Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We have a long coated German Shepherd Dog who is from imported parents. Not sure if that matters but I through it in in case. She is approximately (1) year old now and still remains very thin. She is an active girl and gets plenty of exercise but she eats (6) cups of high quality feed (24% meat based protein).

She seems healthy, is up to date on her shots and the vet says she will gain wieght with time but it seems she should be bulkier. She probably weighs 60 lbs right now.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions

dc

You might add up to one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil (it's not too expensive at Sam's Club, probably also at Costco) to her diet per day. You might also add an egg yolk, or a cooked boiled egg. It's okay to serve the yolk raw, but the white, if you give it to the dog, needs to be cooked.

German Shepherds do seem to often go through an underweight stage, but you are absolutely right to have your veterinarian check the dog carefully. Keep in mind, too, that hip joints tend to form better if a dog is lean while growing.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

Thank you for the reposne, we will try those out.