My 7-week German Shepherd puppy is thin, ears down. Purebred?

Congratulations on your new puppy! He definitely needs to start his vaccinations as soon as possible, so I would recommend bringing him to the vet for his first visit as soon as you can. Your veterinarian can advise you on what vaccines are recommended in your area, and will also give him a general check up to make sure he seems healthy. The pup may also need to be dewormed, if this hasn't been done recently. In German Shepherds, it's common for the ears to go up and down quite a bit until six months of age or so - so I wouldn't worry too much just yet, if he has one ear up and one down. It's likely that this will straighten out over the next several weeks.

From the little I see, Teddy does look purebred. His ears may come up later, or not at all. Keep in mind, though, that there is such a thing as a prepotent stud, which means that the father passes just about all of his traits to his puppies. If that's the case here, the father may be a purebred German Shepherd Dog, and the mom a GSD mix or something else. It would help to have profile photos of Teddy standing.

Hi there. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I think that based on the photos Bruno looks very characteristic of a 5 month old GSD. I am not really sure what you are worried about. I would not be overly concerned about anything related to his looks until he is full grown (about 18 months of age). You absolutely don't want a large breed puppy to grow too fast as that can cause joint abnormalities so be careful of this. He should be eating a large breed puppy food so I hope the Royal Canin you are feeding is this type of diet and not just a general puppy food. If you have specific concerns I suggest you take him to your vet for an exam. Again, I think he looks just fine from the photos. Best wishes.

German Shepherds are lanky dogs, especially when they are puppies. Make sure you are feeding him enough and that he is dewormed regularly. If Boe is still abnormaly thin as an adult, then I would worry about something else going on. I would recommend to feed the Royal Canin German Shepherd Puppy Formula. This is a nice diet with the right calories for a growing puppy. Please post again if you have any further questions!

Dogs can vary quite a bit in size, even if they are the same breed - so it's more important to look at your dog's body condition to determine if he is under (or over) his ideal weight rather than comparing to averages for the breed. Ideally, you should be able to feel his ribs easily with your hands when you run them down his sides, and he should have a visible "waistline" or abdominal tuck just behind the ribcage. The ribs and hipbones should not be visibly jutting out of his fur, as this would be a sign that he is too thin. If his body condition is normal, I would not recommend increasing his food or trying to make him gain weight, as it's not good for growing dogs to be overweight at this age - it's very hard on their joints and can predispose them to orthopedic problems such as hip dysplasia later in life. If you're unsure if he is the correct weight for his size, you're welcome to request a consultation with one of us and share some photos of him - we would be glad to try and help :)

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If Shera is only 4kg at this age, I would suspect something is preventing him from gaining weight. I would recommend having him examined by a veterinarian and have him checked for intestinal parasites and treated for parasites. He may have a congenital disease such as a liver shunt or some other systemic disease going on that needs to be treated. The sooner he is seen the better. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

As a breed, German Shepherd‘s tend to be thin dogs and some lines are more thin than others. Continue feeding him a high-quality, high protein diet. I recommend the brand Royal Canin. Be careful with exercise and make sure to follow your veterinarian’s recommendations. Lastly, Colt is not done growing yet. The first year of life is devoted to upward growth and the second year of life is when pets fill out so he is still developing. I hope this helps. You may speak with your veterinarian about sending off a blood sample for analysis to find out if the platelet count is truly abnormal or if any blood parasites or seen. Best of luck.