Thor appears seriously underweight - Help!

[PamS]

Hi everyone, Thor is my 20 month old male. He is not neutered at this time. (Waiting till he is over 2) He is a picky eater on a good day. He has always been lean - Not like my other 2 who are very chunky (not fat). I am feeding Diamond Large breed and they get about 2100 calories a day. I rarely feed human food. Some green beans or pumpkin or sweet potato once in a while. I will also pressure cook trout once in a while for them. Trout being a salmonoid it assume it is good for them. They get dog treats occasionally. Both Meara and Rusty are a good weight (spayed and neutered). Thor is active. His coat is shiny. His stools are normal to soft but not runny. His eyes are bright and there are no signs that he is sick. He is just too thin. I say this because since he blew coat this past week, I can feel his ribs easily. He tapers markedly to the hip bone and the hips seem to protrude to me. I know it is becoming summer but he is not out in the heat unless he chooses. He has access to the deck, carport and air conditioned kitchen.

So my question is, should I be concerned. What can I feed him to help him gain weight. Or am I just over-reacting. As I said, my other 2 are solid and of good weight. They all have the same diet and environment.

I appreciate any help with this. As you know - these are my babies. Sincerely, Pam, Meara, Rusty, and Thor.

 

[YorkvilleNewfie]

Some of them are just leaner than others. What does he weigh, and how tall is he? Do you have any recent pics?

 

[2ndchance]

Steeler was like that at 3 years when I got him back but he was also not neutered. Once he got neutered he started to put on weight but that is not always a good thing either. I would suspect once you neuter him he will put on some weight. Also the diamond food is still having problems so is it that he does not like food in general or are you having problems with particular brands of foods? Some time taking a bit of broth or canned food and warming it in the microwave gives it a better aroma and they eat better. There are also some spices made for dogs to make the food more appealing

 

[PamS]

Thor

He is about 30" at the shoulders.. Hard to measure a moving puppy :lol: Last time he was weighed, he was 125 lb. (Meara is 140 and Rusty is 160.) I have an appt for his shots next Monday, so will know for sure. I have several pictures but cant seem to get them to upload. I know his sire was lean. But I keep coming back to his prominent hip bones. (I will upload the pix if someone can clue me in:icon_redface

I might think it was the food, but I have tried several brands, including Blue Buffalo and Wilderness. He skips about every 3rd meal unless I add a few veggies, a dab of wet dog food (I'm not fond of wet food), or some gravy/broth. Not familiar with spices ?

Thanks so Much

 

[charlieinnj]

I wouldn't be the least bit worried if he's around 125 lbs. They do go through an awkward, gangly phase.....Well, at least mine did.

 

[YorkvilleNewfie]

I wouldn't worry, he just sounds like a lanky teen. If he doesn't eat what you put out there, he's simply not hungry, and that's ok. He's still a juvenile too and probably will continue filling out some more as time passes.

 

[lmfoltyn]

My Jake is 18 months old and skinny too...everyone I have talked to say the same thing, he is healthy and will fill out later. So, I guess we need to listen to the ones who have had the experience. I swear, Jake has his hip bones sticking out too. He is about the same size as Thor and weights 110 now. Hopefully our boys will fill out but Jake is so darn ACTIVE...

 

[CMDRTED]

Ricky was my "skinny" landseer until he turned 3, and now he's a muscular and has more bulk. At 5 He looks good and is purportional and his weight is good. Remember as a general rule Newfs grow up for the first 2 years, and bulk the next two.

 

[PamS]

Thank You Everyone! These are my first Newfs, and I love them dearly. I have had Meara and Thor since they were 9 weeks old. Rusty is my rescue - I've had him since March. I guess I am over reacting and his is having a gangly going spurt. I will try to get the pictures uploaded today so you can see them.

 

[charlieinnj]

Thank You Everyone! These are my first Newfs, and I love them dearly. I have had Meara and Thor since they were 9 weeks old. Rusty is my rescue - I've had him since March. I guess I am over reacting and his is having a gangly going spurt. I will try to get the pictures uploaded today so you can see them.

Pictures? Did someone say, pictures? Ooohhhh.....We LOVE pictures! :allg069:

 

[NewfieMama]

Cooper was what you'd call skinny when we got him at age 2, and stayed that way till he was neutered. He did fill out though, from age 2 to 4. I think some breed lines just develop differently.

Since he was neutered at almost age 5, we have to watch his weight more closely.

If he's active and bright I would not be terribly concerned.

Pictures, please?

 

[dblsr]

Hi Pam!!
You have seen Yogi and Rose. I have a heck of a time putting weight on them. I have tried just about everything. Montana gets exactly the same food as them, she eats way less than they do, but is a perfect weight. I agree once you have him neutered he will bulk up some. Mine are all in tact.

 

[PamS]

Good Morning, I am finally finding a quiet moment to update. My grandkids are here for the summer. They all three went in to get their shots. The Vet we saw (a substitute) liked Thor's weight - he weighed in at 118 lb. I still think he is too thin. She said she likes to see her giant breeds on the less than normal weight to ease stress on joints and heart. I'm not convinced, but at least there is nothing 'wrong'. She also thought Meara (at 148 lb) and Rusty (at 169) were much too heavy. They could stand to loose some weight and we will be working on that - but I'm still not sure I want them down as far as she was recommending. So I guess we will continue - Meara and Rusty are getting 1600 calories a day and I am giving Thor about 2500 calories. We will see where this takes us.

 

[new_2_newf]

I'd tend to agree with your vet....we want our newfs very lean! Since he has virtually no undercoat at the moment,you SHOULD be able to feel his ribs easily. That is good, perfect weight for a growing newf. You should also see a decent hour glass shape around his hips if you look at him from above....when they are in full coat this gets harder to see and feel, but it's still really, really important for their health. He is a young, growing dog so he will take in more calories than your older two.

A good rule of thumb for judging the weight of most breeds is the knuckle test.

Take your hand and open it flat. Feel your knuckles on the palm side of your hand. If your dogs ribs feel like this, your dog is likely overweight.

Flip that hand over and feel the knuckles on the back of your open hand. If your dog's ribs feel like this, your dog is likely at an ideal weight.

Now take that hand and make a fist. Feel the knuckles on the outside of that hand. If your dog's ribs feel like this, they are likely underweight.

It may seem severe to you, but that is honestly how they should feel. You should be able to feel those ribs easily, without digging and pushing. That is a good, safe, healthy weight for those growing joints. On my guy, that also means I can feel his spine quite easily.

He will fill out as he matures over the next couple of years, but you are still going to want to watch his weight as his growth levels out and he starts to require fewer calories in his diet. I noticed a huge difference when I got my guy neutered as well. It was like the freshmen 15, he got a bit fat very quickly...what seemed like overnight.

 

[Leonard and his bud Snuffles]

I think Snuffles was about 110 pounds when I got him a bit over 2. At 8 he has been holding about 145 now for I think close to 2 years. He has never been food motivated and in his old home, I know he would go 24 hours without eating. I would say if all other signs are good, he is just a lean pup.

 

[YorkvilleNewfie]

There are innumerable benefits to keeping them lean. I would go with your vet's recommendation; she sounds like a good and thoughtful, forward-thinking vet. Keeping them heavy can contribute to orthopedic problems, like CCL ruptures that cost about $4000 to repair each, early onset arthritis (requiring daily medication and a decrease in the dog's quality of life), and early death. Just like humans, being too heavy is a strain on every organ, every bone and every joint in the body and significantly reduces lifespans. A fat Newfie is an unhealthy Newfie. Besides the obvious health and life expectancy benefits, a lean Newfie simply FEELS better and is more active than an overweight one.

 

[PamS]

Having been morbidly obese myself for several years, I know first hand what too much weight can do to your body. (My weight is now under control and I have my life back)

So I guess my question is how much should they eat. I think that I read somewhere that maintenance is about 2100 calories. Then for growth increase by 500 and for weight loss decrease by 500. Is this correct?

Thank you New 2 Newf. I like your explanation of how to check the ribs. Both Meara and Rusty are too heavy. And by your explanation, Thor is just right. We will be working on decreasing Meara and Rusty's weight.

Thanks again everyone. I am learning which will only benefit my babies.

 

[new_2_newf]

you are absolutely welcome! as for amount, that is sort of hard to judge. I'd say that if he is feeling good and your vet is happy, keep him where he is at for now and just keep an eye on him and keep checking those ribs. when he starts to plump out a bit, reduce his food a little and see what he feels like in a week. If he's not back to feeling 'good', reduce a little more. Same for increasing when he needs it. My guy eats more in the winter because he is more active and seems to burn a more calories, so we have to adjust.

For the other two, try coming down a 1/4 cup of food per meal each (so probably 1/2 cup per day). try that for a few weeks and then take them in for a weigh and see where they are. come down another 1/4 cup of food per meal if you need to, and top up with a low cal veg like green beans if you need to (I do this, or I have a little sock monster on my hands). couple that with some good, regular exercise and they'll be ship shape in no time.

 

[nsmarlis]

Ask the vet for his/her opinion. You should be able to feel the ribs easily & they should have a visible waist - behind the last ribs. Far too many Newfs are overweight (as I suspect your other two might be - sorry) because people are focused on weight. My Frankie is on slightly reduced rations at 129 lbs. He's 5 & a big boy but I want to catch it before it creeps up anymore. I've reduced his kibble by 1/4c. from 2 & am giving him a cup of green beans. Poor guy!!

 

[PamS]

Thanks, Everyone. From everything, Thor is my correct one and Meara and Rusty are officially on a diet. I will get them re-weighed at the first of August to see how they are progressing. I am really having to watch Meara. She is a counter cleaner and a garbage gut. And she is taking the reduced rations personally! She now inspects the others feeding area after they are done to make sure they didn't spill any.

Also I thought everyone might find this funny. The Vet has had me start them on fish oil caps from GNC. I was worried how I would get them to take them. Turns out it is not a problem. They all like them. They chew them up and beg for more! I was just amazed! I just pick up the jar, it rattles, and they are there johnny on the spot - sitting at their best for a fish oil!