He looks healthy, but I think he is too thin!
 

So I have another concern about Charlie, I think he is too thin. He eats his food well, and looks healthy, but when I pet him I can feel his spine and this worries me. Is it normal to feel their spine?? I want to fill him out a little more is there anything I can add to his food or something? I tried adding can food but he only likes it when I first open it on the first day, the next day I put it down he doesn't seem interested but he will eat the dry kibble fine. Any advice or is anyone else having a similar issue, your thoughts and experiences would be greatly appreciated. I don't want him to be overweight/fat I just want him to have a little more meat on his bones. He currently weighs 5lbs.

if you can feel his spine, i would say he needs to eat alot more...

I'm having that same issue how do I fatten him up

all im going to say is my lexi is 10 lbs because i feed her whatever i eat.
whatever i put into my mouth, she has a piece of, providing it cant harm her.
shes on a diet now though. this was accidental.

I can feel Ozzy's spine but he seems to be well proportioned. He is only 3lbs 12oz and is 7 months. My vet thinks he is just a peanut :p I keep food down for him all day and now try and make sure he eats some lunch mid day. Try warming up the canned food before you give it to him. Ozzy hates cold dog food, (I don't blame him) , but will eat it if it's warmed up.

We dream about getting to 5lbs :D (heck we'll take 4.5!!)

Try warming the canned food before feeding. My Roxie was feeling like that awhile ago but I have been giving her a little extra snack meal in the afternoon and she hsa put on weight, now I have to watch she doesn't get too heavy

Thanks for the advice, I will try that. Also, should I start adding cottage cheese, boiled chicken and other things to his food, or just warm up the can food, my only worry if I add the other things is he may want to hold out and expect it everytime. Also, should I be more concerned about his boney back, could this be a medical condition or defect of some sort??

How old is he? It might be best to take him to the vet, and ask what he thinks. I really wanted Joey to gain, but after a tricks training class, Joey became overweight, and this is much harder to deal with. You are supposed to easily feel their ribs, and there should be a slight indentation in the stomach area.

He is 10 months old. Also he is getting neutered in two weeks, do they normally gain or lose weight after the procedure? This concerns me as well since I don't want him to loose any weight. I am thinking of putting him on Nature's Variety Raw Medallions, does anyone do raw with kibble??

Ten months was when Joey started gaining weight. He might intially lose a few ounces after surgery, but because neutered dogs aren't as restless, they often gain weight easier. I've heard great things about Nature's Variety Raw Medallions, but there does seem to be rules for feeding raw with kibble, for example waiting so many hours between the feeding of each. Maybe someone can give you better information, and you might also want to do a search.

I often wonder about this too, I can feel my puppy's spine, she's 8moths old and weights 3.5lbs, I'd like for her to put on a little more weight. She was gaining at one point and was almost 4lbs, but she is starting to eat a little more picky and has lost a bit. I tried adding can food to her dry kibble, but when the can was gone she stopped eating the kibble, trying to hold out for more can food, she has just started to eat the kibble again and it's been almost a month.

Feeling the spine isn't a big deal. Skinny dogs aren't a big deal, as long as they aren't underweight for their size/age. The easiest way to know if your pet is a healthy weight is during a bath, when all the fluffy fur is soaked down. You should see a 'pinch' in behind the dogs ribs. You should be able to feel the ribs, but not see them.

According to a Vet site I found, "The "ideal" weight for a dog is approximately the weight where the last 3 to 5 ribs are just barely visible or can be felt with a very light touch. Many dogs are overweight and many dog owners feel their dog is too thin if they can see any ribs. It is better from a health perspective to be a little too thin than to be a little too heavy," (Whats normal for a dog?)

See your vet if you aren't sure.

Dogs and puppies are meant to be lean - not pudgy. Obesity leads to early death, illness, joint pain and injury, heart disease and more. 1 out of every 5 dogs in the USA is obese. Because of this epidemic, most people don't even know what a healthy dog looks like - most are overweight if not obese.
Puppies are skinny because they are growing!!

Please don't 'fatten' your dogs up. At our dog park, the other owners think my dogs are too thin and always make nasty comments. I wouldn't care, except their dogs are all overweight and thats what they think is normal!! ITS NOT!!!

This is absolutely correct. Puppies are naturally on the lean side, and it is never a good idea to have a portly Yorkie. :aimeeyork

Then Andy is ok. I was just afraid that because I could feel his spine and his ribs that he was too skinny. He eats what I eat (I'm really horrible I stopped cooking with anything on the list of stuff they can't eat much to hubbys distaste...yup no more garlic in this house!) all the time plus he and stormy have access to food all day (which that is about to change) so he can get something. Stormy on the other hand is my porker who acts like she has never had a meal in her life when there is food involved!

Please be careful with all day feeding and homecooking...Imagine the actual size of a Yorkie stomach, its somewhere around the size of a golf ball. It doesn't need to be completely full all the time. Bear in mind the size of the stomach and consider all the food he eats in a day...

Ribs are good and healthy to feel!

Thanks for posting this discussion. I was a bit concerned about Polo. He is 9 months and weighs about 3.5lbs. He is just so small... I can feel his ribs and spine, though I can't see them...to the touch I feel like I'm not feeding him enough. When I had him on NV Raw food, I don't recall feeling his ribs as much, but now that I have him on dry kibble and I am feeling his rib and spine a bit more. I thought it was a little strange, but in reading it sounds like it might be the norm.

Small is good! Thin is in!

It is so much better to have a dog who is a little thin then overweight. As long as your pup is otherwise healthy, don't worry about it! :p

As I stated before, obesity is the leading killer for dogs. 1 in every 5 American dogs is obese, with even more then then that qualifying as overweight.

I cannot emphasize enough times - PLEASE don't try and get your dog to add any pounds unless at the direct instruction of a vet. Please consult with your vet about this if you are worried. I am certain he will be the first to say - KEEP THEM THIN!!! ;)

I agree it's healthier to be a little underweight than overweight, but have you asked your vet about this? He can probably give you a pretty accurate number on what your puppy should weight. I always worry that if they are too thin, the very first illness can be disastrous.

Yes! I have consulted with three vets, a veterinary homeopath and tons of friends in my canine nutrition community. Being able to feel ribs and spine is healthy, but obviously too skinny isn't good either, as you said.

Finding your pet's ideal weight is an extremely important issue and my instinct is to tell people do not try and have your puppy gain extra weight without consulting a vet or three ;)

My dogs are definitely skinny - they are raw eaters and raw feeding produces an extremely lean body. My neighbors and mother in law are constantly telling me my dogs are too skinny - so thats why I have such a vested interest in this thread. I am constantly defending my own dogs on this very issue!

My vets say my dogs are the healthiest in their practice. My point is, as a culture, we have lost sight of what our pets are supposed to look like. Listen to your vet - not your heart telling you to feed your puppy more because he likes it.

I do! my dog had the same issue- she's put on a LITTLE weight but overall just is healthier. I dont' feel her spine anymore. The Nature's Variety is awesome. Try it- i'm sure he'll like it.