Why does my dog look skinny when eating & tense up when touched?

I would actually recommend starting with a vet visit to confirm your concerns. Because so many dogs are overweight, sometimes ideal weight dogs look overweight to the general public. The vet can assess weight and hydration status to let you know if anything is wrong. If Barry is otherwise a healthy, normal dog, he's likely eating and drinking just the right amount for his body.

If her ribs are really sticking out and there is no fat or muscle, then see your vet. There could be a medical cause for her condition. If your vet clears her, increase the amount of food offered until she is at an appropriate weight. Ask your vet how to perform a Body Condition Score (BCS) on your dog using the 9 point scale. Ideally, she should have a waist when looked at from above. Her ribs should be seen and easily felt under a layer of fat/muscle. From the side, her chest should tuck up into her abdomen.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Being lean is not always a concern. A good body condition is based on muscle mass and palpation of the body, not a number on a scale. You should be able to feel her ribs while standing without pushing hard and she should have an hour glass waist from the sides and top of her body. She should also have good muscle definition in her chest and limbs. Make sure you are feeding what the bag of food says for her daily amount based on her weight. Make sure your vet tests for intestinal parasites so they are not consuming her calories. I hope this helps! Kisses to Soska!

It may not be that your dog is too skinny, you should be able to feel the ribs when you touch a dog's stomach. If you can't, that means they have too much fat in that area. I'd take him into a vet to be checked out to be sure he's a good weight. Best of luck.

He actually doesn't appear to be underweight based on the pictures shown. I'd have to examine him to be sure, but the biggest indication that he is not underweight is the fact that he appears to have well-developed muscles. Dogs of this breed tend to be naturally lean and put more weight on their muscles rather than their ribs, or belly. If I was concerned that he was underweight, then I would first want to rule-out a disease, or parasite causing him to lose or not gain weight. It's best to have a veterinarian evaluate him, so you can ensure he's healthy and ensure that you are not going to feed him unnecessarily. Dog obesity is a big problem in the U.S., which means that the average person thinks a fat dog is at ideal weight; and a dog with an ideal body condition, or a lean body condition is thought to be starving. The truth is that the lean dogs are statistically healthier and live longer than overweight dogs. Some dogs (much like people) are able to naturally maintain a lean body condition. Leo is one of those dogs, but would urge you to have a veterinarian examine him to make that call. Below is a link to a body condition scoring guide. This is what veterinarians use when assessing whether a dog is overweight or underweight. We prefer them to be at a BCS of 4 or 5, but some are naturally at a 3. https://www.wsava.org/sites/default/files/Body%20condition%20score%20chart%20dogs.pdf At this time, I recommend feeding him normally and would not recommend a diet change until he can be evaluated by a veterinarian. I hope that helps and all is well with Leo.

I recommend googling Purina body condition scoring chart and determining if the the degree to which you can see and feel her ribs is consistent with the lower body condition scores. If so, increasing her daily food ration slightly and re-assessing her body condition score in 2-4 weeks is advised. Good luck!

Hello, and thanks for your question! From the photos, I do not think Ivan looks underweight. It is difficult for me to say for sure though without putting my hands on him. What you can do is run your hands along his rib cage. If you can feel his ribs with a bit of fat around them, then he is in good shape. This should feel similar to running your fingers along the back of your hand. If you cannot feel that bit of fat around his ribs, or if his ribs are clearly visible from a distance, then he may be underweight. I hope this helps, and that Ivan is otherwise happy and healthy!