My GSD isn't that great of an eater. My breeder had recommended BilJac, which he seems to like but... He's 6 months old and only weighs 38lbs. The vet says he's way too skinny. I do not free feed, and give him as much as he will eat once a day. This is my first GSD, so any recommendations on food would be much appreciated.

I'll see if I can post some pics of him...

At that age (and probably forever with deep-chested breeds like SDs), I believe that two meals a day are better than one.

Puppies' (who need growing fuel as well as living fuel) stomachs are often not big enough to hold what they need for a full day; in addition, deeper-chested breeds are often more prone to bloat, and I believe the general consensus is that two meals instead of one is better for avoiding bloat.

I've got some photos on Yahoo...here is the URL. I tried to take a picture of him so you could see him from the front and the "top down". Of course, trying to get him to hold still and not look at me is pretty hard at this point.

She said that she could feel his ribs too easily and almost see his hip bones. Now, I know I am supposed to keep him trim for hip displaysia reasons, but I don't want him to look like a starvation victim (which she said he did). Maybe she's just ignorant to GSD's and I need another vet?

Remi

Why is your breeder recommending a corn based feed? A corn based feed moves through the digestive system quickly, leaving less time for the dog to absorb nutrients.

I know many on this board feed raw and when done correctly there is no doubt in my mind that it should be your first choice.

However, if it isn't possible for you to feed raw, look for a feed that does not contain corn or corn gluten, and has meat and/or meat meal (not "meat and bone meal") in the first 3 ingredients. Foods that add sugar/molasses/corn syrup are to be avoided as well as foods that contain added salt or "animal digest - a smelly substance that is sprayed on the kibble after baking to make it smell meaty.

I recommend Diamond Lamb & Rice Large Breed Puppy Formula - I feed it to Abby (not a GSD). I feed Diamond Lamb & Rice Maintenance to the foster dogs. Kelly (Doberman x) is on Arkat Enhanced - which does contain corn - so it doesn't get high recommendations from me - but she won't touch the Diamond.

I believe most people on this board, including myself recommend feeding twice a day.

You can encourage your puppy to eat by adding fresh/raw food to the kibble. I'm sure there is a lot of information on raw food and nutrition the board already.

I hope this helps!

Perhaps I'll try that...once in the morning and once at night. He comes to work with me everyday, so I would have to feed him and then within the hour get in the car to drive for an hour and a half. That's why I was only feeding once a day -- he got carsick on me once after eating. Of course, he was 4 months old and it was his first major car ride. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I'd love to know if other people think he's too skinny...

I'm not sure why he recommends that -- I had never heard of BilJac before. Of course, being my first GSD a lot of this stuff is new to me. I only found this website by posting on the local craigslist for trainers. Of course, after reading this website I will not be taking my dog to any sort of training class.

Maybe he could eat after you get there......? I think you'll find that pretty near everyone is going to recommend two feedings a day for any puppy, and forever for deep-chested breeds.

I'd ask the vet why that food recommendation, too. Go over the ingredients with him. Maybe he just heard what the salesperson told him or saw the beautiful brochure and never had a chance to look more closely. (Let's assume for the moment that it's not related to the profit/commisssion.)

And, as Anne says, there are much better ones out there if you do decide to feed commercial food. Also, her suggestion about supplementing commercial foods with real food is, IMHO, an excellent one. This subject is covered VERY well on this board! If you want some URLs, I'll be happy to find 'em.

Hi there,

In my humble opinion, your pup looks fine, he's not too skinny. He's a nice looking pup. Of course its not easy to tell from a photo, especially when its a dark coloured pup...hands-on will tell you more.

One rule of thumb told to me years ago by a greyhound breeder was to feel the bumps of the vertebrae. You should be able to feel 3, easily. If you an feel more, he is too thin, if less, he's too fat. Of course, its easy with a greyhound - you just have to look at the dog, not try to assess through fur! Also, there ought to be a 'dip' between the last rib and the hind limb muscles, ie a 'waist'. The degree of this 'dip' is the key...and one really you can't explain very well on a computer...it needs to be just enough but not too much ( yeah, I know, really useful stuff there <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

My thoughts are it is more likely to mess up a pup by letting him get too fat and grow too quickly, than it is to cause any harm by keeping them on the thin side.

Best of luck,

First, let me tell you - what a cutie!!! I don't think he looks underweight in those pics. I would also question the food choice as BilJac is not the best food at all...also second the feeding twice a day, especially at this age.

I struggled for years with my GSD not giving a hoot about food - what worked for us is feeding Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's soul & mixing fresh ingredients in...along with supplementing with B-Natural's Immune Blend (1/2 tsp per 4 cups of food) & Green Blend (1/4 tsp per 4 cups of food). My dog's appetite has increased and she looks GREAT!! I've recommended these supplements to a friend of mine who's dog had serious stomach/digestive issues and they are now gone. Can't speak highly enough of them...oops and I got off topic lol!

Good luck finding what is right for your pup!