Is My Dog Too Skinny?

[bobchic]

Hello Everyone

Im getting concerned for my dog Tar. He is a kelpie cross Lab with a bit of Staffy and he seems too skinny.

I feed him one meal a day which includes dry food (lucky dog or pedagree) and wet food (pedagree) The bowl is med-large side... 20cm diameter im thinking (its one i bought from crazy clarks) and around 5cm deep.

My dog plays non stop all day... He is always throwing his toys in the air (usually landing in the neighbours yard).

Im concerned I'm either not feeding him enough or he is playing too much for his own good (though i dont know how that could be possible) He is regulary wormed and flea'd

I can see 3-4 ribs flush withhis skin and he is begining to havethe look of a starved stray... please let me know what Im doing wrong!!

thanks

 

[waruikazi]

Looks alright to me. He still has good muscle tone (that i can see from here) and he isn't that bony. You could always feed him more, if he's not fat that wont hurt him. If you are really worried a vet visit is the best thing for the two of you.

 

[froglet]

From what i can see in the pic he is not to bad.
Perhaps get him onto a better quality premium food (Pedigree is full of ceral fillers that dont do much for the dog)
Some excellent brands Euk, Science Diet, Royal Canin, Advance etc etc These may may be expensive but they are well worth it.
Even try Supercoat Performance, it is desighned for very active dogs

 

[jonesc1]

...

 

[Kitah]

way to check if a dog or cat is underweight (vets do this) is gently feel over their ribs; if there is a thick layer of fat between the ribs and bone = overweight, if a little bit of fat, is the correct weight, and if there is little or no fat, the dog is underweight.

Kelpies are naturally active dog (i know you said he's a cross) so they can and will be active all day usually; they were bred to work. so naturally, he will burn a lot of food. as said above, it probably wouldnt hurt to feed a bit more, if your concerned. or get a vets opinion.

nice pup

 

[falconboy]

I agree with the above. He is thin at the back but not 'skinny'. This isn't uncommon in Kelpies and their crosses as they are so active. Put it this way, you don't often see a fat sheepdog.

My brothers kelpie is the same, we don't see him often but from one visit to the next the dog is thin, then a bit chunky, then thin etc etc. Funnily enough his dog throws his toys in the air too, but catches them in its mouth. Very funny to watch. You wonder how a dog self teaches itself to throw and catch with its mouth. Shows how intelligent they are.

I particularly agree with the diet - pal stuff, even pedigree is rubbish. Plenty of dogs live on the stuff and are fit and healthy, but its still rubbish. You don't need to go specialist diet (lets face it, its hideously expensive), but I would at least consider 'Supercoat' that you can even get from the supermarket. It even smells 10 times better.

 

[jessb]

The general rule of thumb the vet gives me (we have a greedy Labrador so weight is ALWAYS an issue!) is that you should be able to feel the first rib quite easily, and feel the next couple under a decent layer of skin. His spine should not be prominent. Looking down on the dog from above, he should have a distinct "waist" between his chest and his hindquarters. Generally the dogs you see out and about are OVERweight so a healthy, lean dog often looks skinny in comparison. Also, he is a kelpie so he will be skinny compared to a similar sized Lab or Goldie.

I agree with froglet - premium foods cost a bit more but are worth every cent. Your dog's coat will improve, his joints will be better as he ages, poos will be less smelly and firmer and he will be getting a bette nutritional mix. In terms of quantity, just follow the directions for your dog's weight from the side of the pack.

Next time you take him to the vet for his annual shots, just bring up the weight issue. I'm sure the vet will tell you that you are doing fine!

 

[DazHerps]

Some excellent brands Euk, Science Diet,

I agree Froglet, I've got a staffy that is just run run run all day and was a bit underweight, changed her from supermarket foods to science diet active and she looks heaps better. It costs me $@#^loads to buy a big bag but when I worked out how long it took to use it, it was only just dearer than the crap I used to use.

 

[falconboy]

Meant to ask, is the dog wormed regularly? This can cause an issue with being underweight even with what seems like a lot of food.

If its been a while since your last visit, just book in with the vet for a checkup.

 

[davidfbarnes]

We have a Rotti, so have to be very careful with weight due to their hips.

We feed Missy a couple of cups of dried food in the morning - Eukanuba (spelling), and rice and kangaroo mince for dinner.

Most of the "supermarket" foods aren't that great, not saying all of them, but a lot.

The Eukanuba has alot of their nutrition requirements (or so I am told) and the roo is quite lean and they tend to love it.

Hope this helps.

 

[JasonL]

By the looks of him, he has a good deal of Kelpie in the mix, and he looks good and lean aka "working weight". For dry food, try Bonnie working dog.

 

[kirstys]

i find iames (i think is spelled this way) is a very good dry food its about 80.00 a bag but good quality
i would not worry to much though its the breed they are a working dog

 

[MoreliaMatt]

For dry food, try Bonnie working dog.

We feed our dog (a boxer) Bonnie Adult mix, its great!

I'd suggest a start on working dog like jason said, this will help up the weight of the dog, then switch over to the adult mix...

Also, for active dogs such as yours, to feed twice a day, breakfast and dinner.... even if you cut down the meal sizes if you see fit, 2 meals a day will be of great benefit....

 

[millad]

Looks healthy and beautiful

 

[Paliadon]

Dogs like him often look as though they are underfed; however, this is quite normal. The more active the dog, the more calories they burn. Don't feed him anymore than you do now. He look great. It might be a different situation if he has a dull coat and a dry nose. But he look s fine to me. Try de-worming him, as this is the most common reason for weight loss if you are still concerned.

 

[Earthling]

Looks in good nick to me. Nothing wrong with a little bit if rib showing. Its when they all protrude quite a ways then you have a problem.
As others have said Bonnie dog food is very good. Mine didnt like it after a while so Im now on Coles Natural Dog biscuits. Nutrition doesnt look to bad and cheap too.

 

[shlanger]

As well as keeping herp and rodents to feed em, I have several dogs. Biggest is 'Seb' 65 Kg, Daddy was a Rottwieler, mummy was an English mastiff. Now Seb does a good job of looking after the place, including the reptile house when I'm not at home. Thus crossed I believe I have created a new sub species of dog!
To wit- [Canis familiaris bitechafaceoff!] Old fashioned though it might seem, I feed all my dogs on good old common garden variety "MEAT AND BONE' straight from the butcher. Funny thing, being carnivores they seem to do well on it! Once or twice a week they get a good quality dry food. Now Seb, being 65Kg never got that size by being fed chocolate and fairy floss!

 

[mrmikk]

He looks like he is in great condition to me.

 

[venus]

Nice looking dog.

Most Kelpies tend to be scrawny looking, and crossed with a Staffy, you get a dog that would play all day. :lol:

If you are worming 3 monthly with a good wormer (Drontal or similar) not the supermarket brands, you should be fine for worms.

You could also try giving 2 meals a day (just divide the normal sizedmeal in half).

I agree with changing the food, Bonnie working dog is good, but when you change foods over, make it gradual, (mix a bit of the new stuff with the old over a week or so, gradually increasing etc)so your dog doesnt get stomach problems from it.

A nice raw meaty bone once or twice a week (butchers are good for cheap bones) is also good for keeping their teeth nice and healthy, and they have to stop playing long enough to eat it.
Marrow bones are good too once a week.

 

[jessb]

As well as keeping herp and rodents to feed em, I have several dogs. Biggest is 'Seb' 65 Kg, Daddy was a Rottwieler, mummy was an English mastiff. Now Seb does a good job of looking after the place, including the reptile house when I'm not at home. Thus crossed I believe I have created a new sub species of dog!
To wit- [Canis familiaris bitechafaceoff!] Old fashioned though it might seem, I feed all my dogs on good old common garden variety "MEAT AND BONE' straight from the butcher. Funny thing, being carnivores they seem to do well on it! Once or twice a week they get a good quality dry food. Now Seb, being 65Kg never got that size by being fed chocolate and fairy floss!

Meat and bones are a great addition to a dog's diet, however dogs are omnivorous and require a certain amount of vegetable/cereal matter. In the wild, whether they just eat grass and leaves or consume vegetable matter in the stomachs of their prey, dogs consume a certain amount of vegetables.

It would be the same as feeding herps exclusively on pieces of meat rather than whole prey - it does not accurately replicate their natural diet - whereas the premium dog foods are nutritionally balanced to imitate the natural consumption of whole prey.

Your dogs won't suffer eating just meat and bones, however they may be missing some essential nutrients.