While less common than being overweight, excessive thinness in a German Shepherd can carry even more serious risks. If your German Shepherd is underweight for his age, it may be hiding a serious medical reason. If your dog is vomiting frequently and is not producing compound stools, make an appointment with your vet to rule out any major medical problems. Then check the type and amount of food you feed your dog to make sure his nutritional needs are met. If you are still underweight despite having adequate nutrition, try changing the type of food, adding some snacks to your diet and / or increasing the amount of food.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Changing the Dog's Diet
Step 1. Look for foods with a higher fat content
If your German Shepherd eats normally but is not gaining weight, you should perhaps adopt a new diet. Look for foods that balance the amount of fat and protein. In adult and senior dogs, protein should account for around 20-25 percent of daily calories, while fat should account for 25-50 percent and carbohydrates the rest. Puppies should be fed food specifically formulated for them for at least the first six months to one year of life.
- Puppies that have difficulty gaining weight may need the addition of dietary supplements or may be suffering from worms. Talk to your vet to determine the best fit for your dog and have your puppy wormed regularly.
- Change food gradually. Start by supplementing foods with a higher fat content to your dog's regular food. Increase the amount of the new food a little at a time each day until the transition is complete.
Step 2. Switch to puppy food
If your adult or senior German Shepherd is still underweight despite eating a balanced dog diet, he may benefit from a puppy diet. In fact, puppy food is higher in calories to boost growth, so try mixing half of your dog's regular food with half of puppy food to promote weight gain.
- Talk to your vet first to make sure switching to a high protein puppy food won't be harmful to your dog.
- If your dog is a puppy, he should only eat puppy food. You may need to increase the amount and / or frequency of his meals to help him gain weight.
- Supplementing adult dog food with puppy food helps your dog gain weight in a controlled manner. Feeding him exclusively with puppy food, on the other hand, could cause excessive and too sudden weight gain.
Step 3. Use dry food
Dry food is in fact more dense and caloric than wet food because it has been dried. A mouthful of dry food contains 4 times the number of calories of the same amount of wet food. Dry food can help your dog gain weight without having to eat more than usual. Look for a dry food that gives your dog the protein and fat he needs.
If your dog is used to eating wet food, you can try alternating wet food with dry food to stimulate weight gain. You can also mix some wet food with dry food to encourage him to eat the kibble
Method 2 of 3: Encourage the Dog to Eat More
Step 1. Add an extra meal to her routine
Break up your dog's food so you can add another meal. If you normally eat once in the morning and once in the evening, add one last meal just before bed. This will ensure that the food is better distributed throughout the day so that the dog does not get too full and ends up ignoring the bowl that is still half full.
Start by feeding him the same amount in multiple meals. If that doesn't help him gain weight, you can try giving him more food, adding a quarter to half cup of extra food per meal
Step 2. Let the dog eat on demand
If he does not eat enough during meals, it may be helpful to always have food available. This type of diet allows your dog to nibble something when he is hungry or bored, so that he eats more overall.
- This approach should only be used with dry food as wet food can spoil if left in the air for more than a couple of hours.
- Be aware that feeding on demand may not be suitable for your dog. For some dogs, the excitement of receiving food at certain times during the day causes them to eat more than if they had food available all the time.
Step 3. Supplement regular dog food with snacks
Snacks shouldn't be the main source of calories. At the same time, giving him a few extra snacks later in the day could help your German Shepherd put on some weight. Look for snacks that are high in fat and protein and have them make up about 10 percent of the calories you ingest daily.
Step 4. Make homemade snacks
Some dogs prefer snacks straight from the fridge rather than from a box. In addition to regular food, give your German Shepherd small amounts of cooked chicken mixed with rice, a spoonful of peanut butter, a scrambled egg, or a sliced apple every day.
Step 5. Add a treat to his food
If your German Shepherd doesn't seem interested in food, try to entice him by adding a treat to what he eats. A splash of rice, a couple of spoonfuls of pumpkin, some wet food, or a large spoonful of peanut butter mixed with dry food might whet his appetite.
You can also add 1 tablespoon of high quality coconut oil to her food. Coconut oil is high in calories and dogs digest it easily
Method 3 of 3: Finding the Cause of Weight Problems
Step 1. Choose the food for your dog based on his age
Puppies, adult dogs and senior dogs all have different energy needs. Make sure you feed your dog food appropriate to his needs so that he can maintain a good weight. Most prepackaged dog food indicates the reference age directly on the package.
Step 2. Check the amount of food you feed the dog
In addition to making sure you eat the right kind of food, you also need to make sure you eat enough. The exact amount your German Shepherd needs depends on his age and size, as well as the type of food consumed. Read the dog food label you are using for serving size suggestions so you can determine how much food your dog needs.
- An older dog or an inactive adult will generally need 1,272 to 1,440 calories per day, while an active adult will need 1,740 to 2,100 calories per day.
- Puppies have different energy needs depending on their size. Talk to your vet to determine the right number of calories for your puppy.
Step 3. Schedule a checkup with your vet
If your German Shepherd is underweight, you should make an appointment with your vet as soon as possible. Tell him that you are concerned about his weight. It can help you determine if you are truly underweight. If so, you can order tests to see if a disease or medical problem is the cause.
- The dog can be considered underweight if it has a prominent curvature from the chest to the hind legs or if the ribs are visible under the skin. In fact, in a healthy dog, you should be able to feel the ribs to the touch, but you shouldn't be able to see them.
- If your dog is underweight due to a medical problem, carefully follow your vet's instructions regarding nutrition, exercise, medication and care. Different problems require different remedies.
