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    ilovegermanshepards20's Avatar
    ilovegermanshepards20 Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
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    #1

    Apr 28, 2010, 09:02 AM
    German Shepherd won't gain weight

    I have a similar problem. But my sheperd is 2 years old and I have taken her to the vet and she doesn't have worms. She eats like a horse but doesn't gain any weight. I feed her Iams and canned food. I'm at my wits end trying to get her to gain weight.. any help?
    JudyKayTee's Avatar
    JudyKayTee Posts: 46,503, Reputation: 4600
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    #2

    Apr 28, 2010, 09:29 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by ilovegermanshepards20 View Post
    I have a similar problem. But my sheperd is 2 years old and I have taken her to the vet and she doesn't have worms. She eats like a horse but doesn't gain any weight. I feed her Iams and canned food. I'm at my wits end trying to get her to gain weight..any help?

    This should be the start of a new thread -

    Does your Vet think your dog is too thin? What does the Vet recommend?

    My last GSD was tall but thin his whole life. Not overly thin, not skinny - but thin.

    My present GSD weighs 140 pounds.

    They differ, just like people.

    Again - is his weight dangerous to his health?
    mydogquestion's Avatar
    mydogquestion Posts: 232, Reputation: 21
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    #3

    Apr 28, 2010, 10:35 AM

    A lot of German Shepherds stay on the skinny side until they hit about two years old. Then they thicken up. My male was only about 75lbs at two he now is about 95 . He bulked up after turning two.
    Aurora_Bell's Avatar
    Aurora_Bell Posts: 4,193, Reputation: 822
    Dogs Expert
    		  
    #4

    Apr 28, 2010, 10:56 AM

    What does your vet say about your dogs weight?

    The thing with commercial dog foods is they are filled with a lot of fillers. Some ingredients, such as peanut hulls, are used strictly for "filler" and have no nutritional value at all.

    Here is a link to help you in choosing a healthy dog food.

    How to Choose Healthy Dog Food - wikiHow

    I am not trying to say what you should or shouldn't feed your dog, and Iams and Eukanuba are on the higher end of commercial brands, however; you dog won't gain weight in a healthy way with these brands.

    I'd be interested in knowing what your vet is saying on your dogs weight. There are some great recipes for adding a bit of weight, but they need to be done carefully to not create more health issues. One thing you can try is buying liver from your grocery store, and cooking it and cutting it up in chunks and using that as a high protein treat.
    Sariss's Avatar
    Sariss Posts: 1,471, Reputation: 244
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    #5

    Apr 28, 2010, 07:26 PM

    Has more than one fecal sample been run? Some worms aren't shed as much in feces and can be hard to catch. Often it can take more than one sample to diagnose these parasites.

    How is the dogs coat? Has the thyroid been checked? Often dogs have low thyroid (so they gain weight) but in rare instances they can have an overactive thyroid, causing them to have a super high metabolism, and usually, a rough hair coat.
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