[Bossoli]

We were feeding Nature's Variety Prairie and Bradley was doing very well on it, for the most part. Everything was in good shape except his weight. He's not underweight, but he definitely doesn't have any extra cushion. At his last vet visit, he was 68lbs at 25 inches tall.

His activity level is moderate; high when it needs to be but he has a reliable "off" button. I'm not a tri-athelete so he gets an "average" amount of exercise daily: walks and off leash games of fetch. He goes to a park or hiking once or twice a week with us.

I don't want him to be heavy, but I want to make sure he's getting the best nutrition and his body doesn't suggest that right now. He's a healthy boy so there's no reason to believe there's an underlying issue.

We're giving grain free Canidae a try for now. I'm hoping that by going grain free, it'll do him some extra good but I'm not sure what that'll do for his weight.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what nutrients I should be paying the most attention to as I try to plump him up a bit? I don't want him fat- just well rounded

Here's a current picture of him. He's 20 months old.

 

[Bock]

Probably just want to look at calories for each food and the protein/fat content as well.

However, being at 20 months old, he will fill out as he gets older. It's also a good thing to keep him slim-he looks good in the pic above. I understand your problem though, I had trouble keeping weight on my dog as well.

By the way, Tysen, below, is also 25 inches, and currently weighs about 75 lbs. Around 20 months he was between 65-70. He is 2 1/2 now and gained some muscle and filled since then.

 

[Bogart'sMom]

Hi,
My Bogart is 4 years old, 24" and 69 Lbs. I always called him my skinny Butt Boy. He is active not hyper and he does get off leash walks also daily. He is in good condition and he has gained some weight and filled out after 2.5 years old. He is getting 1.5 cups of food morning and evening. In between he is getting treats also. My old female would have been one chunky girl but not Bogart.
The Vet is happy with his build and weight. So that's what counts.
Elke, ZsaZsa and Bogart

 

[jwemt81]

I think he looks perfect. I wouldn't change a thing if he's doing just fine on the food that he's on. It's harder to get weight off than it is to put it on and I'm guessing that he'll probably put a bit of weight on over the winter. Like Bock said, at 20 months, he still has a few more months worth of filling out to do and will probably put on a few more pounds. I wouldn't worry about it at all as long as he has a good activity level and is otherwise healthy.

 

[goldensonly]

I'd certainly hold off beefing him up too.... once he fills out completely, it could put him over the top, into obese and then trying to take the weight off will be really hard... He looks PERFECT to me!!!!!

 

[Penny & Maggie's Mom]

Here is the chart that Hank (Ambika) has shared before:

Originally Posted by AmbikaGR
This one has the explanation of the views also. They are both from purina's website (Body Condition Chart)

Understanding Your Dog's Body Condition

Too Thin

1 Ribs, lumbar vertebrae, pelvic bones and all bony prominences evident from a distance. No discernible body fat. Obvious loss of muscle mass.
2 Ribs, lumbar vertebrae and pelvic bones easily visible. No palpable fat. Some evidence of other bony prominence. Minimal loss of muscle mass.
3 Ribs easily palpated and may be visible with no palpable fat. Tops of lumbar vertebrae visible. Pelvic bones becoming prominent. Obvious waist.

Ideal

4 Ribs easily palpable, with minimal fat covering. Waist easily noted, viewed from above. Abdominal tuck evident.
5 Ribs palpable without excess fat covering. Waist observed behind ribs when viewed from above. Abdomen tucked up when viewed.

Too Heavy

6 Ribs palpable with slight excess fat covering. Waist is discernible viewed from above but is not prominent. Abdominal tuck apparent.
7 Ribs palpable with difficulty; heavy fat cover. Noticeable fat deposits over lumbar area and base of tail. Waist absent or barely visible. Abdominal tuck may be present.
8 Ribs not palpable under very heavy fat cover, or palpable only with significant pressure. Heavy fat deposits over lumbar area and base of tail. Waist absent. No abdominal tuck. Obvious abdominal distension may be present.
9 Massive fat deposits over thorax, spine and base of tail. Waist and abdominal tuck absent. Fat deposits on neck and limbs. Obvious abdominal distention.

I agree that he will fill out some as he gets a little older. He looks good, but this chart is a good guide. Just like with humans, figure out the calorie amount that he needs to maintain weight and then you can adjust that accordingly.

 

[Bossoli]

Thanks everyone!

 

[fostermom]

I think he will fill out between 24-30 months. My Danny was super lean until then and he is extremely active, too. Once he hit 24+ months, he started to get solid. He is 25" and weighed 70 lbs, now he is 77 lbs. All of it is muscle and he looks much less "skinny" than he did.

 

[BeauShel]

I think he looks perfect.