Afraid my dog is too skinny - HELP!

[Susan, Coby & Chloe]

I have a 16 mo. old chocolate mini Australian labradoodle who has been weighing in at 30 lbs.  Last time I took him to the vet, one I'd never seen at the practice, he laced into me about how skinny Bosco is - said he shouldn't be able to feel his ribs so prominently beneath his fur, doesn't feel much muscle mass on his legs. I was mortified - I'd been feeding Bosco California Natural diet, the rx'd amount, but Bosco didn't even eat all that I gave him in his bowl.  I'd even cooked him chopped meat, rice, chicken broth - he simply isn't much of an eater. And if I do introduce new foods I've learned I must do so slowly as otherwise it causes severe GI upset.

 

It wasn't until yesterday when we took Bosco in to be groomed and picked him up to find....a stick figure shadow of our dog!  Seems he was quite matted (Les Pooches brush is now on order!) so he needed to be shorn down. And what an embarrassing sight - this dog is fur and bones. 

 

What am I to do? He seems otherwise healthy.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Try the salmon or whitefish versions of Fromm. They have higher protein and my Peri goes gaga for them.

[Jeanne, Tura and Dolly]

I am taking my 16 mo old ALD to vet today because she is so skinny and hasn't gained weight even if after I give her twice the recommended amt of food (Taste of the Wild).  So now I'm worried about an intestinal parasite or worm. I  have today's poop sample and we are off to the vet.

[Katie, John & Parker pup]

16 months and only 30lbs? Is he a mini or something? Parker is just coming up to 7 months and he is 45lbs.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yes, he's a mini.

[Katie, John & Parker pup]

Oh okay! lol because then I was going to be VERY worried!

[Gayle Miller]

Hummm...this doen't make sense....there are 3 sizes; mini/medium and standard.  Thirty-five pounds would have your dog at the medium size and depending on the size of his parents, I would think fine.. My 11 week old ALD is supposed to be full grown at 35-40 pounds as neigher of his parents hit the 40.  I'm thinking that these dogs are on the slim, prancing side. (all that poodle in them) rather tha the chunky, heavy-gaited retriever.  Bosco sure looks adorable to me!  If they are playful and happy, I would not fret.  Just might be his nature.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Gayle, size is actually measured by height not weight for ALDs.  Ned looks very much like his parents who are minis but he is slightly bigger than either - he is officially a medium at 17" tall.  He weighs 26-27 pounds.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Poodle sizes are also defined by height, not weight. Height is measured at the shoulder. Toys are under 10", miniatures are 10" to 15", and anything over 15" is a standard. There is no such thing as a moyen, a royal standard, a teacup, etc., those are marketing gimmicks used by breeders of less than great quality dogs.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Gayle, the ALDs may be more predictable than earlier generation doodles, but they are still mixed breed dogs and many decades away from breeding "true", in size or anything else. There may be three "official" sizes, but the actual weights and heights are all over the place. It's also extremely common for dogs to end up larger than either parent, just like humans. Surely you know people who are taller or heavier than either parent. It's the same with dogs. You cannot follow some breeder's guidelines for size and determine whether or not a dog is at a healthy weight. The vet's opinion trumps the breeders' predictions.

If a vet expresses concern about a dog being underweight, that's a BIG deal. Most vets are cautioning people about letting their dogs get too heavy, which is the more common problem. Most vets are happy to see a dog on the lean side. A lack of muscle mass is a concern; well-bred poodles have a great deal of muscularity in their hindquarters, regardless of how slim and prancing they may appear. I think Susan should heed her vet's advice.

[Susan, Coby & Chloe]

I should be teleworking but had to take a break to read these helpful replies and managed to locate a pet supply co. that sells Fromm and happens to be located right near my husband's office so I'm asking him to stop off tonight to bring home the salmon variety to try. 

 

In the meantime, I've (reluctantly and a little embarrassingly) updated a photo of Bosco so you can get an idea of how thin he is. He looks like a greyhound with a coating of brown fur. Or maybe....he actually does resemble the poodle in him and I've still got lab on my mind from my last dog, who had a tendency to be heavy so it's not a fair comparison.....

 

His breeder predicted a full grown wt. of 35 lbs. so he's really not that terribly far off.

[Cindy M, Zachary & the Frenchies]

Hopefully he will like this new food and some of the other tricks to increase calories and encourage eating will help. I have to agree with Karen, it is really unusual for a vet to be concerned about a lean dog, if your vet thought that he was too thin and did not have adequate muscle mass he probably needs to put on a bit of weight. Good Luck!!

[Katie, John & Parker pup]

He looks on the thin side but I wouldn't say he is sickly looking! Parker is still a puppy but I keep saying he grows UP instead of out which must be the poodle...tall, narrow legs. When Parker gets a bath he looks soo skinny but he's healthy, happy and playful and the vet doesn't see a problem! Hope Bosco likes his new food!