Skinny Doodle!!!

[Kelli, Fenway, & Dustin Pedroia]

My girl Fenway is a medium labradoodle and super duper active. She doesn't stay still for very long unlike our other doodle who is the laziest dog I've ever met. She weighs between 28 and 30 pounds, but she is sooo skinny! She has always been a petit little thing. You don't notice it too much until you pick her up or when she's wet and shrinks to about half her size. All of that fur really hides how skinny she is. The vet does not seem concerned and she's healthy, but I would really like to see her weigh a little more. Since she was a baby she really hasn't been concerned with food. She can take it or leave it (even human food). She will eat, but only a little and is much more of a grazer, never even eating all of her food in one day. We've tried mixing cheese, broth, yogurt, and various other things that she really likes in with her food to try to entice her. This may work for a day or two, but then she's not interested anymore. We have to be very careful about the type of food we feed her anyway, because she has very sensitive skin and her hair starts falling out when we feed her stuff with chicken or chicken parts in it so we stick mostly to lamb and salmon, which we've had more luck with. Does anyone have any other suggestions to fatten Fenway up a little bit? I don't think she's unhealthy, but I wish she had just a little more meat on her bones. Does anyone else feel like their doodle is a little too skinny? What did you do about it?

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

My Abby is a waif too under all her fur. The vet said she was perfect and he would like to see it this way even on puppies (which surprised me because I thought puppies should be chubby). She isnt much of a chow hound either. Just the way she is I guess. But She is 20lbs at 4 months so she is a good size for a midi-doodle - she will probably be 45lbs full grown.

[Kelli, Fenway, & Dustin Pedroia]

I may have to try to mix it up some more. Does this ever upset Sherlock or Noah's stomach's (the mixing it up)? Fenway is pretty sensitive and will have loose stools whenever we change stuff too much or even when she gets a new bone to chew on she'll have trouble going to the bathroom. I guess she's just really sensitive.

She may have the really lanky poodle body plus she's really lanky anyway. I'll continue to keep an eye on her. I almost feel like it wouldn't bother me as much except that Dustin is a rolly polly little thing and I find myself comparing him with Fenway at that age. I know I shouldn't do that!

[Kelli, Fenway, & Dustin Pedroia]

I don't know. She does get plain organic yogurt in her food some and will gobble it up the first few times, but then she tires of it. I haven't tried raw yet. I've done a lot of research on it and have considered it, but I really worry that I won't give them the right amount or the proper nutrients feeding this way not because they can't get them this way, but because I think I'll mess up and not give them everything they need. I almost feel like I have too much information of feeding raw and it's scared me. I don't want to mess up and not give her everything she needs. She does have raw bones that we buy from a specialty pet store, but you can only let them chew on them for a little bit then you have to throw them away. I may go back and talk with my friend at the specialty pet store more about feeding raw. She feeds all of her dogs raw and swears by it. I definitely believe in it, I'm just not sure about all of the suplements that go along with feeding raw. There is a lot of mixed information out there on what's best to add in with the raw diet. Just comes down to my indecision! Thanks for the advice though.

[2m42srv7vi6sq]

Caeleach used to be a scrawny little thing, then she hit about 15 months old and started eating like crazy. She is now chunky and muscular. Also, feeding Taste of the Wild helped a lot. Our dogs love it and Caeleach has not had an allergic flare-up in about 3 months.

[Kelli, Fenway, & Dustin Pedroia]

She is just a year so it may be that she'll fill out soon. She's still so long and lanky too.

[Linda,Yankee & Finn]

Yankee's eating habits are exactly the same as Fenway. I used to think he was too skinny too but the vet said he is perfect. He seems to look a little thicker now at 18 months but still eats very little. I wouldn't worry if I were you.

[Sandy]

We have the opposite thing going on. Toby only eats 2 1/4 cups of food a day, and the vet said he "has a little meat on his bones" and wants him to lose a little! Poor Toby. He walks, most days, for an hour and a half, we play catch in the yard, etc. I think he has the retriever body until all that curly hair.

[Kelli, Fenway, & Dustin Pedroia]

Poor Toby :( Maybe you could send a little bit of that Fenway's way!

[clancy's mom]

Oh, I can relate to this. Clancy is 88 lbs. and the vet said she would like him to be a little slimmer. He walks and plays ball every day. I think he, too, has a retriever body under his curly hair and not the skinny poodle build. He only eats about 2 cups of food a day.

[Sandy]

Thank goodness we aren't the only ones!! I feel like protesting "Hey - I'm not overfeeding this dog. I exercise him vigorously!" :) He has lots of curly hair which doesn't help his body image either. :)

[Kelli, Fenway, & Dustin Pedroia]

It is good to hear that Fenway is not the only skimpy eater around. It makes me feel a lot better.

[Kelli, Fenway, & Dustin Pedroia]

We do use those from time to time. I didnt' realize that they were high in calories. We may give her more of these!