Too skinny or just a rangy teenager?

[Varga]

Sorry. I totally forgot to tell you what he looks like. He is a mutt.. Closest resemblance is probably Border Collie but he's a bit smaller than most sheepdogs I've seen (49 cm tall at the shoulders) and primarily white with brown spots.

His stools look normal now. They were a bit runny the first day he got here. I don't know exactly how much I've been feeding him.. I've just fed him as much as he likes to eat.. But I would guess he has eaten about two cups a day.

The people who picked him up from the streets took him straight to a vet (this was last Thursday) so he has got worm treatment and everything.

The vet did not think he was dangerously skinny and just recommended feeding him dog food for adults in as large quantities as he would eat..
But yeah, his bones are visible so I think I'm going against the doctors orders on this and feed him puppy food.. at least for a couple of weeks. I mean, it can't do any harm can it?

I don't think his lack of interest in kibble is because his mouth hurts.. He got a rawhide bone yesterday and had no problem chewing on that.

On another note. I've noticed that he sometimes stands on all fours when he pees and sometimes he lifts his leg.. Is that normal for male dogs? When he stands on all fours he pees for a longer time than otherwise so I guess that's when he really pees and the other one is just marking? I've never had a male dog before so I don't really have a clue what's normal and not.
Do adult male dogs always lift their leg when they pee? Maybe he is a bit younger than the vet suggested and that's why he stands on all fours at times?

Thanks for the replys

-Varga

[dragondawg]

Sorry. I totally forgot to tell you what he looks like. He is a mutt.. Closest resemblance is probably Border Collie but he's a bit smaller than most sheepdogs I've seen (49 cm tall at the shoulders) and primarily white with brown spots.

His stools look normal now. They were a bit runny the first day he got here. I don't know exactly how much I've been feeding him.. I've just fed him as much as he likes to eat.. But I would guess he has eaten about two cups a day.

The people who picked him up from the streets took him straight to a vet (this was last Thursday) so he has got worm treatment and everything.

The vet did not think he was dangerously skinny and just recommended feeding him dog food for adults in as large quantities as he would eat..
But yeah, his bones are visible so I think I'm going against the doctors orders on this and feed him puppy food.. at least for a couple of weeks. I mean, it can't do any harm can it?

I don't think his lack of interest in kibble is because his mouth hurts.. He got a rawhide bone yesterday and had no problem chewing on that.

On another note. I've noticed that he sometimes stands on all fours when he pees and sometimes he lifts his leg.. Is that normal for male dogs? When he stands on all fours he pees for a longer time than otherwise so I guess that's when he really pees and the other one is just marking? I've never had a male dog before so I don't really have a clue what's normal and not.
Do adult male dogs always lift their leg when they pee? Maybe he is a bit younger than the vet suggested and that's why he stands on all fours at times?

Thanks for the replys

-Varga

No harm in feeding him puppy formula to get the weight on.

Males sometimes get lazy, keeping all legs on the ground, which results in their peeing on the back of their front legs. I try to encourage my Barney to lift, by telling him what wonderful form he has when he does so. I even grade him on a scale of 1-10 giving consideration to various form factors, awarding him the appropriate number of puppy points. He usually wags his tail at the announced score.

[Varga]

Great. I will definitely buy him puppy food then.

And I might also try the puppy point system. He has been peeing on his front legs at times LoL.
And when it's windy I need to learn not stand next to him in the direction the wind is blowing .. Never had that problem with females because they stick their butt close to the ground.

Thanks again

-Varga

[critter crazy]

Yeah, not all males lift their legs while peeing. Duke is almost 2 and has never lifted his leg to pee! We even waited on Neutering him for this fact, but I have to say, i enjoy the fact that he does not lift his leg. He does not mark, so he dosent pee on the world, like most male dogs. But he dosent pee on himself either. so that is a plus!

[crow_noir]

Wish i had advice with the weight thing, but it sounds like that's been covered. Good luck!

King almost always stood on all four paws unless there was something specific to mark. Most of the time he avoided his front paws until he got older.

I just used the spray bottle to wash off his paws when he peed on them... unless he got to licking them before i could get to the spray bottle. ugh! (In that regard I'm glad he wasn't much of a kisser.)

And I might also try the puppy point system. He has been peeing on his front legs at times LoL.
And when it's windy I need to learn not stand next to him in the direction the wind is blowing .. Never had that problem with females because they stick their butt close to the ground.

[Varga]

Ugh. That's not very nice . Luckily Taggart hasn't been doing that (licking his paws I mean).

I finally got the cord back for my camera, so now I can post pictures of him.

I created a thread in dog general, so you're all welcome to have a look if you like

Here's a link

-Varga

[crow_noir]

Yeah, I'd definitely say he needs to put on a few pounds. Looks like a Shelti mix if you ask me.

I created a thread in dog general, so you're all welcome to have a look if you like

Here's a link

-Varga

[bckrazy]

Border Collies do tend to be REALLY lean teenagers. Gonzo was SO skinny when we adopted him, and it took him several months to gradually get to a healthy weight. You don't want to just pack on pounds, you want to build muscle and let him fill out slowly. ;] I can't find a clear picture showing Gonzo's size... plus he's pretty furry. He has a defined waist and his tummy is tucked. He has no fat on his tummy. If I place my thumbs on his back and run my fingers down, I can clearly feel his ribs with a very thin layer of fat. I can just barely feel his hipbones. And, he is a 6 year-old BC! A 1 year-old BC is typically very lanky.

Instead of puppy food, I would add good sources of meat & fat to his diet. Raw Meaty Bones (especially chicken quarters & pork) can add some healthy calories to his diet, fed a few days a week. Satin Balls are also a good way to add calories in a healthy way (do a board search for the recipe... it's mostly ground beef).

Taggart is super-duper cute, btw!!!