4 month old puppy too skinny

[rin]

Hi guys,

I'm from Germany and got a 4-month-old European doberman puppy. He's currently at 13.5 kg (30 lbs) and I think he's a bit too skinny - he should be at ~18 kg (40 lbs).
(Weight chart: Gewicht von Rin, Dobermann, Männlich)

I'm feeding him 3x per day Orijen puppy large breed food (390g / day) - that's already more that recommended.

Do you have some tips for me, how he'll gain some more weight?
What was the weight of your european doberman puppy at 4 months?

Thanks guys!

 

[LifeofRubie]

Without pictures, it's tough to tell, really.

As far as "more than recommended," going by bag instructions isn't always super accurate so feed more if he'll eat it and you think he's a bit skinny. Keeping Doberman puppies and adult a healthy weight certainly keeps extra stress of their bones and joints.

How are his stools on that food with the amount you're giving him?

 

[rin]

Without pictures, it's tough to tell, really.

As far as "more than recommended," going by bag instructions isn't always super accurate so feed more if he'll eat it and you think he's a bit skinny. Keeping Doberman puppies and adult a healthy weight certainly keeps extra stress of their bones and joints.

How are his stools on that food with the amount you're giving him?

The stools are really, really big and since ~1 week also pretty fluid.

 

[LifeofRubie]

The stools are really, really big and since ~1 week also pretty fluid.

Ah, perhaps not the food that agrees with him the best, then? I think I've read that Orijen can be pretty rich but have never personally fed it myself.

We did an all life stages food when my Dobe was a puppy. We've switch it up a few times to find something she likes that produces good stools so there is sometimes a bit of a trial and error aspect there.

 

[PhilT]

I've just had a look at Kings weight history since he is a pure European, for the first 3 months we had him we used to have him checked every month at the vet's for development, we got him at 12weeks old the earliest breeders in the UK are allowed to release doberman puppies and he was 19kg and his weight increased by about 2kg a month, at 6months he was 29kg and around the year mark 35kg, upto 15-16 months he always looked skinny almost like all his growth was height like trying to grow into his paws, he was at the time having Purina adult large dog food, his stools were a constant fight seemed to have a delicate stomach so we changed his food to forthingdales natural food for adult dogs and that for a long time suited him fine and at 2yrs old he was 42kg he is quite a big boy and not all dogs grow at the same rate they can have weight spurts, King is our third doberman and they all grew at different weight gains over their younger years and off course all had different diet, so as @LifeofRubie said you have to find what suits them best, but don't worry to much as long as you have some increase monthly and it may take a little time to find what suits best, wishing you good luck.

 

[Ddski5]

4months at 30lbs is not drastic but would raise some questions with me.

I have done a lot of self research in dry dog food and never really liked Orijen. The popular opinion is that any 4star and above dog food on the dog food advisor site is more than adequate.

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I would stop feeding Orijen and get a good All Life Stages kibble.

Not trying to be a smartass but a Doberman is not a large breed it is considered medium breed.

 

[PhilT]

@Ddski5 would never think off you as a smartarse in the UK they get classified medium/large something to do with measurement for anything you purchase for them.

 

[Abhi]

hi!this is not a reply to your problem but one problem of my own
I don't know where to ask so I am just writing here
my doberman hunter is 5 month old and around 38 pounds
he looks okay inside the house but as he goes outside he just looks too weak!what do you all think

 

[Oh Little Oji]

Hey there!

I can relate! Your boy there and my male Dobe seem to share a similar build. I don't have the information in front of me, but my guy was probably a similar weight at that age. He was quite unimpressive looking. He also shared the snipey looking snout. Perhaps yours will outgrow that. Mine did not, and he's 7 years old.

Your Dobe has a low set-on tail. So does mine. That contributes to the hip bones being visible like that, and mine also had vertebrae protruding on the topline because he has an arch to the back.

My Dobe has a very narrow chest and is narrowly built throughout. I imagine yours is not as narrow as mine.

So, I would say:

Your Dobe does not look undernourished to me. This breed can look skinny and unimpressive until they start to fill out. In males, this can take time. Perhaps at about 2 years and older he will fill out more.

My guy, although a nice 28" tall, weighs only some 70 lbs., and he is more than fully mature. That is quite unusually light for a male Dobe of his height. I am almost certain your boy will be heavier than mine once he gets more mature.

 

[Abhi]

Hey there!

I can relate! Your boy there and my male Dobe seem to share a similar build. I don't have the information in front of me, but my guy was probably a similar weight at that age. He was quite unimpressive looking. He also shared the snipey looking snout. Perhaps yours will outgrow that. Mine did not, and he's 7 years old.

Your Dobe has a low set-on tail. So does mine. That contributes to the hip bones being visible like that, and mine also had vertebrae protruding on the topline because he has an arch to the back.

My Dobe has a very narrow chest and is narrowly built throughout. I imagine yours is not as narrow as mine.

So, I would say:

Your Dobe does not look undernourished to me. This breed can look skinny and unimpressive until they start to fill out. In males, this can take time. Perhaps at about 2 years and older he will fill out more.

My guy, although a nice 28" tall, weighs only some 70 lbs., and he is more than fully mature. That is quite unusually light for a male Dobe of his height. I am almost certain your boy will be heavier than mine once he gets more mature.

good to know I am not alone and not overthinking I guess!I don't have as much issue with snout as I have with his physique
also can you share your dobie's pics?

 

[Ddski5]

hi!this is not a reply to your problem but one problem of my own
I don't know where to ask so I am just writing here
my doberman hunter is 5 month old and around 38 pounds
he looks okay inside the house but as he goes outside he just looks too weak!what do you all think

What are you feeding him?

 

[Abhi]

What are you feeding him?

till 3 month of age he was on purina n&d but he was tooo much skinny till he ate that so the vet suggested(as most of the dogs even the champions and reputable breeder feed their dogs in India)homemade diet mix of veg and nonage with his main source of protein coming from eggs and chicken as other meat are not easily available here and he is digesting them just fine as he doesn't get any diarrhoea and I think he feels quite filling after his meals
he poops somewhat like 4 times a day max

 

[Abhi]

and I am gonna post pictures of sire and dam just in case
the one standing is the sire and the other one is dam

 

[Ddski5]

I ask about his food because I have seen a few posts from India with concern of Dobermans being under weight. The dam/sire are impressive!
Yes
Actually, looking back, I believe my black male was 35lbs at 4months and yes, they fill out more when they mature.

I think your picture of him standing with his front paws up on the fence, his body looks quite good. I see no vertebrae or rib bones protruding and he has a nice tuck around his midsection.

Him pooping 4 times a day does make me question the quality of food he is eating. With a weight concern and him pooping 4 times a day makes me think he is not absorbing the contents and nutrients needed. I have two Dobermans and they have two small poops a day.

I have sampled and experimented with over 8 dog food brands and I can tell you the less “quality” dog food I have used have cause large frequent dog poops. The better quality dog food yields small poops 1-2x a day.

Good Luck.
His ears look fantastic by the way.

 

[Oh Little Oji]

good to know I am not alone and not overthinking I guess!I don't have as much issue with snout as I have with his physique
also can you share your dobie's pics?

Below pic: 4 years, 2 months. This dramatically shows his narrow chest.


Below pic: 6 years + . It shows his low set-on tail.


Below pic: Probably about 2 years +

 

[Rits]

I actually think the outside pic he looks better than the first pic. Remember, he is just a baby. 5 months old is a baby! So, he isn't going to look "big and strong" at this age. You would be amazed at how much filling out they do even from 12 months on. My girl at almost 18 months is still filling out.

With the homemade diet I just worry that he isn't getting a well rounded meal of all the proper nutrients. It is so important for a growing puppy. Did you mean that he was on Farmina N&D? That is actually a fairly good quality food and would remove any worries about not getting enough nutrients. You might need to simply increase his food by adding a third meal in. I fed my puppy three times a day I believe until she was about 8 months old. They'll tell you when they no longer need that third meal. But splitting it up into three meals helps you increase the daily amount without overdoing it during the AM and PM meal.

 

[Kaiser2016]

He looks like a typical young male puppy. They all go through a growth spurt at this age where they look like adults, but because they are so young, they just look lean and lanky. My Euro male seemed to fill up around 3 years of age, so it can take a while! His parents are good looking European Dobermans, so I can see why you may think he looks too skinny by comparison, but he will follow his genetics, so be patient.

till 3 month of age he was on purina n&d but he was tooo much skinny till he ate that so the vet suggested(as most of the dogs even the champions and reputable breeder feed their dogs in India)homemade diet mix of veg and nonage with his main source of protein coming from eggs and chicken as other meat are not easily available here and he is digesting them just fine as he doesn't get any diarrhoea and I think he feels quite filling after his meals
he poops somewhat like 4 times a day max

I agree with Rits that the homemade diet is a bit of a concern because one really needs to know what they are putting together to make sure the diet is balanced. Chicken and eggs are great, but what about the bones and organs? Adding vegetables is fine for adults, but I wonder if that means he is missing other vital nutrients for puppy growth that he might otherwise get from a good kibble? You said reputable breeders have been feeding this diet too? Ask them to double-check your recipe to be sure it's appropriate for a puppy. I also agree about adding a 3rd meal - it can't hurt!

 

[Abhi]

I ask about his food because I have seen a few posts from India with concern of Dobermans being under weight. The dam/sire are impressive!
Yes
Actually, looking back, I believe my black male was 35lbs at 4months and yes, they fill out more when they mature.

I think your picture of him standing with his front paws up on the fence, his body looks quite good. I see no vertebrae or rib bones protruding and he has a nice tuck around his midsection.

Him pooping 4 times a day does make me question the quality of food he is eating. With a weight concern and him pooping 4 times a day makes me think he is not absorbing the contents and nutrients needed. I have two Dobermans and they have two small poops a day.

I have sampled and experimented with over 8 dog food brands and I can tell you the less “quality” dog food I have used have cause large frequent dog poops. The better quality dog food yields small poops 1-2x a day.

Good Luck.
His ears look fantastic by the way.

I think I am gonna check with my vet again about his pooping so many times and about his diet too ,thank you so much for your advice...
your boy is soo amazing would love if my hunter would look lil bit like him when he grows up
and thank you about the ears

 

[Abhi]

Below pic: 4 years, 2 months. This dramatically shows his narrow chest.
View attachment 122882

Below pic: 6 years + . It shows his low set-on tail.
View attachment 122883

Below pic: Probably about 2 years +
View attachment 122885

I think he looks really amazing
I have to tell you this ,in India standards are very low for doberman
90% of the people who say they have doberman have a mix breed version of doberman and they are too skinny, they don't know what a real doberman should look like that's why I am soo afraid of what mine would turn out to be

 

[Abhi]

I actually think the outside pic he looks better than the first pic. Remember, he is just a baby. 5 months old is a baby! So, he isn't going to look "big and strong" at this age. You would be amazed at how much filling out they do even from 12 months on. My girl at almost 18 months is still filling out.

With the homemade diet I just worry that he isn't getting a well rounded meal of all the proper nutrients. It is so important for a growing puppy. Did you mean that he was on Farmina N&D? That is actually a fairly good quality food and would remove any worries about not getting enough nutrients. You might need to simply increase his food by adding a third meal in. I fed my puppy three times a day I believe until she was about 8 months old. They'll tell you when they no longer need that third meal. But splitting it up into three meals helps you increase the daily amount without overdoing it during the AM and PM meal.

yes I meant farmina
I guess you are right!actually my neighbour got an American dobbie a year ago and he used to look way heavier at 5 month age that's what worries me
I give him 3 meals but I guess I have to do some more digging about his homemade diet