Ive gotta gsp as you can see in my avatar, im having a problem keeping weight on him. I feed him purina pro plan as thats the only food he eats without messing in his pen 4-5 times a day. Hes a little over a year old and you can see his bones. I feed him at night and a good bit as he eats like a horse. I know theyre a slim looking breed but this has me a little worried. Is it an age deal where as hes young hes gonna be slim and the older he gets the more he fattens up? Any bird dog guys out there that can explain?
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Bird dogs are just built that way. I have an English Setter than is 3 years old and you can see most of his ribs. He is in great shape and the vet always comments on how she wishes she saw dogs in that good of shape all the time.Originally posted by Cbb1722 View Post
They will put on a little mass/weight as they get older, but typically not much unless you cut them. Neutering can cause weight gain.
As long as your pup has energy to operate, maintains a good disposition and doesn't have intestinal parasites, don't worry about it.
Last edited by texas shag; 11-11-2016, 02:16 PM. -
I worm him on the first of every month and boy does he have energy!Originally posted by texas shag View PostBird dogs are just built that way. I have an English Setter than is 3 years old and you can see most of his ribs. He is in great shape and the vey always comments on how she wishes she saw dogs in that good of shape all the time.
They will put on a little mass/weight as they get older, but typically not much unless you cut them. Neutering can cause weight gain.
As long as your pup has energy to operate, maintains a good disposition and doesn't have intestinal parasites, don't worry about it.
and i figured thats the case but i see dogs from the same breed where theyre not neutered and weigh more. They are older but you can see this dogs spine and ribs. But Im used to hounds and how theyre pretty built dogs so it kinda worried me lol
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It mostly is going to be because he is young, but I have a Brittany that I have always had trouble keeping weight on. I would try feeding him twice or more a day if he is eating well.
Do you know how many cups he is eating per day now?Comment
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Im not sure on how many cups but the scoop i use to dig his feed out with i put about 3.5-4 scoops in his bowlOriginally posted by El General View PostComment
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Wyatt is my 2.5 yr old gsp. He normally eats 3 cups of pro plan a day. He actually lost 5 pounds from this year to last. The vet says he is very healthy and not to change a thing. We run alot, sometimes as much as 5 miles a day. Wyatt only weighs 49 pounds but is solid as you can get.You might look on the FB page for GSP'S there is alot of info on there.Comment
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Well id say duke(my dog) is about 50 lbs ive never weighed him since he was a pup. All ive found on facebook and all that is people who have them as pets and neuter and spoil them. Duke is a hunting dog. Duck seasons tomorrow and were going hunting. I dont run him much. I let him outta his pen everyday so he can let some energy out while i clean his pen. My buddy has a littermate to him and that dog looks great with weight and everything. thats what made me worry about him. This is my first bird dog so im learning about the breed lolOriginally posted by ltbre8 View PostComment
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Purina isn't a good food for dogs. Lots of fillers and other things which just pass through, and never add to weight.
Switch to sciencediet high energy dog food. Its high in fat and protien. My lab refused to put on weight with regular puppy food, I started feeding her this and she put on the 5 lbs the vet said she needed.
As far as diarrhea in the kennel, just switch the food over slowly. If you slowly mix in some of the new food over 2 weeks or so, her stomach will adapt, and not cause this issue. But the purina is really whats causing her to not gain weight.Comment
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my younger GSP is still skinny compared to my 8-9 yr old GSP. I wouldn't be too concerned with his weight at the moment.Comment
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I have tried every food i can get my hands on for him and its diarrhea 4-5 times a day. I switched to the pro plan and its solid and maybe 2 times a dayOriginally posted by WItoTX View PostComment
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Science diet is no better than most and Purina Pro is actually a pretty good food.Originally posted by WItoTX View PostComment
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Does he drink water like he can't get enough? Might look at diabetic issues? My dog wasn't a puppy but he lost weight and drank like mad. Turned out he was diabetic.Comment
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Cant see you picture very good but 50 to 60 lbs is about average for male shorthairs. I have 7 that are all females none are over 45 lbs. There are lots of studies showing it is better for the dog to be under weight than over as it put stress not only on their structure but also on their heart and tendons. There is really no need to worm him every month either. Another thing to try that will help his stomach problems is feeding twice a day. Good luck and get the dog on some quail as it is an epic year!Originally posted by Cbb1722 View PostComment
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Purina pro plan is 30% protein and 20% fat, it is designed for high energy dogs. Don't worry about the weight. I have found that young GSP'S are like a teenage boy when his n@#%s drop. Eat like a horse but can't gain weight. We put a bird feeder and bird house in the backyard to keep him entertained during the summer when it's to hot to run. He spends his summer chasing dirds and swimming in the pool. He is very active.Last edited by ltbre8; 11-11-2016, 03:01 PM.Comment
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They are actually quite different, though ranked in the same catagory. Purina Pro has more "Controversial" ingredients. Check out the two pages below for food quality:Originally posted by Heathbar_tx View Post
OP, as far as the Diarrhea, I have a GSP with the same issue you described. The way I got it to go away is by doing exactly what I described. For example, day 1, I give her 1.5 cups total food in the morning. I would only put about 10 nuggets of the Sciencediet. I do that in the evening too. Second day, double that. This did the trick for me. Just takes forever, and a piece of scratch paper to remember.Comment
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