Why are my large, growing dogs thin and always hungry for more food?

There is not a photograph attached to this post. If she is too thin, I recommend to increase her food intake. Also make sure she is current on her deworming medication. Puppies at her age are lanky, they are like teenagers so being thin is normal. They don’t generally begin to fill out until closer to one year of age. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Most puppies should be proper weight if they are getting fed puppy food, and in his case large breed puppy food. If you are concerned about his weight, then I would recommend getting him checked to ensure he isn't losing nutrition due to intestinal parasites, which is the #`1 cause for weight loss in puppies. Otherwise, he may just be naturally lean. I can see his ribs there but he is laying down, if he stands and his ribs are still readily pronounced, then he may be a tad bit underweight. Also if he has any loose stool, this can indicate other internal organ issues that should be checked by your vet. If he has an underlying issue that is not treated, then no matter what you feed him, he will continue to be undersized. I hope that things work out well for your pet Thunder and that his weight normalizes soon! Best wishes and take care.

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.

Yes, there are diets better suited for Storm. Any dog who is expected to be over 55lbs as an adult should eat a large breed puppy formula. These foods are designed to control the growth of large breed puppies and help to avoid growth abnormalities like dysplasia. Also, most vets do not recommend a grain free diet unless a pet has known grain allergies. While it is not understood, there appears to be a link between grain free diets and some pets developing heart disease. Make sure storm is current on his deworming. Worms and other intestinal parasites will steal nutrients and make pets thin. A few other things to consider, Shepherds and Shepherd crosses are often naturally thin dogs. Some of his body structure may be normal for him. At his age, being lanky is also normal. Storm is essentially a teenager right now and he will not start filling out until 1 year of age. Don't be in a hurry to put weight on him. As long as he is eating a good food and eating enough food, he will fill out. Without a photo, it's impossible for me to know if Storm is too thin. I recommend to discuss this with his veterinarian and also remember to check his body condition score. Check the bottom of this link: https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-do-i-determine-if-my-dog-is-overweight/ The diets I recommend most are Royal Canin and Purina ProPlan. Both of these diets contain high quality, easy to digest protein and they have good quality controls. Storm should transition to a large breed puppy formula and eat this duet until he is 1 year old. The amount of food to feed is based upon the calories and he may need more than 4 cups but the package will tell you how much to feed based upon age and body weight. When he is 1 year old, he should eat a large breed adult formula. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Puppies do go through some growth phases and can go through lanky periods. This is not unusual or anything to be concerned with. Being thin while they are developing is beneficial. It is however important to increase the amount of food you are feeding as Kasper gets bigger. If he is looking thin, it's likely time to increase the amount of food you are feeding. I hope this helps.

You should feed your puppy a complete puppy food. Royal Canin puppy food for large breeds would be the proper food. You may need to have your puppy dewormed. You may also need to feed more. If your puppy does not eat its food it may not like it, so you can slowly transition to puppy food from another brand. I recommend you take your puppy to a pet doctor for an exam and deworming and vaccinations.

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!