# Underweight?



## nicolen412 (Jun 8, 2012)

So Arthur went for a groom (for summer its 32 celcius tomorrow) and I couldnt help but notice that he is SUPER thin. He is on a barf diet but with rice etc and eats 10% of his body weight a day as recommended. Does he look too skinny to all you guys? 

I am slightly worried.


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## maltese manica (Nov 6, 2012)

I think he looks fine! when I wash my three they look tiny. Its his hair cut!


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

He doesn't look too thin to me, but you can check for yourself. When you run your hands over the ribs and back, you should feel bones but they should not feel like they are nothing but bone. If you don't feel muscle/fat with the bones, he may be a bit thin.


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## Zoe's Mom88 (Apr 25, 2011)

He is thin but can't tell if its too thin. How old is Arthur? And as Maggie suggested run your hands over his ribs and back. He does look adorable in his new haircut. :wub:


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## Furbabies mom (Jul 25, 2011)

Dewey looks like that. My other three are almost two and three, and they filled out more after a year how much does he weigh? He looks fine to me.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

He does look thin to me for a puppy, but maybe it's the haircut?

You have to be very careful when you feed a puppy a homecooked or raw diet as an imbalanced diet can affect their health for the rest of their life. Have you gotten a blood panel done to make sure his nutritional requirements are being met?

Please read this article by Dr. Becker:

http://spoiledmaltese.com/forum/60-...u-re-doing-if-you-prepare-pet-meals-home.html


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## Orla (Jul 5, 2009)

I usually cut Milo's hair on his body very tight and he looks too thin for a while after the haircut - but he is at a healthy weight. 
You should get your vet to check him to put your mind at rest.


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## aksm4 (Nov 28, 2011)

Hi there ,

Becky was quite thin also up until about 2 weeks ago i noticed when i bathed her she was starting to fill in alot , she is still young though 11 months .....


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## SammieMom (Nov 13, 2010)

Oh he is so cute. :wub: He kinda looks thin compared to the 2 puppies I have had. My Vet said to always feed a traditional puppy foods. I used Fromm and Natural Balance. They were both plump. I have see thinner puppies too though.


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## Leila'sMommy (Oct 20, 2012)

He doesn't look too thin to me, but I can't see or feel his ribs in a pic. He sure is cute though!!


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## Grace'sMom (Feb 22, 2012)

Ladysmom said:


> He does look thin to me for a puppy, but maybe it's the haircut?
> 
> You have to be very careful when you feed a puppy a homecooked or raw diet as an imbalanced diet can affect their health for the rest of their life. Have you gotten a blood panel done to make sure his nutritional requirements are being met?
> 
> ...



:thumbsup:

I agree.

Homecook is great, but you have to be sure the recipes are complete... 

What does your vet say?

Grace was "too skinny" as a puppy... but that was after she got sick. She lost a lot of weight. She looked skinny but the main thing was she FELT skinny. I could feel all her bones. It was scary and a little gross.

She still has a very thin body, but she has more padding now


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## nicolen412 (Jun 8, 2012)

Arthur was at the vet about a week ago and she said he was fine but he had loads of fur then so maybe she was feeling fur .... He is 5 months now and 2.6kg (5.7 lbs). 

Also Arthur's diet was recommended by a nutrionist so I really think that isn't the issue :s 

Maybe he's over active? 


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## nicolen412 (Jun 8, 2012)

Oh And I felt the ribs but I really can't tell!! I feel them but I read somewhere that if I don't feel them he's obese ??? I can't tell if there's anything in between LOL what a noobie


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## LJSquishy (Feb 27, 2008)

From the photo he looks okay...possibly a smidge on the thin side, but it really is hard to tell from just a picture. You are probably in shock from seeing how small he really is after cutting all of the hair. 

For feeling the ribs, it should feel similar to how your knuckles feel when you brush over them with your other hand. They shouldn't be sticking out, but you should feel slight ridges of the ribs without pushing hard. I hope that helps.


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## Zoe's Mom88 (Apr 25, 2011)

I see Arthur is only 5 months old and 5.7 lbs. Honestly, when they are young they are so active that they stay a little slim. I think you now see him without the fur and its shocking. I wouldn't worry about it....he looks so cute in his haircut. :wub:


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

I looked at the picture again and to me he looks more hollowed out around his hip/haunches than puppies should look. He also looks thin in his shoulder area to me. He may just have a long lean body that his haircut accentuates, rather than the sturdy, compact body our US standard calls for.

When is Arthur due for his next vet visit? I would have your vet check him to be safe. It is critical that growing puppies get the proper nutrition and vitamins. Even die hard homecookers usually don't start until a puppy is a year old.


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## hoaloha (Jan 27, 2012)

Arthur looks so cute! :wub:

I know part of it is shock of a short haircut that makes them look tiny. He looks of decent weight, maybe on the thinner side from the pic for a 5 month old puppy. It's hard to say from a pic alone. I think aside from being of adequate weight alone, you want to make sure Arthur is getting enough calories, vitamins, minerals to support his brain growth and development as well the rest of his body. I don't know much about the BARF diet for puppies or how much rice he gets, so it may be best to re-consult with your vet and nutritionist. I do know that puppies have very different caloric, fat, and vitamin/mineral needs compared to an adult dog though. Keep us posted! give him a little kiss for me


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