# Underweight Doberman



## NurseCody (Sep 11, 2012)

I have had a Doberman since he was 8 weeks old he turned 2 in August however he is only 65 pounds & the vet says he should weigh 100-110 hes a beautiful dog shiny coat & eats like a horse I feed him Beneful healthy weight so what should I change it to or what kind of people food should I add besides peanut butter & eggs I want him to be healthy thanks guys


----------



## Salina (Sep 2, 2012)

Why do you feed a food that has less calories than "normal" food? Beneful healthy weight has, in my understanding, about 10% less calories.
Besides that, beneful is not good quality food. Switch to something that is higher in quality. I feed wellness, but there is a lot of good brands out there. You can look at doogfoodadvisor.com. 
Did your vet recommend a food?


----------



## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

Is he a larger-than-usual doberman? There is no mention of weight in the doberman standard, but it seems that males are usually 70-90lbs -- the doberman is a medium-sized breed, not a large breed. Can you post pictures of your dog from the side and overhead so we can get an idea of his current body shape?

Here is a good body condition chart as well -- how does your dog compare?

I second the recommendation of dogfoodadvisor.com or dogfoodanalysis.com -- read some stuff there and decide what sounds good to you! Brands I have tried and that my dogs did well on include Acana, Taste of the Wild, Nature's Variety Instinct, and Orijen.


----------



## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

"Healthy Weight" formulas are for weight loss. . .

But there's nothing healthy about Beneful anyway. So ditch that, find something that's not all food dye and sugar and actually has meat in it, and hopefully that should get your dog to where he ought to be. But if a dog is 40 pounds underweight, I imagine he looks like a skeleton! If he doesn't, I really don't think the vet is correct. Can you see his ribs? Hipbones? That bone on top of his head? If not, he's at a pretty good weight. Check out the websites Cantastic linked to; they're very helpful.


----------



## NurseCody (Sep 11, 2012)

I've always been giving Beneful healthy weight cuz an army buddy recommended it and yes you can see where his hips are but you cannot see prominent bones and no you can't see ribs but you can feel them when petting him he doesn't look like a skeleton he is actually a therapy dog and works with me at hospital and we go to dog park sail and everyone always says how beautiful he looks no one says he is thin except my new vet


----------



## PatchworkRobot (Aug 24, 2010)

Unless your dog's sire and dam were oversized then he should NOT weigh 100-110lb. My boy weighs a little over 75lb and he is what I would consider to be healthy. Your boy's 65lb does sound a little small but he could just be a little small himself. As it's been said, I think, the breed averages to be around 70-95 lbs.

I would suggest a different food, as other people have mentioned (Nature's Variety Instinct, Wellness CORE, Innova, Innova Prime, Blue Wilderness, Acana, Orijen, Earthborn Holistic, etc...). Also, do you have any pictures? Does he look to be an unhealthy weight?

Pictures below are of a doberman (mine) at a very healthy weight.

untitled by PatchworkRobots, on Flickr

untitled by PatchworkRobots, on Flickr

untitled by PatchworkRobots, on Flickr

untitled by PatchworkRobots, on Flickr

untitled by PatchworkRobots, on Flickr


----------



## zeronightfarm (Jun 15, 2011)

If you can't see his ribs, but can feel him, he is probably fine. It sounds like he just has high set hips. Don't worry about what other dobies weigh, if he looks good, then he is fine.

Beneiful is really cruddy food, if you want to stay in the lower price range, try taste of the Wild, you can buy it at Tractor Supply, or pet supermarket.


----------



## NurseCody (Sep 11, 2012)

I uploaded pics of him on Flickr but idk how to put them on here


----------



## ChaosIsAWeim (Feb 12, 2011)

NurseCody said:


> I uploaded pics of him on Flickr but idk how to put them on here


Copy the direct or IMG link. if you copy the direct click on the insert image button.


----------



## NurseCody (Sep 11, 2012)

Here's my baby I think he looks good

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/7977941246/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/7977940779/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/7978031249/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/7978032737/


----------



## sizzledog (Nov 23, 2008)

#1 - his weight looks just fine - I'd keep him at 65-70lbs and find a different vet!

#2 - Beneful really isn't the best kibble for him. I'm sure as a group, we can suggest some better foods if you give us an idea of what your dog food budget is.


----------



## PatchworkRobot (Aug 24, 2010)

I agree completely with sizzledog - your boy looks fine and please consider better foods :]


----------



## NurseCody (Sep 11, 2012)

Money is no problem whatever food he needs I'll buy I just got Beneful cuz I honestly thought it was good


----------



## PatchworkRobot (Aug 24, 2010)

Has anybody linked to Dog Food Analysis yet?
It's a FANTASTIC site for not only comparing foods but learning about what ingredients to avoid and why.


----------



## GrinningDog (Mar 26, 2010)

Agreed that he looks a healthy weight, although considering healthier foods could only be good for him. Beneful is pretty terrible (though they advertise it like it's good)! That dog food analysis site Patchwork Robot linked is excellent.


----------



## cshellenberger (Dec 2, 2006)

NurseCody said:


> I have had a Doberman since he was 8 weeks old he turned 2 in August however he is only 65 pounds & the vet says he should weigh 100-110 hes a beautiful dog shiny coat & eats like a horse I feed him Beneful healthy weight so what should I change it to or what kind of people food should I add besides peanut butter & eggs I want him to be healthy thanks guys


A doberman should NEVER weigh 110 lbs! My girl is oversized for a female, is 27" at the shoulder and is FIT at 65 lbs. The standard is:

Height at the withers: Dogs (males) 26 to 28 inches, ideal about 27 1/2 inches; Bitches 24 to 26 inches, ideal about 25 1/2 inches. The height, measured vertically from the ground to the highest point of the withers, equaling the length measured horizontally from the forechest to the rear projection of the upper thigh. Length of head, neck and legs in proportion to length and depth of body.

At the TOP height in the standard healthy weight for a male would be NO MORE than 75#, in order to weigh in at 100# for a healthy weight the dog would have to be built more like a Great Dane than a Doberman (closer to 32" at the shoulder) which is HUGELY out of standard. A dog that large wouldn't be able to do the job a Doberman was bred to do and would be very prone to joint issues.


----------



## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

He looks great at that weight! I can't imagine anyone thinking he needs to gain even 5 lbs, let alone 40! Do check out the Dog Food Analysis site that has been linked.

Do your own research and choose for yourself, but my personal recommendation is for Earthborn Holistic as my foster dog does quite well on it. No grain, soy, corn, wheat, byproducts, etc. It's fairly low in carbs (which is good) and I also like it for the price. It's about $45 for 30 lbs. I have also fed Acana with great results but it's slightly more expensive, and for my foster he seems to have done better on the Earthborn simply as it makes him fart less. His physical condition is the same on both foods, like good skin and coat, and less eye goop than he had on a low quality kibble. He was eating about 6 cups of of the low quality food per day, and on Acana or Earthborn gets about 2 and 1/2. He used to poop about 4-6x every day and now goes about twice. Before switching my dogs to a raw diet, I fed Taste of the Wild and thought it was great however the parent company Diamond doesn't have a great track record now with recalls and such so personally I wouldn't feed TOTW or other Diamond products now.

Here is the difference in my foster dog, he was being fed a low quality food and was switched to Earthborn. Note the difference in his coat! It started very dull and dry and after the switch has gotten much softer, shiner, and his skin isn't flaky anymore.


----------



## juliemule (Dec 10, 2011)

Your dog looks great. If he weighed 100 lbs he would be obese! Yet there are better foods, and usually you feed less of them so cost is in perspective.


----------



## zhaor (Jul 2, 2009)

NurseCody said:


> Money is no problem whatever food he needs I'll buy I just got Beneful cuz I honestly thought it was good


I just want to jump in again to say that Beneful is awful. Actually pretty much all of the big brands you normally hear about, Purina, Iams, Eukanuba are all not very good. Also usually the "health weight" versions of these seems even worse. I think Innova is the only good brand that I've seen a commercial for on TV.

If money isn't an issue, maybe get a commercial raw food. If time isn't an issue, make homemade raw. In terms of kibble, any of the ones rated 5 stars on http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/ is good although some are still better than others. There's actually a lot you can research regarding dog food.


----------



## RedGermanPinscher (Jun 22, 2012)

Me thinks new vet either 
1. Has a rather warpped sense of what a Doberman is suppose to look like. 
OR
2. is confusing his breed standards.


I would personally verify that the vet knew your pup is a doberman ( maybe he/she wa having an off day and inadvertently mixed up the breeds), however, if they continue to insist your boy is under weight etc.. It is definitely time to switch foods and vets... good luck...


----------



## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

In addition, you could ask how the Vet determined appropriate weight. As far as I know, the research that generated the Body Condition Chart at the link that Crantastic posted above, is the accepted method... and does not require weighing the dog, insteading eyeballing and feeling. 

I respect my Vet a lot, but we go back and forth that she wants my older 60 lb. dog to be 3 - 5 pounds heavier (not a big deal), ... we both judge by the same method, but I want him on the leaner side (longer life) and she wants him to be a little less lean, due to advanced age, just in case he gets sick and starts to lose weight. Not exactly pertinent to your issue, but my point is that is the type of discussion (and philosophical disagreement) that is reasonable to have with your vet.


----------



## PatchworkRobot (Aug 24, 2010)

RedGermanPinscher said:


> Me thinks new vet either
> 1. Has a rather warpped sense of what a Doberman is suppose to look like.
> OR
> 2. is confusing his breed standards.
> ...


There are a fair number of less-than-reputable breeders in this breed with a "bigger is better" mindset who have over-standard dogs and not only flaunt that fact but breed to produce more out of standard dogs. I was on a website the other day where the breeder was bragging about their 98lb female and 110lb male. It's ridiculous.

It could also be that the vet just doesn't know much about Dobermans. They are a medium sized breed but due to the way they look and carry themselves most people assume that they're larger... or they should be. I've had plenty of people come up to me and say something like, "Is that a Doberman? Is he a baby? He's SOOOO small!." I think it has to do with their aggressive and scary reputation that makes them be remembered as bigger than they really are.


But I do agree - new food and perhaps a new vet.


----------



## RedGermanPinscher (Jun 22, 2012)

PatchworkRobot said:


> *There are a fair number of less-than-reputable breeders in this breed with a "bigger is better" mindset who have over-standard dogs and not only flaunt that fact but breed to produce more out of standard dogs. * I was on a website the other day where the breeder was bragging about their 98lb female and 110lb male. It's ridiculous.
> 
> * It could also be that the vet just doesn't know much about Dobermans.* They are a medium sized breed but due to the way they look and carry themselves most people assume that they're larger... or they should be. I've had plenty of people come up to me and say something like, "Is that a Doberman? Is he a baby? He's SOOOO small!." I think it has to do with their aggressive and scary reputation that makes them be remembered as bigger than they really are.
> 
> ...


This is what I meant when I said that they may have a warpped sense of what a Doberman is suppose to look like.

I know I did, of them and rottweilers, till I saw my trainer's Champion and champion bred ones.


----------



## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

Your dog looks fine. Please get rid of the Beneful, horrible food. Go to www.dogfoodadvisor.com, look for "how to find a dog food" and read there.


----------



## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

Breed standards aside, how could any vet look at this dog and think it needs to almost double its weight?!










You definitely need a new vet. And you really need a new food. I fed Beneful for years, too. It looks great, doesn't it, and the advertising makes it sound wonderful. It's awful food, though. I feed Wellness Core, Taste of the Wild and Blue Wilderness. All three are high in protein and grain free, which is better for dogs. Definitely feed less, though. I fed 6 cups of Beneful a day and only 4 of Wellness, etc. for my 90lb dog.


----------

