted training vest and do hill charges with them. This is how we get working dogs in shape, and if you want a bulky, muscly Shepherd, this kind of training is the best way. They love it too. I should mention you shouldn't have them do this vigorous of work until they are 18 months due to their hips still developing, up until then, swimming is the best and healthiest approach. Give them exercise, feed them well and you will have a beautiful, in-shape dog.
Posted on 12/31/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepherd
Bullet is only two so he will still bulk up more. Have you tried feeding him a raw meat diet. Our shepherd had the same problem and our vet offered high fat packaged dog food. However, that was the worst thing to give our shepherd. She didn't need fat, she needed nutrients. It was a naturopathic vet that turned us on to raw meat. Bullet will love you for it. Check out holistic breeder web sites and websites that support holistic feeding and medical care. A good site to start with, www.gentlesoulsshepherds.com
Posted on 12/10/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepherd
This is the strangest thing out there! My GSD (female) is 1 1/2. When she was a pup and a teen she was always normal and people even thought she was "Big". But at over a year she stopped growing and is now , even though she weighs 75 lbs is still very skinny; see all her ribs, thinner neck, very small stomach. She just looks tall and lanky. The Vet said shes healthy, skinny but healthy but they said some dogs esp. with high energy just cant put on weight. I say ok, start her on can food with a little the same dry food as always. Now she wont eat anything maybe a bite, of anything but the can pedigree. BUT IS STILL SKINNY! I take care of her but don't have the money to take her o the vet repeatedly, but have heard of Pet Meds, that brochure. Someone please tell me something? I mean i guess she could gain when she gets older but I'm worried now!
Posted on 12/03/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepherd
I too have a skinny GSD who has been plauged by several GI issues. And food allergies. After trying many diffierent foods I have finally found a diet through The Honest Kitchen. They make several diffierent formulas of dehydrated raw dog foor with high quality ingrediants. I have seen a remarkable turnaround in my dogs overall health, his skin, his coat, his energy level have all improved. Just google the honest kitchen and you should get a link to their site.
Posted on 11/29/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepherd
Hi, I have a 3 1/2 year old Female GSD , she finally is gaining some weight , she is about 75 now, I been feeding her with Eukanuba dry food for GSD , about 4 cups a day and I mix it with rice and sardines (1 or 2 pieces) and she loves it, she was skinny for a long time till about 6 months ago , in a way is better , you don't want a dog that looks like a pig, anyhow as long as they are healthy it should be ok if they are a little light, try mixing the food with rice and sardines, it worked for me, sometimes i give her pork or chicken also, she is very healthy, they are great dogs.
Posted on 11/28/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepherd
I had the same problem with both my dogs for 8 months. They kept losing weight now they are fit and well they get tin food with mixer in the morning and at night. You will see a difference in weeks to come, my dogs ages are 5 and 2.
Posted on 11/11/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepherd
Hi i have a 16 month old GDS female, and i love her very much, but am so worried about her as she just won't seem to eat anything I give her, I used to buy fresh chickens everyday to put in her dry food as she would not eat at all, and then she would eat, but the vet said on a regular basis fresh chicken is not good for her? I have replaced this with minced chicken and tripe, but am finding she will not eat this, she is hungry but just will not eat it, she is a thin dog anyway, as does not seem to put any weight on, you can see her hip and rib bones, and am really worried that she will loose even more weight, can you help me?
Posted on 10/13/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepherd
My shepherd is 5 months old and her stools are always runny and she looks skinny. Shes well in herself and she eats well but i don't know what to do?
Posted on 10/06/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: My shepherd is a runner
My german shepherd is 3 years old I adopted her from the animal shelter. She is very good natured but she just wants to run. The minute she finds a way out she runs. I think that is how the last owner lost her. Now I have her and love her and do not want her to get away. We have a big back yard fenced 6 ft. But she will run if she could. She has been neutered. What else can we do?
Posted on 08/25/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
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By sportensporty69@yahoo.com (Guest Post)
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I have a shep that was 85 lbs in 2 months he dropped to 58 lbs. I found a web site that deals just with epi it has so much info. K-9 global they have gone thru epi & sibo an so much more. I just started to feed mine royal canine, low fat with fresh raw pig pancreas an he's on a 6 week regine of antibiotics with fat free plain yogurt.
Posted on 08/10/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
Lady is our 2 year old German Shephard. She is on the skinny side right now. She is very active and runs a lot. She runs off everything she eats and we can't seem to get her to gain any weight. She is a picky eater and a nervous eater. She will not eat with a lot of noise or commotion around her. We need to find a dog food that is high in protein and one that she will like. What do you recommend?
Posted on 07/24/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
I see a lot of you don't realize that Shepherds are prone to the pancreatic disorder that does not enable them to metabolize the food they eat. No matter how much they eat, they do not absorb the nutrients from the food. I had a friend who had a cat with the same problem. He gave his cat a product called "Total-zymes" http://www.rescuepetstore.com/pet-supplies-PPF100.html
It replaces the enzymes that the pancreas is not secreting enabling the body to once again absorb nutrients. His cat had lost more than half it's body weight. After taking the supplement for a few months, the cat is almost back to his original weight. I now have a shepherd that has the same problem. I've ordered the product for him and I plan to start him on it ASAP. Hope this helps.
Posted on 07/09/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
I had a female GSD that we adored and at about 9months old weight loss occurred. It was like a light switch going on when symptoms started. She was eating her own stools, having up to 7 stools a day, always eating like she was starving and yet ribs and hip bones exposed, and eating crazy things like paper, napkins, and the childrens diapers from the trash. Rarely having a solid stool, it mostly looked like mash potatoes with an awful odor. We tried different vets, several different foods, b-12 shots, antibotic, probiotics and enzymes. She had EPI and I feel for anyone going through this. Sadly, our sweet peggy girl had to be put to sleep. I cry most days and I want GSD owners to know I bought from a backyard breeder. Did not know this at the time, and now our family is paying the price in heart ache. These puppy mills and backyard breeders get rich on our broken hearts. My mission is to educate so a demand for puppy mills are not needed.
Posted on 05/31/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
I had a female GSD that we adored and at about 9months old weight loss occurred. It was like a light switch going on when symptoms started. She was eating her own stools, having up to 7 stools a day, always eating like she was starving and yet ribs and hip bones exposed, and eating crazy things like paper, napkins, and the childrens diapers from the trash. Rarely having a solid stool, it mostly looked like mash potatoes with an awful odor. We tried different vets, several different foods, b-12 shots, antibotic, probiotics and enzymes. She had EPI and I feel for anyone going through this. Sadly, our sweet peggy girl had to be put to sleep. I cry most days and I want GSD owners to know I bought from a backyard breeder. Did not know this at the time, and now our family is paying the price in heart ache. These puppy mills and backyard breeders get rich on our broken hearts. My mission is to educate so a demand for puppy mills are not needed.
Posted on 05/31/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
glad to see i'm not the only one, i have a German Shepherd male whos name is Charlie and hes 3 and his bday is on thanksgiving and well hes pretty skinny and i'm always so worried that he might be sick or something but i'm giving him his heartworm pills and i feed him twice a day and i make sure he has water and my brother says thats how they are but no i've seen them nice and fat on tv, how can i make him fat ?
Posted on 01/29/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
I also have a skinny shephard. And she is healthy according to Vet. I have now put her on Wellness Puppy food. I also use some stage 2 weaning milk mixed in with it when she doesn't seem to want to eat her portion at any given time. She is recovering from having some foriegn body in her throat. She got done to 45 lbs. She has gained 10 lbs in one week is continuing to recover. I have also found her to be an extremely picky eater. She won't eat anything with beef in it. She will eat anything with chicken in it. The Vet told me to keep her on puppy food until she has her weight on.
Posted on 01/20/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
I HAVE A 2 YR. OLD GERMANSHEPARD/WOLF MIX NAMED BEAR. GREAT DOG, EATS ALOT..JUST TOO SKINNY,,LIKE BONES STICKING OUT OF EVERY PART OF HIS BODY..BUT CAN'T TELL BECAUSE HE HAS ALOT OF FUR.. I READ ALL OF THE FEEDBACK AND GOT GREAT ADVICE..i JUST THOUGHT IT WAS THE 3/4 WOLF IN HIM..WOLVES ARE KNOWN TO BE SKINNY
Posted on 12/27/2006 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
A lot of you are mentioning that your Gemran Shepherds are around about 2... I have had 5 german Shepherds and out of them all, 4 of them including the 4 yr old I have now was skinny during their teenage stages - 1 to 2. I fed them plenty of barly and dog mince once a day and dry food for them to munch on during the day. This only lasts for about a year but once they';ve put weight on they usually stay bulked up. My current Gemran Shepherd is huge in a healthy way!
Posted on 12/07/2006 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
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By leah (alsation owner) (Guest Post)
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I have an alsation and she is quite skinny i feed the right amount and she still has more food inbetween although i fink she is quite skinny because i take he r out constantly or worms? just to inform everyone""
Posted on 10/20/2006 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
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By Leanna Kasson (Guest Post)
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I have a beautiful female about a year and a half and she is so skinny. I have tried feeding her wet food with her dry so that she eats more and she is still not gaining weight. I am worried I wish someone would tell me what to do. several people have told me that she looks skinny and that bothers me HELP
Posted on 08/14/2006 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
hi there,
see if you can email Dr. Shawn the natural vet at www.petcarenaturally.com-the guy is great and very devoted and tries to answer all email questions.
good luck, Lisa
Posted on 08/02/2006 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
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By Melissa Vanderkooi (Guest Post)
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Hi there, I'll bet your dog has Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency. This is actually quite common in German Shepherds, however I never heard of it till my German Shepherd was diagnosed at 8 months, she is now 2 and I'm still having trouble getting her to gain weight. So my suggestion is go back to your vet and have them test for this. Best of Luck
Posted on 07/20/2006 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
Thank goodness I'm not the only one!
I get looks for my super-skinny Shepherd. Had her checked for everything, including EPI, and she's just skinny. Not a big eater either. I had her on raw food and that worked for a while (though she was eating four to six pounds of food a day and weighs only 50 lbs herself, so she was eating her own weight every 10 days!)
Innova Evo is one food that she will eat, but my vet thinks the protein is too high and carbs would help her keep weight on. I mix it with mashed potatoes, and that's helped her weight stabilize.
Posted on 04/10/2006 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
I own a 6 year old german shepard wolf mix. Very energetic, so thin that people would rudely comment on his weight. I tried every thing...finally found the key....Innova Evo .....42% protein.....best dog food on the market that I have found for this issue. $40 a bag but well worth it. He finallly is at a perfect weight and his coat is gorgeous!
Posted on 02/12/2006 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
HI-
I too have a very lanky German Shepherd. He is two and altho very big, still so very thin. Our vets told us quite honestly that if you have an "AMERICAN" German Shepherd, they will indeed be lankier and leaner than their bulked- up "GERMAN" German Shepherd counterparts. If he's eating well, and active and happy, let sleeping dogs lie and just enjoy your pet.
Posted on 12/21/2005 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
Erin, thanks so much for the info on EPI. I too, had a problem with a very skinny GSD. Two vets told me some dogs are just skinny. Unfortunately, my baby died at the age of 6. Now I finally know what was wrong and that I did not do something to cause her death. This has really eased my mind. Thanks again! Bless you!
Posted on 12/20/2005 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
I have a 3 1/2 year old Shepard named Taz and I have the same problem, He eats good and is very active BUT he is skinny I see his ribs and his hip bones. But my vet states that he is healthy and he just may be a Skinny dog...But I always worry about people who i dont know turning me in. All the people that I do know, know how I am w/ him and that I love him very much..
Posted on 11/27/2005 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
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By darren williams (Guest Post)
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I have just recently bought a german shephard, he is 6 months old called cane. i have tried him on super dog (dry) and iams (dry) he would not touch it.
Mix it with tinned dog food of any name it was gone. i have been told this tinned stuff is crap he is now eating Bakers dry took me three days to get him to eat it. 300g morning 300g night is this enough for a six month old.find dry very boring i like to see my dog scoff. daz
Posted on 11/01/2005 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
GO TO WWW.K9POWER.COM, THEY HAVE SOME WEIGHT GAINER SUPPLEMENTS (PEAK PERFORMANCE 2)
Posted on 10/04/2005 | Report Spam or Abuse
EPI - My German Shephard
Hi!! I just wanted to get my story out there. I have a "beautiful" 4yr old German Shephard female named Bella. When she was 2yrs old she went thru "hell" and back. She was vomiting, had very bad diarreha, a lot of rumbling in her tummy, she lost soo much weight and was literally starving to death!! I was going crazy thinking maybe she didnt like the food she was eating, so I would switch foods and spent hundreds trying different brands. But nothing worked, she would eat, mind you she didnt enjoy eating as it caused her a lot of discomfort, and she was loosing soo much weight day by day. One day I woke up early to take her out for a nice walk and when I discovered her she was lying in a pool of her own throw-up and feces, as this was when we crated her at night. This was the last straw. I ran her to the Emergency room where they kept her over night to perform several tests (thank god for my pet insurance) and after I picked her up the vet there literally told me "I just have a dog who poops a lot"... I was soo upset! How could a vet even suggest that after looking at my poor baby! So I took matters into my own hands and did a google search on her sysmptoms and that's when I found out about EPI. Right away I knew that's what she had. I took her immediately to my vet and pretty much diagnosed her myself, they ran another test to be certain but sure enough I was right. Now she is on Pancrease-V Powder (available at vet clinics) and its really easy, you basically take about a teaspoon or so and sprinkle it over your dogs dinner and mix it all up. This allows your dog to absorb all the nutrients she needs to "survive" and even put her back to her normal weight. A dog with EPI doesnt have a pancrease that functions normal and needs help to digest and absorb foods, otherwise whatever she eats will just get pooped right back out and eventually living like that the dog will die of stravation. I truly hope that for anyone out there who experiences a similar situation they will see my posting. Sorry its soo long, but I just wanted to get my story out there. My dog is now a healthy 74lbs and is the love of my life (next to my fiance!) PS - If you are new to the German Shephard world I would strongly suggest Pet Insurance for situations like this, its truly a god send!
Posted on 07/29/2005 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
Our German Shepard is 2 yrs old and he has the same problem. We thought maybe the other dogs were aggressive and wouldn't let him eat. So we bought him can food and mixed it with the dry food and fed him separately, but that isn't working. He hasn't gained any weight. In fact looks thinner. Now he eats on his own the dry food when the other dogs aren't around, but still hasn't gained any weight. We also took him for all the tests. I think I'm going to try REAL food. Not sure if I can handle the BARF diet myself. Thanks all for your comments and suggestions.
Posted on 07/26/2005 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
Hi! My shepards name is Justice and she weighed in at the vets at 32 lbs. We have done parasite checks, thyroid checks, she eats high protein dog food and also a diet of boiled hamburg, lamb, rice and carrots daily. She has been checked for epi (VERY common in our age range of shepards), I recommend you get him a TLI test at the vets, not very expensive. I have spent over $2000 in testing alone and I am as frustrated as you! I have been accused of mistreating and abusing my dog though she is the princess of the house. My neighbors throw her bones and food and I am scared someone will turn me in for abuse and neglect or worse she will be stolen in a "rescue" attempt. If you find anything new out please let me know as I will do the same for you. THANKS!!! Unfortunately I am working on limited time, my vet wants to euthanize her as her body is slowly starving itself to death and she does not want her to suffer further even though she appears healthy and happy. Please let me know
Posted on 07/24/2005 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
I'm not a vet, but you might want to ask yours to check for any thyroid problems. The thyroid controls metabalism. If his thyroid levels are too high, it will cause his digestion to be faster than normal. This would result in a skinny puppy.
Just thought I would throw that out there.
Best of luck!
Posted on 07/15/2005 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
My german shepard/Akita/chow mix is having the same problem. No matter how much fatty food we give her, we can't reverse it. My aunt says that some growth spurts can cause this, and that they'll eventually grow as tall as they are long.
Posted on 05/30/2005 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
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By mommy22699 (Guest Post)
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I have the exact same problem with my poodle that you do with Bullet. She is 8mos and eats all day. She is an inside dog and has been tested for worms. Health wise she is fine, but it worries me that I can see her bones (hip area and ribs). She is super active and drinks plenty of water too.
Posted on 04/05/2005 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
Does he get enough water? Tested for diabetes? Must be something else going on. I would take him back to the vet.
Posted on 03/21/2005 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
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By Kelly-boxer owner (Guest Post)
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Try Bil Jac. It's sold in the freezer section of your store.
Posted on 03/19/2005 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
When in doubt, ask your vet.
Posted on 03/19/2005 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
Great advice Kriso. But I wouldn't recommend the barf diet to just anyone although I know it has been very successful with many dogs. Personally, I don't like to handle all the raw meat & have it on my surfaces etc. The Whole Dog Journal is a very respected dog journal written by holistic/traditional vets & I consider it my dog bible. They have recommended dog foods every year & I've learned a lot. Also www.api4animals.org will send free brochures about what's in dog food. Shocking. I have educated myself extensively over the years & only feed a good all natural dog food. Yes, it's a little more expensive but guess what. I have had almost no health issues with my dogs over the yrs. & I save on vet bills. The last dog I had put to sleep was 20. She was the oldest dog in the history of my vet. Besides, they are entitled to the best. In the past I have gone without to make sure of it.
Posted on 03/19/2005 | Report Spam or Abuse
RE: Skinny German Shepard
Joann,
Sometimes the stool check they do at the vet's office does not pick up on all parasites (some parasites are very difficult to pick up by scope like giardia, etc.). A prophylactic measure may be to have your vet prescribe a broad-spectrum dewormer. (I'm not crazy about giving any medications, but may be necessary in this case).
Also, I wonder if Bullett is getting enough protein. Bullett sounds like a high-energy dog. Most dogs need approx 80% protein in their diet. Check your dog food bag and make sure it says 80%+. If not, I would recommend supplementing with "people food", i.e. real meat, even hamburger. Have seen many skinny dogs improve on a diet of high quality protein (the protein in most commercial dog foods is low quality, ie chicken beaks, etc. -- stuff not fit for human consumption.) IMO, if they won't feed it to humans, why are they giving it to our animal companions?
Check out the "BARF" diet on the web. Good luck!
Posted on 03/19/2005 | Report Spam or Abuse
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