first let me say I have many dogs here one has just come here through rescue and We are having a few issues with weight.

she is about 10 months old a white shepherd . she came 2 weeks ago she was lacking in weight we wormed her she looked to have roundworm . a picky eater at first only certain foods. now she is on a high fat high protein diet feeding twice a day with adding fresh whole fish and plenty of water it has been a week since her worming and she is not gaining weight at all she is energetic and happy other wise any thoughts to this?

 Quote: Rhaean Bury

first let me say I have many dogs here one has just come here through rescue and We are having a few issues with weight.

she is about 10 months old a white shepherd . she came 2 weeks ago she was lacking in weight we wormed her she looked to have roundworm . a picky eater at first only certain foods. now she is on a high fat high protein diet feeding twice a day with adding fresh whole fish and plenty of water it has been a week since her worming and she is not gaining weight at all she is energetic and happy other wise any thoughts to this?

1. What exactly is she being fed?

2. Is she maintaining weight, or losing?

3. Have you re-tested?

P.S. Welcome!

Hi and Welcome.
My first question would be, what kind of high protein and high fat diet are you giving? and two, what are her stool like?

stool seems fine firm and healthy looking a change from when she first came here.
I have her on my sled dog food eagle pack performance 30-20 with a bit of fish every day . I have her on 2 cups of soaked warm food in the morning for easy digesting then I give her the same food dry at night about 2 cups. for her weight scale she should have 2-2 1/4 cups a day she seems to maintaining what little weight she has, but is not gaining. her coat is healthy now gaining shine and her general health seems good.she has been training with us on the field with the pups, running a soild 2 miles only a day and then resting in the house. so not too much activity. urine output seems good she is drinking well and not over drinking.

have had other hard keeping dogs and could put weight on them easy with in a week add or take off 1-3 pounds
but Maybe GSD will take a little longer to add lbs???? never had this breed before, do not know about the genetics

Is it the Power Formula?

"Power Formula
For Very Active Adults
30% Protein / 20% Fat"

If so, these ingredients:
Chicken Meal, Ground Yellow Corn, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Pork Meal, Dried Beet Pulp, Ground Brown Rice, Anchovy & Sardine Meals, Brewers Dried Yeast, Corn Gluten Meal, etc.

are really not the greatest.

I would say two things, I think. One is that the directions on a package of kibble are really just a rough guideline. The important thing is whether or not the dog maintains the appropriate weight on the amount you feed. (Also, the weight guidelines for the *desired* weight are the ones you want, generally.)

Two is that I'd look for a food with no corn, wheat, or soy, lower in grain protein and higher in *meat* protein. I'd take a look at this list:
http://www.leerburg.com/all-natural%20kibble.htm
and start there, if I was not ready for a fresh raw diet. (Eagle's Holistic line is on the list.)

Yes it is the power formula

I am going to post in the next bit about advice on switching the whole kennel to raw. I want to eliminate the bio crap out of their diets
right now I am educating myself on the right diet for them I want to make sure they are getting everything they need for working performance. The kennel my lines come from feeds a raw diet from pup and has a team of seniors well into their teens still running and healthy .

I want to make sure I have a diet that will allow the dogs to maintain the health and weight while working them.

I am researching here about raw diets and nutrients as I am very new to this area I want to make sure My dogs have the best switch over possible.

I will try a raw diet for this dog and see if she responds better I was reading up on the gentic issues with the white GSD and would most likly not have bought one from what I am reading about medical concerns. but she is here now and came as a rescue snd she is too smart and loving to let go.

thanks I will look into the holistic diets as well as raw

 Quote:

I am researching here about raw diets and nutrients as I am very new to this area I want to make sure My dogs have the best switch over possible.

Great idea. You will get some great advice here. I would also suggest you talk to your breeder about how they feed raw. Another great resource for you seeing that you are in Alberta would be two yahoo groups. One is RawDogCanada and the other is CalgaryRawFeeders. This second group has even started a bying co-op that maybe helpfull for you if you are doing a whole kennel. The first goup I mentioned is much more active. You can use the search function to look up topics of interest, and lurk for a while, then ask questions.

Guess you will have to invest in some freezers

Also I used to feed Eagle Pack and now feed raw. I would never go back. I had a skinny pup. On Raw and on when i was on Kibble, I feed way over the recommended amount (double at one point). Especially when he was still growing. As long as there is nothing medically wrong with the pup, feel free to feed over the recommended amounts.

Cheers,

Ditto from me: Great idea!

If you read these Q&A, you'll have a nice basic knowledge of raw feeding:
http://leerburg.com/feedingarawdiet.htm

And there are several inexpensive and comprehensive books there, too, such as
http://www.leerburg.com/935.htm

My rescue APB who is also deaf always seemed on the verge of scrawnyness and no matter what or how much I fed her she never put on weight until I increased her exercise with a springpull. Now she is filled out nicely (with muscle!) I don't know if it will help in your situation. . ..

The vet checked her out on it twice and each time he didn't know why.

I am also trying convince my husband that the added cost of feeding 35 dogs raw will out weigh the cost of vet bills

still working on it.:-)