Skinny GSDs for Sale - Page 3

1) There are too many gsd's whose GI systems are congenitally compromised -- and one should run from breedings of struggling, overthin dogs.

2) There are too many gsd's who are overweight due to neglect and lack of sufficient exercise.

3) There are too many gsd's who are underweight due to neglect and lack of sufficient nutrition.

All of these are true and they are not inconsistent.  To be fit you need to eat a lot AND exercise a lot.  (Ethically, you need to make the choice for yourself, so I have a hard time myself making a dog hungrier than he wants to be.)

If you see a dog who looks thin: ASK about diet and ASK about exercise and attention.

If a 65 pound female is eating 3-4 cups of high quality food a day plus training treats she is eating fine, digesting fine, and burning off the calories healthfully in at least an hour of exercise/training every day-- buy her or her pup. 

If a 65 pound female is eating 2 cups of dry food a day and penned up without exercise, training or house time -- or if she has food allergies -- don't buy her and don't buy her pups.  It would be nice to rescue her, but it is perhaps more important to drive her "breeder" out of business.

If a 90 pound female is so fat she sits like your Aunt Sadie overheated on a 70 degree day, don't buy her or her pups, either.  We don't need people promoting fat dogs -- although I would bet heavily that the fat dog is at least happier than the starved dog.

Here's the absolute worst scenario: the breeder is an overfed porker and his or her dogs are emaciated.  Drive out of there fast, wheels squeeling, and honk your horn all the way down the road.  That's just a lack of empathy and cruelty at work.

MVF,
Very nice post and very true.  I was unaware when I bought my Shepherd.  All I knew is that a GSD is the dog I wanted because my parents had one when I was growing up.  I should have known from the beginning when all of their shepherds (around 8 or so I think) were rather thin.  But, I thought that was normal, they said it was their activity.  So, suprise, suprise when, at 1.5 years, my dog started having episodes of severe diarrhea and vomiting and dropped 10 lbs in around 2 weeks.  He has been diagnosed with pacreatitis I don't know how many times.  The sad thing is that most vets are not even aware of the genetic GI issues the GSD faces.  It wasn't until 7 years later with a dog who had lost a total of 23 lbs and was barely hanging onto the weight he had that I found a vet that was knowledgable about it.  Test after test later, we find out he has IBD and SIBO that had somehow kept from getting worse with the constant trips to the e-vets and being placed on Clavimox, Flagyl, and a few times prednisone.  Now, my boy is on prescription food (Science Diet i/d) for the remainder of his life with Tylan 2x daily for the remainder of his life also.  But we had way too many trips to the e-vet with him vomiting and having such severe diarrhea that within 24 hours of a flare up he couldn't even walk.  This is a situation that I don't want any potential owner to have to go through.  Even worse, more shepherds.  I hope everyone who has written on this understands why I wrote what I did.  It's not to be the "shepherd police" or to be rude, or make people think I am coming down on them.  It's because it's real issues that you do not realize until it happens to your family.

http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/classifieds/66513.html
http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/classifieds/82063.html
http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/classifieds/68112.html
http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/classifieds/84042.html
http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/classifieds/81682.html
These are just a few examples of the underweight dogs I was talking about.  I am not trying to point fingers, but I was asked for examples.  I also finally managed to add a few pics of my dog who is 20lbs underweight.  The pics don't show it wee, but you can actually see almost his entire spine, the hip bones, ribs, and a completely undefined chest that "caves in".  And yes, he was shaved.  The vet wanted a good view of him under his fur and it's 105 degrees in Texas right now anyways.

Maybe I need more glasses but I looked at all the ads you posted and other than the one showline girl in there I think the others are in tip top working condtion...............And in the pics you posted even they don't look thin.  Mayb thamera adds weight?  Now the link Sunslver gave that dog is definately thin................

Regret it for you and your dog. That is sad and must be frustrating.

Honestly, I don't consider any of the pics of GSDs you linked to be malnourished. Nor do any of them look sick. They all look like healthy, athletic animals.Some are obviously young and will fill out with maturity. The Mal looks skinny, but I have no experience with them. 

I wish you the best with your situation, 

Rik 

 

I agree with Vonissk. Those dogs are in top working condition.

Also, maybe the pic is too small, but is that your dog you posted? You think he is too skinny?? He looks in good weight to me. I see no ribs and he has a moderate/slight waist. If your vet is telling you he's too skinny and prescribing meds, then I'd get a 2nd opinion.

Edited to add:

I keep mine to where you can FEEL ribs, but not see them. They all have very obvious waists. I am very picky about my dogs' weights. I will not allow ANY extra weight. That's not healthy at all. I get ugly looks from typical pet owners, but they're actually the ones killing their dogs, not me.

None of the "links" posted.....showed dogs of "abnormal low weight".
The "show line" female, looks typical of a female that has had puppies (not so far in the past)..and is completely out of coat.
The Mal looks like most working Mals......."fit, lean & strong".
Most Europeans keep their dogs "slim & trim".......un like alot of us Americans....who tend to keep xtra pounds on their pets and selves....(I am guilty of this too).    It is also sooooooo common that Vets think "chunky" dogs are being well kept and live healthy, happy lives.

I'm sorry to disagree with the poster.....but it's just my opinion.

Maybe this site should screen some of these ads...
Thats what I read.
Thats what I addressed.
This isn't about any specific ad, I've seen some real winners as have many of you.
I've heard this savior of the breed thing for far too long.  
Nice thought but not very realistic.
Maybe if you had the time and money and the resources you could make a life's work out of breeding the perfect animal.
But I've never seen it done.
That includes dear old Max.
Thick or thin its not up to me or you what another breeder does.
And no one is going to pick and choose advertisers thats just not realistic.
So......  control of any of it is Mute.

Moons.

I'm sorry, OP, but the dogs in your links, all appear to be quite healthy, as does your dog.  Even Sunsilver's posted link showed a dog that seems pretty healthy to me, too, if a little bit thin.  I don't just go by the ribs...I also look at the muscle tone.  An emaciated dog is one that has all of its bones showing, and no muscle mass, either...That's skinny. To me, a dog whose ribs are showing, but who is also carrying a lot of muscle mass, is fine...He's probably a very active dog.

I prefer to keep my dogs a little on the thin side...Fat is no better for a dog than a human, and I'm not talking about the looks...

The pic that Steph posted above, of Ranger, is one that a lot of people think is a good, healthy looking dog, but I beg to differ.  Ranger is a very sharp dog, I love his coloring and expression, but he is MUCH too heavy, even though Steph has taken twenty pounds off him since she took him in.  He could lose a substantial amount of girth yet.  That's not healthy for him, no matter what any vet might say about it.

A dog needs to have a moderate waist, and if a little rib is showing, that's fine by me.  I was once told that a dog's ribs should be visible when he is eating, but not when his head is up...A walking coffeetable is not attractive, nor is it healthy.

I don't think I would try to put much more weight on your dog, OP, because he looks fine to me.  In my opinion, the only thing he really needs is a bit more muscle on his body, but weight-wise, I think he looks pretty good.  You might trim his nails a bit, though..if they get too long, they can cause him a lot of pain.

Crys

Here's a pic I just took off an ad at the bottom of this thread when I clicked on it...THIS is what I call thin...No muscle mass on the rear end, you can see the bones of the hips, ribs, and rear legs...Coat sparse and rough looking...Borderline emaciated.  This is cruelty, not the links posted above.  THOSE dogs are in good shape.