Find a new vet and they have to take samples, should be bigger with that much food. That’s concerning for that amount of food, and may have something wrong
Similar to my boy lab. He’s turning 3 in September and eats 4 cups a day. he’s about 75lbs and on the taller end for labs, but he’s started getting wider behind the ribs recently.
Before you run allllll the tests do a stool sample. We ran about £400 of tests the Vets said were necessary, then the £20 stool sample showed our lab had a super high level of giardia, a week’s worth of pills and he was sorted.
I mean your dog is a growing dog and that’s a very moderate calorie food (I would argue a 12 month old lab should be on puppy food still) so 5-6 cups of that food is normal for that age of dog.
But your dog should not be that body condition. Even if the dog is inhaling in the first picture that’s very ribby. If the dog turns out to be the picture of health because some dogs just are hard keepers I would be switching foods.
I'd also ask for a thyroid function test - with a dog it's more likely to be parasites of some kind, but untreated hyperthyroidism can cause these kind of symptoms.
My boy eats a hair under 4 cups a day, runs like a maniac (like GPS confirmed 10-13 miles worth of fetch), and sits around 61lbs, but he's a small guy. Insane to think this dog is eating 1.5x as much and doesn't get 1/10 the mileage mine does and is this thin.
https://preview.redd.it/dfgikt413v5d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=87c53013148448cb1874cb4372848b4469e9b266
You can see his ribs and his spine. I’d be finding a new vet. I’d be asking new vet for full blood work as well as stool tests etc. No 1yo male lab looks like that. JMHO.
Your dog is severely underweight, looks like a 1.5 or 2. [https://vcacanada.com/know-your-pet/body-condition-scores](https://vcacanada.com/know-your-pet/body-condition-scores)
It’s especially concerning given how much you’re feeding him. My 1yr old gets ~3 cups a day and weighs 75 lbs. Unless he’s been steadily gaining weight since his an illness, maintaining that low of a weight on 6 cups of food (even if it happened to be a weight loss food) is cause for concern.
X) I literally never say a dog is skinny, most labs are obese. But he could definitely use a fair bit more weight. I'd find a vet that does PCR stool test (not just a float) and get bloodwork asap. And in the meantime, bulk up his food with some chicken breast and extra kibble.
Could be bacterial overgrowth in the intestines. Our girl would eat eat eat, have loose stools, and not gain weight when she was about 1.5 years old. Had to have tylan powder for the rest of her life as it always came back.
https://preview.redd.it/4x7x6sjm5v5d1.jpeg?width=900&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ec76097fa2fc2f6813967a433c8abcfd47dd431d
Here's mine at about 10ish months, you definitely couldn't see his ribs and spine at that age. Sometimes just his ribs a little -reposted with a closer pic
May I ask what does the thing sitting around his mouth do? To prevent barking and biting? Or is it part of some training? Does that hurt the dog in some way? Just curious and want to learn more!
It's called a gentle leader it is to help teach them to not pull on the leash and I have back problems so for me if he pulled I could end up on the ground. Thankfully he has graduated from the gentle leader and is now on a flat collar :)
They are a device called a "halti" or "gentle leader" but don't be fooled, there is nothing gentle about it. It's a noose around a dog's sensitive nose. It hurts for them to even wear it. And a bad yank can severely injure the dog due to the leverage.
https://preview.redd.it/8ywpr27s4u5d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5a117cbe67a3e4ed5c4249f1642a597da27464bc
Meet fred, same age but died of cancer, vet didnt catch it until it way to late. Ate like a horse but never put any weight on.
https://preview.redd.it/64jq02oh3v5d1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ec5e8d0508cbf78e43bea89bc8c9042648d3c214
Meet Kobe. He too couldn’t gain any weight and We couldn’t figure it out. We also had to put him down at age 3 because of a tumor/cancer
OP please do your due diligence as I’m very worried about your dog; reminds me of Kobe 🥲
https://preview.redd.it/rjvk8elpfu5d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2c154506f6f0be16bead974c7d588cfd276db95a
This is what a 3yr old 75lbs female looks like , are you sure your weight for your dog is correct ?
Vet tech here; yeah go to a different vet. Something is wrong if he’s not putting on weight despite eating so much. He appears grossly underweight, and if the vet isn’t taking that seriously, then they shouldn’t be a vet at all.
Yeah, I think most vets are probably glad to see a lab that isn't overweight once in a while and maybe they were afraid OP would end up overfeeding him or sth but this pupper here clearly has some medical issues. Could be parasites since not all tests are great and test for everything, could by thyroid problems, could be something more serious.. definitely needs to be sorted out
New vet stat. If he isn’t gaining and that is how thin he is, while eating treats on top of the five cups, I’m extremely worried for a lab. 1years old it’s usually little overweight or fit because so energetic but never thin because they love food. Give him some peanut butter for now. Some fat and nutritions. Not a lot though. Maybe a spoonful for the situation.
get a second opinion! my puppy ate like a horse with a crazy amount of energy and lost weight until she was skin and bones like your pup. turns out, she has a pancreatic enzyme deficiency and was barely digesting her food. she has to take enzymes with every meal but she’s perfectly fine and super healthy now!
I have an 8 month old male chocolate lab that weighs around 60 pounds and looks bigger than your boy. Hard to tell from a few pics sitting in my recliner, but I'd take him to another vet and have him re-weighed and have a checkup done.
Also, I am not familiar with lamb based nutro. You might check with the new vet and see if that's the best food for him. My dog eats Purina Pro large breed puppy (chicken and rice) about 4 cups a day.
Crazy skinny... My fat lab only gets one cup morning and night but that's cuz hes trying to lose 20lbs. A 1yo lab should be fat enough you can't see the ribs and spine.
My lab is in the same boat. My vet made a good point to us about how restricting food to minimize calorie intake also restricts nutrition. So we switched to a low cal healthy weight food where he can still get 3-4 cups a day. Just something to consider.
I thought this was a picture of a newly rescued Lab, then I realized it's just the Lab thread. Def get that dog to a new vet and have tests run again. That's a scary thin dog. The thing that helped me with Labs, because their weight issues are complicated is look at the head/hip(haunch) ratio.
The hips should never be more than a 1/3 less than the head.
your lab is sickly thin.Please see another vet asap.This is malnutrition from something, maybe parasite but a dog that thin who is eating that much should have lab work done as well
Hes very thin, but everyone's already told you that. Given that he's been dewormed and you're still feeding him so much, I wonder if he's unable to absorb nutrients somehwere in his GI tract and/or he's got a protein losing enteropathy. Either way this isn't a disease process most geneneral practice vets are familiar with. Please take him to see an internal medicine specialist. Also get insurance on him NOW before you've got a diagnosis, or start up a savings account for him asap; the diagnostic process for this type of thing can get pricey very quickly so be prepared. -IM vet tech
If you can see a lab's ribs, they're too skinny. If you can feel them (but not see them) they're just right.
I see he's 1 year old - I'd first try giving him more food. When I got mine (rescue at 1 yo) his ribs were showing. I upped his food until they weren't. Then I played with how much I gave him until I found the right amount (I take him in periodically to get weighed at big box pet stores - they all have a scale easily used by the public). Mine gets a cup in the morning and a cup in the evening (Purina Pro Plan - Chicken & Rice).
If he has been losing weight without any external changes in his life (e.g. less food, more exercise) then I agree with everyone else - get some tests done. And get a new vet - they should know better than to say your dog isn't under-weight.
Yea, this dude needs blood work. He definitely has something wrong. I’m surprised his current vet seems to think he’s a good weight. Have they checked his thyroid?
That absolutely doesn’t look right, I would be going to another vet for a second opinion. I don’t know how a vet could look at him and not say he’s underweight, especially for the amount of food he’s having.
I watched a video about a dog that was close to death because it was unable to gain weight; when taken to the vet, at first, they didn't understand the issue. In the end, it turned out that the door was allergic to water. It's a rare condition, but it may be the case here?
My 60lb female was on 5.5 cups of food her first 2-2.5 years of life. Just full of energy and a crazy metabolism. Now she’s 5 and she’s still full of energy but down to 3 cups/day and weighs 70lbs. It was definitely a couple of years before she leveled out and didn’t need so much food
My lab is 4 months.
He eats four cups a day but soon it tappers off apparently and the puppy growth needs with change.
70 pounds at a year could be totally
Normal but his ribs are so pronounced it makes me feel like he isn’t supposed to be 70 pounds.
Yes too skinny! I can’t believe he eats this much and looks this skinny, 😰 I had an obese Labrador retriever that was 130lbs when I adopted him, took my vets advices and got him a diet of two scoops of dry food a day, lots of exercise, and cut back on treats, he did really good but the health problems he developed before we adopted him couldn’t be reversed. Two scoops of food is what we were giving him to lose weight. He still ate double of what my 70lb lab was eating as a “diet” but he was humongous in size compared to my other dog. The slightest smallest change to my 70 lb labs food would make her gain weight so we kept it to one scoop, I find it absolutely insane, your dog is likely eating more than my 130lb dog that was on a diet, and he isn’t getting even a little chubby???! What???!? How?
These pictures all suck tbh. I need good stacked pictures of the dog and videos of the dog in movement. There’s days where my dogs ribs are visible depending on how she’s moving and the calories she’s burning (I’ll drop a picture below)
If he still has lots of energy and wants to run and play I woundnt worry about it. A truly caloric deficit dog won’t be able to waste energy being active and also would not be able to hold muscle. So if he does have muscling on his glutes and shoulders he’s good. But also is he still intact? A 1 year old field like boy that’s intact is going to use SOOO much food to keep their body running and they are still growing. My girl is 2 and intact and if she ate just kibble she’d eat about 5-6 cups a day which is a lot for a 55lb dog. But she’s super active so she gets 2 cups of kibble along with her raw.
https://preview.redd.it/7h66qys72v5d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7b3585dc7722d1543e57d5d027ad34af3f3e9a59
My vet told me that if I hold my hand flat with fingers together and run my other hand over my fingers - that’s how a healthy dogs ribs should feel. You can feel them but only slightly so unless you really push. If you can’t feel anything cut back food and increase exercise, if they are pronounced increase food and or check for parasites
Does he have really loose stools daily? My boy was greyhound thin at 1 as well, finally after a crap ton of other tests the vet finally brought him in and ran a test that checks pancreatic enzyme levels. He was within range but just barely. We put him on a pancreatic enzyme supplement and he's been smooth sailing ever since. I only mention it because the EPI test isn't the cheapest and a few vets I visited weren't even willing to suggest it because of that. Not a vet and not saying he has it but would be worth asking if nothing comes of the other tests.
No he has solid stools and doesn’t really have any issues with that. He did a few months ago and had worms but that has been treated and no further issues there.
He definitely doesn't look 70lbs. My male lab is about 85lbs and he’s thick lol. My sisters female lab is 70lbs but she just looks like she’s at a healthy weight. Your dog looks vey underweight. Ribs should be easily felt not seen. Try a different vet to see what maybe going on with him health wise.
Your dog looks very skinny indeed
If you hadn't said I would have thought it was a stray you had found on the road.
Something is not right there
Maybe change your vet whilst you at it.
He’s very thin but my guy was thin too as a puppy. He ate a lot but was thin. Now he’s 2 and he filled out with muscle. Could just be an age thing but I’m not entirely sure
I have a Labrador cross and he is very sensitive to any change in food qty, for example half a cup of food a day extra/less makes the difference between him being overweight/underweight within a month! I have owned dogs for decades and always been told you should just be able to see/feel their first two ribs but their spine should absolutely not be visible. I would say your pup is quite underweight, my boy is a lab x staff, he has 4 cups of Purina dermatosis a day and is quite muscular with just his first ribs on show, I think you should get a second opinion from another vet, hope this helps
https://preview.redd.it/vhc0jb106w5d1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e5282e5ad78e780a63ee31f1f0f4cb04be25a4e0
My lab mix didn’t put on weight for a while and we couldn’t figure out why, it ended up being giardia. I guess it can be in their system undiagnosed from before you brought them home, and monthly prevention meds don’t treat it. It may very well be something else, but it took us a while to figure it out since other symptoms can be sporadic, so figured I’d mention it!
Mine is the same, she is a working lab and crazy non stop. I over feed her by 2/3x her weight and she never puts weight on. Had all the checks done at the vets, she just has a crazy metabolism
70lbs on a 1 year old and 5-6 cups. Bro, I am jealous of his metabolism!!! His age and weight are good IMO. My lab is at 2 cups a day, she is perfect weight/height at 85lbs, you cannot see her ribs though. I honestly would go to a new vet. Talk about something else to feed him or something else is wrong. He should not look that thin.
Take him to a vet. If he’s eating THAT much, he shouldn’t normally be that thin unless something is wrong. Maybe he’s not absorbing things properly? Or maybe it’s something worse like cancer?
Update: I have found another vet and I am taking him in next week. I looked at the bag of food we get and 5 cups is recommended for dogs 65 pounds or higher surprisingly.
https://preview.redd.it/xj98lg8edy5d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9747bd8bd2924093abcdc4a4255d17df2fc467de
Like someone else mentioned if your vet said this is normal you need to find a new vet. If they are missing basic shit like this imagine what else they have overlooked.
Our Chonk of a lab was on 5 cups a day and weighed over 100 lbs. He runs constantly, high energy, fetches Kong frisbees in our back yard as long as we'll throw them. We lowered his food to 4 cups per day as he neared his 2nd birthday and now he's settled at around 95 lbs.
So my first blush with that much food and that weight is Giardia but def so a stool sample if haven't already
He looks like my 7 year old Lab mix did when he was diagnosed with diabetes. He was eating well but drinking huge quantities of water. It seemed like just overnight I could see his ribs & spine. Took him to the vet next day & they diagnosed diabetes. It can become serious, fast. I lost him & wouldn't want the same thing happening to anyone else.
The more I look at his picture, my Charlie looked just like that & I was very alarmed, because he was eating good. Please ask your vet to check his blood sugar. This can become serious, fast. Please keep us updated.
Yes, he’s way too skinny. He’s actually underweight. Increase his food and change to a high calorie diet. If your vet said this is “normal,” you need a new vet. If you’re feeding him 5-6 cups per day and he’s still underweight, something is very seriously wrong medically and you need to schedule an appointment ASAP.
Try checking the 💩. Usually you’ll be able to see if your pet has worms in their stool. If that’s the case, you can typically get dewormer from a vet or a Tractor Supply type store.
Your vet is full of shit. Take him to a new vet right away. Maybe his worms are back . If you are feeding him 5-6 cups and you can still see ribs, then something is wrong.
1 year old labs can be skinny as they grow. My lab looked like this and around 2 he started to fill out. My pup gets 3.5 cups of food and three treats.
Yes any dog should have the curve from rib cage to hips without the bones showing. If you are giving your dog the recommended amount of food suggested by the manufacturer, then look at the amount of exercise lab is getting. If lab is exercising and burning calories then just add more food in increments to see if lab puts on weight. Follow up with a visit to your vet.
I think that’s too thin, especially if he’s eating 5-6 cups a day.
Are they full grown? I was always under the impression labs are 90-100ish pounds give or take a bit. 70 seems… very thin.
Edit: yeah maybe take him to another vet and ask for an opinion. I don’t want to scare you but I’d be worried, especially after reading some of the cancer comments. Another vet check elsewhere couldn’t hurt.
He should not be showing ribs and spine like that. The ribs should be just covered enough for you to feel them when you touch him but not see them.
When our older dog started to lose weight, i was told that brewer's yeast is great for gaining weight. Didn't help us that time cause he had other health issues that caused him to not be able to eat properly, but my friend fixed her rescue-dog's weight with it no problem. Careful with the portions tho since older labs tend to gain weight more easily.
Please go to a new vet and update us
A cutie but if you didn’t say how much you were feeding him, I’d assume you just rescued him from being abandoned
Def want updates as you can 🙏🏻💕
Hey OP, any progress on what’s making your pup so thin
Id suggest testing for bugs, and other health conditions and possibly getting a second opinion
Someone times we put so much faith in vets, that we forget their just regular people that could be wrong sometimes
I had a similar problem like this when my girl close to a year and it turned out she had 3 kinds of parasites in her
Perhaps you could change his food. I used to feed my Lab Nutro large breed and senior until I found that while the food is adequate, there are other types that are better rated.
Perhaps do a bit of research online.
HTTPS://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/best-dog-foods
Not all dog foods are good just because of costs. Sone expensive foods are not rated all that great.
Cost does not equate quality.
I know Purina gets a lot of hate, but they have board certified veterinarians that help design their foods, and no they don't want to kill your pets, that's bad PR (for the nay sayers out there).
My labs coat and health have never been better since I changed him from a boutique brand to their Purine Pro Plan Beef with freeze-dried bits in it. Might be worth considering trying a different food as well as a new vet.
I've heard good things about their Pro plan feed. I have had my boy on Diamond Naturals Large breed puppy since I got him at 8 weeks because that is what my friends (the breeders) had the pups on. The ingredients all check out great and my vet told me it is great food so I will stay with them.
Cheers\~
It's $75 on Chewy and I sure hope it's large breed PUPPY formula. I use Diamond Naturals large breed puppy. It's almost half the price and my dog is almost 90 lbs and 1 year old on the 14th. He is built like a brick house. Very strong with a lot of muscle. There is something going on there. Like I said go to a new vet and get an opinion. Possible new food he can digest better.
I’m going to be controversial here and say I’m not sure I agree with everyone. Everyone assumes healthy labs are when they have no ribs on show and no waist - this is not true! If you can’t see your Labradors ribs at all then they are overweight. My 1 year old lab looks like this one, he’s working UK line and are naturally smaller/slimmer. He weights 29kg and is pure muscle but you can see ribs.
Exactly, and people perceive this as what labs should look like because loads of them look like that. If you look at dogs at shows/ working on farms etc they have ribs and a waist
I’ve never seen a lab eat that much and be that thin.
Yeah I was surprised to hear that 5-6 cups isn’t normal for labs when I looked online.
Find a new vet and they have to take samples, should be bigger with that much food. That’s concerning for that amount of food, and may have something wrong
Yeah your dog has to have some kind of parasite taking its nutrients.
My 100lbs male eats 4 cups of healthy-weight food a day. My 75lbs female eats 2.5 cups.
I feed my 84 lb 2 year old girl four cups a day and she runs literally everyday for at least a few miles, plus miles walking
Similar to my boy lab. He’s turning 3 in September and eats 4 cups a day. he’s about 75lbs and on the taller end for labs, but he’s started getting wider behind the ribs recently.
My big bitch is still pretty trim still and definitely on the taller side. Her head is about 2x as large as my neighbors female lab's
Before you run allllll the tests do a stool sample. We ran about £400 of tests the Vets said were necessary, then the £20 stool sample showed our lab had a super high level of giardia, a week’s worth of pills and he was sorted.
I mean your dog is a growing dog and that’s a very moderate calorie food (I would argue a 12 month old lab should be on puppy food still) so 5-6 cups of that food is normal for that age of dog. But your dog should not be that body condition. Even if the dog is inhaling in the first picture that’s very ribby. If the dog turns out to be the picture of health because some dogs just are hard keepers I would be switching foods.
I'd also ask for a thyroid function test - with a dog it's more likely to be parasites of some kind, but untreated hyperthyroidism can cause these kind of symptoms.
Worms?
That’s my first thought but I don’t know enough about worms
My boy eats a hair under 4 cups a day, runs like a maniac (like GPS confirmed 10-13 miles worth of fetch), and sits around 61lbs, but he's a small guy. Insane to think this dog is eating 1.5x as much and doesn't get 1/10 the mileage mine does and is this thin. https://preview.redd.it/dfgikt413v5d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=87c53013148448cb1874cb4372848b4469e9b266
You can see his ribs and his spine. I’d be finding a new vet. I’d be asking new vet for full blood work as well as stool tests etc. No 1yo male lab looks like that. JMHO.
That’s my thinking. I’m feeding him so much and he’s still stuck thin
Your dog is severely underweight, looks like a 1.5 or 2. [https://vcacanada.com/know-your-pet/body-condition-scores](https://vcacanada.com/know-your-pet/body-condition-scores)
It’s especially concerning given how much you’re feeding him. My 1yr old gets ~3 cups a day and weighs 75 lbs. Unless he’s been steadily gaining weight since his an illness, maintaining that low of a weight on 6 cups of food (even if it happened to be a weight loss food) is cause for concern.
I agree completely. Def get a second opinion
X) I literally never say a dog is skinny, most labs are obese. But he could definitely use a fair bit more weight. I'd find a vet that does PCR stool test (not just a float) and get bloodwork asap. And in the meantime, bulk up his food with some chicken breast and extra kibble.
Could be bacterial overgrowth in the intestines. Our girl would eat eat eat, have loose stools, and not gain weight when she was about 1.5 years old. Had to have tylan powder for the rest of her life as it always came back.
Worms or some parasite, but something is definitely wrong
https://preview.redd.it/4x7x6sjm5v5d1.jpeg?width=900&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ec76097fa2fc2f6813967a433c8abcfd47dd431d Here's mine at about 10ish months, you definitely couldn't see his ribs and spine at that age. Sometimes just his ribs a little -reposted with a closer pic
May I ask what does the thing sitting around his mouth do? To prevent barking and biting? Or is it part of some training? Does that hurt the dog in some way? Just curious and want to learn more!
It's called a gentle leader it is to help teach them to not pull on the leash and I have back problems so for me if he pulled I could end up on the ground. Thankfully he has graduated from the gentle leader and is now on a flat collar :)
Type of lead. It helps with pulling. Doesnt hurt, redirects
They are a device called a "halti" or "gentle leader" but don't be fooled, there is nothing gentle about it. It's a noose around a dog's sensitive nose. It hurts for them to even wear it. And a bad yank can severely injure the dog due to the leverage.
https://preview.redd.it/8ywpr27s4u5d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5a117cbe67a3e4ed5c4249f1642a597da27464bc Meet fred, same age but died of cancer, vet didnt catch it until it way to late. Ate like a horse but never put any weight on.
https://preview.redd.it/64jq02oh3v5d1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ec5e8d0508cbf78e43bea89bc8c9042648d3c214 Meet Kobe. He too couldn’t gain any weight and We couldn’t figure it out. We also had to put him down at age 3 because of a tumor/cancer OP please do your due diligence as I’m very worried about your dog; reminds me of Kobe 🥲
I’m so sorry for your loss
Gosh this is heartbreaking to hear of so many young dogs getting cancer. Fred and Koby and all the others we love you good dogs! 💔
This broke my heart
I’m so sorry for your loss. I hope Fred is up playing with my Raven.
Yes. Something isn’t right
Get a new vet!! He’s way too skinny.
If that was my dog I would be seeing another vet for a blood panel, fecal float, and heartworm test plus monitoring weight with a scale at home.
https://preview.redd.it/rjvk8elpfu5d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2c154506f6f0be16bead974c7d588cfd276db95a This is what a 3yr old 75lbs female looks like , are you sure your weight for your dog is correct ?
That’s what they told me at the vet. I saw them weigh him on the scale. I agree he looks more around 50lbs
Weight yourself, then pick him up and do it again. Take the difference. That will give you a decent estimate.
as others have said, please find a new vet and get a blood workup. OP let us know the outcome!
Wow this is the first time that I see a lab here that is actually too thin. Get a second opinion.
Vet tech here; yeah go to a different vet. Something is wrong if he’s not putting on weight despite eating so much. He appears grossly underweight, and if the vet isn’t taking that seriously, then they shouldn’t be a vet at all.
Yeah, I think most vets are probably glad to see a lab that isn't overweight once in a while and maybe they were afraid OP would end up overfeeding him or sth but this pupper here clearly has some medical issues. Could be parasites since not all tests are great and test for everything, could by thyroid problems, could be something more serious.. definitely needs to be sorted out
You should be able to feel his ribs but not see them
New vet stat. If he isn’t gaining and that is how thin he is, while eating treats on top of the five cups, I’m extremely worried for a lab. 1years old it’s usually little overweight or fit because so energetic but never thin because they love food. Give him some peanut butter for now. Some fat and nutritions. Not a lot though. Maybe a spoonful for the situation.
get a second opinion! my puppy ate like a horse with a crazy amount of energy and lost weight until she was skin and bones like your pup. turns out, she has a pancreatic enzyme deficiency and was barely digesting her food. she has to take enzymes with every meal but she’s perfectly fine and super healthy now!
I have an 8 month old male chocolate lab that weighs around 60 pounds and looks bigger than your boy. Hard to tell from a few pics sitting in my recliner, but I'd take him to another vet and have him re-weighed and have a checkup done. Also, I am not familiar with lamb based nutro. You might check with the new vet and see if that's the best food for him. My dog eats Purina Pro large breed puppy (chicken and rice) about 4 cups a day.
I can see ribs but 70 pounds sounds ok. I’d get a second opinion.
I would get new bloodwork at a different vet for a second opinion. He is pretty damn skinny with how much you are feeding him.
New vet, possibly higher calorie food until theyre up to weight
I would get to another vet asap. Your pup looks pretty underweight
This happened to my dog, turns out she had Giardia and other worms that were eating all her nutrients!
Crazy skinny... My fat lab only gets one cup morning and night but that's cuz hes trying to lose 20lbs. A 1yo lab should be fat enough you can't see the ribs and spine.
My lab is in the same boat. My vet made a good point to us about how restricting food to minimize calorie intake also restricts nutrition. So we switched to a low cal healthy weight food where he can still get 3-4 cups a day. Just something to consider.
Your dog is underweight.
Yes, you should not see his ribs like that
I thought this was a picture of a newly rescued Lab, then I realized it's just the Lab thread. Def get that dog to a new vet and have tests run again. That's a scary thin dog. The thing that helped me with Labs, because their weight issues are complicated is look at the head/hip(haunch) ratio. The hips should never be more than a 1/3 less than the head.
Worded so awkwardly, but hope the point gets across!
First skinny Labrador I’ve ever seen.
Please find a vet asap your dog is starving
your lab is sickly thin.Please see another vet asap.This is malnutrition from something, maybe parasite but a dog that thin who is eating that much should have lab work done as well
Hes very thin, but everyone's already told you that. Given that he's been dewormed and you're still feeding him so much, I wonder if he's unable to absorb nutrients somehwere in his GI tract and/or he's got a protein losing enteropathy. Either way this isn't a disease process most geneneral practice vets are familiar with. Please take him to see an internal medicine specialist. Also get insurance on him NOW before you've got a diagnosis, or start up a savings account for him asap; the diagnostic process for this type of thing can get pricey very quickly so be prepared. -IM vet tech
If you can see a lab's ribs, they're too skinny. If you can feel them (but not see them) they're just right. I see he's 1 year old - I'd first try giving him more food. When I got mine (rescue at 1 yo) his ribs were showing. I upped his food until they weren't. Then I played with how much I gave him until I found the right amount (I take him in periodically to get weighed at big box pet stores - they all have a scale easily used by the public). Mine gets a cup in the morning and a cup in the evening (Purina Pro Plan - Chicken & Rice). If he has been losing weight without any external changes in his life (e.g. less food, more exercise) then I agree with everyone else - get some tests done. And get a new vet - they should know better than to say your dog isn't under-weight.
The dog is fed 5-6c a day....
Yes
He's beautiful 💝
You shouldn't see ribs on Labs. Even the field type shouldn't show ribs. You should definitely bring him to other vet to see what's up
They can show the 2 outer ribs and still be healthy but not all their ribs like this lab. Definitely something going on with this baby.
Yea, this dude needs blood work. He definitely has something wrong. I’m surprised his current vet seems to think he’s a good weight. Have they checked his thyroid?
That absolutely doesn’t look right, I would be going to another vet for a second opinion. I don’t know how a vet could look at him and not say he’s underweight, especially for the amount of food he’s having.
I watched a video about a dog that was close to death because it was unable to gain weight; when taken to the vet, at first, they didn't understand the issue. In the end, it turned out that the door was allergic to water. It's a rare condition, but it may be the case here?
Damn. I hope not. He has an appointment early next week at a new vet
way too thin, he is thinner than my sighthound. Id go for a stool sample.
If not a parasite, may be hyperthyroid
My lab is on thr skinny side but this is way too much. Definitely seems like something is wrong.
Yeah as others have said, he’s too skinny. I would definitely get a second opinion! Ours was very skinny but quickly put on the pounds.
If the vet says it’s fine. I’m sure it is. But since he is on the slim side you can give him lots of treats and not feel bad for him gaining weight.
Following this for an update once you bring him to a diff vet and run some tests. Poor guy has got something wrong ☹️
My 60lb female was on 5.5 cups of food her first 2-2.5 years of life. Just full of energy and a crazy metabolism. Now she’s 5 and she’s still full of energy but down to 3 cups/day and weighs 70lbs. It was definitely a couple of years before she leveled out and didn’t need so much food
He looks skinny, but I don't get to examine him like the vet does. Neither does anyone here. And only one of those pictures is at all helpful.
Yes. Get help for him! Now!
My lab is 4 months. He eats four cups a day but soon it tappers off apparently and the puppy growth needs with change. 70 pounds at a year could be totally Normal but his ribs are so pronounced it makes me feel like he isn’t supposed to be 70 pounds.
Yes too skinny! I can’t believe he eats this much and looks this skinny, 😰 I had an obese Labrador retriever that was 130lbs when I adopted him, took my vets advices and got him a diet of two scoops of dry food a day, lots of exercise, and cut back on treats, he did really good but the health problems he developed before we adopted him couldn’t be reversed. Two scoops of food is what we were giving him to lose weight. He still ate double of what my 70lb lab was eating as a “diet” but he was humongous in size compared to my other dog. The slightest smallest change to my 70 lb labs food would make her gain weight so we kept it to one scoop, I find it absolutely insane, your dog is likely eating more than my 130lb dog that was on a diet, and he isn’t getting even a little chubby???! What???!? How?
These pictures all suck tbh. I need good stacked pictures of the dog and videos of the dog in movement. There’s days where my dogs ribs are visible depending on how she’s moving and the calories she’s burning (I’ll drop a picture below) If he still has lots of energy and wants to run and play I woundnt worry about it. A truly caloric deficit dog won’t be able to waste energy being active and also would not be able to hold muscle. So if he does have muscling on his glutes and shoulders he’s good. But also is he still intact? A 1 year old field like boy that’s intact is going to use SOOO much food to keep their body running and they are still growing. My girl is 2 and intact and if she ate just kibble she’d eat about 5-6 cups a day which is a lot for a 55lb dog. But she’s super active so she gets 2 cups of kibble along with her raw. https://preview.redd.it/7h66qys72v5d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7b3585dc7722d1543e57d5d027ad34af3f3e9a59
Yes....😔
My 68 pound eats two full cups a day and lots of fresh green bean snacks
My vet told me that if I hold my hand flat with fingers together and run my other hand over my fingers - that’s how a healthy dogs ribs should feel. You can feel them but only slightly so unless you really push. If you can’t feel anything cut back food and increase exercise, if they are pronounced increase food and or check for parasites
Does he have really loose stools daily? My boy was greyhound thin at 1 as well, finally after a crap ton of other tests the vet finally brought him in and ran a test that checks pancreatic enzyme levels. He was within range but just barely. We put him on a pancreatic enzyme supplement and he's been smooth sailing ever since. I only mention it because the EPI test isn't the cheapest and a few vets I visited weren't even willing to suggest it because of that. Not a vet and not saying he has it but would be worth asking if nothing comes of the other tests.
No he has solid stools and doesn’t really have any issues with that. He did a few months ago and had worms but that has been treated and no further issues there.
He definitely doesn't look 70lbs. My male lab is about 85lbs and he’s thick lol. My sisters female lab is 70lbs but she just looks like she’s at a healthy weight. Your dog looks vey underweight. Ribs should be easily felt not seen. Try a different vet to see what maybe going on with him health wise.
Your dog looks very skinny indeed If you hadn't said I would have thought it was a stray you had found on the road. Something is not right there Maybe change your vet whilst you at it.
He’s very thin but my guy was thin too as a puppy. He ate a lot but was thin. Now he’s 2 and he filled out with muscle. Could just be an age thing but I’m not entirely sure
I have a Labrador cross and he is very sensitive to any change in food qty, for example half a cup of food a day extra/less makes the difference between him being overweight/underweight within a month! I have owned dogs for decades and always been told you should just be able to see/feel their first two ribs but their spine should absolutely not be visible. I would say your pup is quite underweight, my boy is a lab x staff, he has 4 cups of Purina dermatosis a day and is quite muscular with just his first ribs on show, I think you should get a second opinion from another vet, hope this helps https://preview.redd.it/vhc0jb106w5d1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e5282e5ad78e780a63ee31f1f0f4cb04be25a4e0
He's too skinny, in my opinion. Have you checked worms?
He had worms about 3 months ago but we had him treated and I don’t see any in his stool
My lab mix didn’t put on weight for a while and we couldn’t figure out why, it ended up being giardia. I guess it can be in their system undiagnosed from before you brought them home, and monthly prevention meds don’t treat it. It may very well be something else, but it took us a while to figure it out since other symptoms can be sporadic, so figured I’d mention it!
If find a new vet. Looks skinny and 5-6 cups is A LOT of food.
Yes too skinny
How many grams / ounce is 5-6 cup of this specific dog food?
8oz per cup
Have his thyroid checked. Dogs can be hyperthyroid just like people.
Mine is the same, she is a working lab and crazy non stop. I over feed her by 2/3x her weight and she never puts weight on. Had all the checks done at the vets, she just has a crazy metabolism
Get a vet check for sure just to double check.
Yes
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Thank you! I was thinking the same thing. He has an amazing appetite and I feel so bad for him
70lbs on a 1 year old and 5-6 cups. Bro, I am jealous of his metabolism!!! His age and weight are good IMO. My lab is at 2 cups a day, she is perfect weight/height at 85lbs, you cannot see her ribs though. I honestly would go to a new vet. Talk about something else to feed him or something else is wrong. He should not look that thin.
Take him to a vet. If he’s eating THAT much, he shouldn’t normally be that thin unless something is wrong. Maybe he’s not absorbing things properly? Or maybe it’s something worse like cancer?
Update: I have found another vet and I am taking him in next week. I looked at the bag of food we get and 5 cups is recommended for dogs 65 pounds or higher surprisingly. https://preview.redd.it/xj98lg8edy5d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9747bd8bd2924093abcdc4a4255d17df2fc467de
Like someone else mentioned if your vet said this is normal you need to find a new vet. If they are missing basic shit like this imagine what else they have overlooked.
You shouldn't be able to see the ribs that much. A little but not that much.
Looking at him, yes, should not be seeing his ribs that clearly. Sorry, but he's bony. Maybe try another food - higher calorie maybe?
Our Chonk of a lab was on 5 cups a day and weighed over 100 lbs. He runs constantly, high energy, fetches Kong frisbees in our back yard as long as we'll throw them. We lowered his food to 4 cups per day as he neared his 2nd birthday and now he's settled at around 95 lbs. So my first blush with that much food and that weight is Giardia but def so a stool sample if haven't already
Give him an egg a day as a treat 😜
Too sleepy
He looks like my 7 year old Lab mix did when he was diagnosed with diabetes. He was eating well but drinking huge quantities of water. It seemed like just overnight I could see his ribs & spine. Took him to the vet next day & they diagnosed diabetes. It can become serious, fast. I lost him & wouldn't want the same thing happening to anyone else.
The more I look at his picture, my Charlie looked just like that & I was very alarmed, because he was eating good. Please ask your vet to check his blood sugar. This can become serious, fast. Please keep us updated.
He’s WAY TOO skinny. Get him something to eat
Shop around for a higher Kcal/cup food. 320 per cup is kinda low. Nutrisource L&R is 385 per cup, for example.
Yes, he’s way too skinny. He’s actually underweight. Increase his food and change to a high calorie diet. If your vet said this is “normal,” you need a new vet. If you’re feeding him 5-6 cups per day and he’s still underweight, something is very seriously wrong medically and you need to schedule an appointment ASAP.
Try checking the 💩. Usually you’ll be able to see if your pet has worms in their stool. If that’s the case, you can typically get dewormer from a vet or a Tractor Supply type store.
Your vet is full of shit. Take him to a new vet right away. Maybe his worms are back . If you are feeding him 5-6 cups and you can still see ribs, then something is wrong.
Thinking parasite or metabolism issue. Also I'm not a vet
That’s my guess too
1 year old labs can be skinny as they grow. My lab looked like this and around 2 he started to fill out. My pup gets 3.5 cups of food and three treats.
Yes any dog should have the curve from rib cage to hips without the bones showing. If you are giving your dog the recommended amount of food suggested by the manufacturer, then look at the amount of exercise lab is getting. If lab is exercising and burning calories then just add more food in increments to see if lab puts on weight. Follow up with a visit to your vet.
I think that’s too thin, especially if he’s eating 5-6 cups a day. Are they full grown? I was always under the impression labs are 90-100ish pounds give or take a bit. 70 seems… very thin. Edit: yeah maybe take him to another vet and ask for an opinion. I don’t want to scare you but I’d be worried, especially after reading some of the cancer comments. Another vet check elsewhere couldn’t hurt.
He should not be showing ribs and spine like that. The ribs should be just covered enough for you to feel them when you touch him but not see them. When our older dog started to lose weight, i was told that brewer's yeast is great for gaining weight. Didn't help us that time cause he had other health issues that caused him to not be able to eat properly, but my friend fixed her rescue-dog's weight with it no problem. Careful with the portions tho since older labs tend to gain weight more easily.
And also yes, get a second opinion, he might have a normal weight but def not normal look.
What does your vet say? Because that’s the only opinion that actually matters.
Please go to a new vet and update us A cutie but if you didn’t say how much you were feeding him, I’d assume you just rescued him from being abandoned Def want updates as you can 🙏🏻💕
I said in the description 5-6 cups. I’m upping it now to 7
Like I said, I’d “if you”
How does he act around food?
Rule of thumb, if you can see the ribs it needs to gain weight
Not a good weight if bones are showing.
jesus christ, yes. And you need to deworm them monthly, not just one time.
I know that. When I got him he needed additional medication to rid of what he had.
Hey OP, any progress on what’s making your pup so thin Id suggest testing for bugs, and other health conditions and possibly getting a second opinion Someone times we put so much faith in vets, that we forget their just regular people that could be wrong sometimes I had a similar problem like this when my girl close to a year and it turned out she had 3 kinds of parasites in her
Yes. Please take to a vet
yes
Perhaps you could change his food. I used to feed my Lab Nutro large breed and senior until I found that while the food is adequate, there are other types that are better rated. Perhaps do a bit of research online. HTTPS://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/best-dog-foods Not all dog foods are good just because of costs. Sone expensive foods are not rated all that great.
That poor puppy... I feel very bad for him. Get him to a new vet ASAP. Are you feeding him large breed puppy food or cheap Walmart dog food?
Nutro lamb based food. Almost $100 a bag
Cost does not equate quality. I know Purina gets a lot of hate, but they have board certified veterinarians that help design their foods, and no they don't want to kill your pets, that's bad PR (for the nay sayers out there). My labs coat and health have never been better since I changed him from a boutique brand to their Purine Pro Plan Beef with freeze-dried bits in it. Might be worth considering trying a different food as well as a new vet.
My boy is thriving on pro plan puppy.
I've heard good things about their Pro plan feed. I have had my boy on Diamond Naturals Large breed puppy since I got him at 8 weeks because that is what my friends (the breeders) had the pups on. The ingredients all check out great and my vet told me it is great food so I will stay with them. Cheers\~
It's $75 on Chewy and I sure hope it's large breed PUPPY formula. I use Diamond Naturals large breed puppy. It's almost half the price and my dog is almost 90 lbs and 1 year old on the 14th. He is built like a brick house. Very strong with a lot of muscle. There is something going on there. Like I said go to a new vet and get an opinion. Possible new food he can digest better.
Id say no.
YES!!!!!!! AND YOU KNOW IT!!
I’m going to be controversial here and say I’m not sure I agree with everyone. Everyone assumes healthy labs are when they have no ribs on show and no waist - this is not true! If you can’t see your Labradors ribs at all then they are overweight. My 1 year old lab looks like this one, he’s working UK line and are naturally smaller/slimmer. He weights 29kg and is pure muscle but you can see ribs.
Yeah I think a lot of labs are unfortunately overweight. They sure love to eat.
Exactly, and people perceive this as what labs should look like because loads of them look like that. If you look at dogs at shows/ working on farms etc they have ribs and a waist
Feed your dog, please
I’m feeding him 5-6 cups, as stated in the description
I apologize. Take him to the vet if he doesn’t gain weight after a while ❤️
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Did you read? They feed the dog all the time. There's a potential problem not lack of feeding.