Underweight Yorkies?

[yorkie_mama22]

My Lola eats well, never a picky eater. She gets healthy snacks throughout the day but she is still thin. I think she has put on a little bit but not that much. She is very active though, always running around all other the place jumping around with toys like a maniac.

Zach is the same size as her exactly, he appears to be around 5 lbs right now which is what Lola was at in July. He has a totally different body structure though, he feels very sturdy and you don't feel his bones nearly as much as her. He is a well bred yorkie though so I think Lolas skinny-ness is from perhaps bad breeding.

[smartpuppiepets]

Originally Posted by yorkie_mama22

My Lola eats well, never a picky eater. She gets healthy snacks throughout the day but she is still thin. I think she has put on a little bit but not that much. She is very active though, always running around all other the place jumping around with toys like a maniac.

Zach is the same size as her exactly, he appears to be around 5 lbs right now which is what Lola was at in July. He has a totally different body structure though, he feels very sturdy and you don't feel his bones nearly as much as her. He is a well bred yorkie though so I think Lolas skinny-ness is from perhaps bad breeding.

It could be...
The very high metabolism also keeps them from putting weight ...
I think it is a huge burden on the knees when they get overweight ...
Also boys, at least here in my family, tend to have heavier bones.

Happy new year everyone !!!
XOXO

[kjc]

Originally Posted by yorkie_mama22

My Lola eats well, never a picky eater. She gets healthy snacks throughout the day but she is still thin. I think she has put on a little bit but not that much. She is very active though, always running around all other the place jumping around with toys like a maniac.

Zach is the same size as her exactly, he appears to be around 5 lbs right now which is what Lola was at in July. He has a totally different body structure though, he feels very sturdy and you don't feel his bones nearly as much as her. He is a well bred yorkie though so I think Lolas skinny-ness is from perhaps bad breeding.

Originally Posted by smartpuppiepets

It could be...
The very high metabolism also keeps them from putting weight ...
I think it is a huge burden on the knees when they get overweight ...
Also boys, at least here in my family, tend to have heavier bones.

Happy new year everyone !!!
XOXO

It would only take 1/4 - 1/2 pound to put a tiny layer of fat under the skin so the bones aren't as evident. This does not make them fat. I had a fat Yorkie in the spring, I was just getting ready to put him on a diet. He weighed 8.2 pounds... 1 pound is coat. He caught pneumonia, and couldn't eat for at least 4 days. He got better and then weighed 6.2 pounds. Today, he weighs 7 pounds. I'm glad he had the extra weight, the vet treated him but she didn't think he would make it and sent us home. The next day he started eating again. He's not obese, but he is solid, and very active for a 13 year old.

[Her Name Is Rio]

Rio is 10 months old and fluctuates around 3.0 lbs. I can feel her ribs and spine very easily too.

Is your baby spayed? I think Rio put on a little weight after she was spayed about 6 weeks ago - she was 2.7 lbs for the longest time before the surgery, so when she hit 3.0 lbs I celebrated. But then today we weighed her (on the same scale) and she was 2.8... I think as long as she's eating/drinking/peeing/pooping regularly she is ok.

[kjc]

The more I research, the more I learn and understand: This is from Royal Canin Weight management. Good flowchart and descriptions.

http://www.pet-slimmers.com/shapedog.htm

and another from OSU (Ohio State University)

http://vet.osu.edu/1851.htm better visuals and diet search tool

http://vet.osu.edu/1442.htm


My main concern is that underweight Yorkies, esp young ones, may have problems with hypoglycemia, or I believe that hunger can influence behavior also. It seems like many of you are feeding a kibble diet only. If your dog/pup has any kind of tooth problems (pain) this will prevent them from eating enough and may be just what could be preventing him/her from gaining a little bit more weight.

Here are somes tips:
Offer moistened kibble or canned food twice a day. The added water will help prevent dehydration also, and provides a bit of variety. If they eat alot of the softer food, maybe the vet should have a look in their mouth to rule out any problems.

Try different sized kibble. Some like bigger, some smaller. Some don't like kibble at all. Pop some in a blender to pulverize it and add it to their soft food diet, gradually make it bigger until they accept it.

Measure how much you feed, but look at your dog. If he/she is thin, try to get them to eat a little bit more, even if it's a treat or two for eating their food. I even hide treats at the bottom of the bowl or mix it in. One vet on a website said: Eating some of the wrong diet is better than eating none of the right diet. Just something to keep in mind.

Do not feed them people food from your table. These dogs are very smart and even after only one transgression, they will not eat their own food until your food is gone, thinking they will get yours.

How much they need to eat depends on their lifestage and activity level. This changes many times throughout their lifetime. So their weight should be constantly monitored. Most of the guidelines on pet food packaging states to feed according to weight and adjust as necessary. If your dog is gaining too much, reduce the amount fed. If your dog begins to lose weight or looks thin, increase the amount fed.

Sometimes a walk or exercise will stimulate their appetite. Sometimes a t-shirt can help a hyper dog to calm down (and burn less calories). I do this with my LS dog. So far it works!

Internal parasites can cause weigh changes in pets. Illness can cause changes, like diabetes, Liver Shunt, MVD, Kidney/renal problems, dental disease, and their weight can be an indicator to get them to the vet.

I also think that metabolism plays an important role. Using Probiotics such as http://www.naturesfarmacy.com/store/details.php?prodId=198&category=30 can boost metabolism, by helping to more completely digest the food allowing better absorbtion of nutrients in the body.