Is my Dog Underweight?
I have a three-year-old Whippet mix who is very
skinny. He is about as tall as a Springer Spaniel
and weighs 38 pounds. You can see his last few
ribs and feel his back bones and hip bones.
He is very muscular in his legs, though looking at him
from above he looks underweight. I
always get asked if he’s either a neglected
rescue I adopted or asked if I feed him enough.
I have done blood work and other tests on him to
make sure it isn’t something serious. All the
results told me that his organs and everything
were functioning normally and that he has a crazy
metabolism. I am trying to get him to put on and
keep on a bit of weight but so far I’ve been
unsuccessful!
Please give me a healthy and safe way to make my
skinny man gain weight!
Ashley
Roanoke, VA
Based on what you have told me, I am not convinced that your dog needs to gain weight.
Different individuals have unique metabolic rates. Most people have personal experience with this phenomenon–it is why some people can eat a dozen Big Macs each week and stay thin, while others gain weight if they take a sideways glance at a salad. It sounds like your dog simply has a very high metabolism. Lucky for him!
You already have done the thing that I would most strongly recommend: you have tested your dog to make sure that a medical condition is not causing him to be thin. You point out that his legs are muscular, rather than emaciated. You don’t mention that he is lethargic or reluctant to walk and exercise. It sounds like he’s healthy.
Also, remember that different breeds of dogs naturally have different shapes. Whippets, German Shepherds, and Doberman Pinschers are naturally svelte. Pugs, Boston Terriers, and Bulldogs are normally barrel-shaped.
If you are tired of people insinuating that you are neglecting your dog, you could try switching to a puppy or maternity diet. They both are high in calories. Unfortunately, they both cause upset stomach in some dogs.
However, if you are already offering your dog ample high-quality food, I really doubt that you need to do anything differently.
You have questions. 
Cookie is a little overweight. I don’t call her a glutton for nothing.
She used to be really overweight, but I fed her less (much to her dismay) and exercised her more. Now she just needs to lose a couple more pounds.
Cookie is a German Shepherd.
But my grandma keeps complaining about Cookie losing weight. :-/ She used to own Cookie and she’d free-fed her. Cookie was so overweight back then that her belly almost touched the floor when she sat down. I guess that my grandma isn’t used to her being almost the right weight. She complains than she can feel Cookie’s backbone.