# How much to feed my 5 month old golden, Mac. Too skinny?



## Mac

First off, hello to all!

This is my first time posting here.

This is not my first dog but this is my first Golden and bigger breed.

bottom line my dog, Mac, looks too skinny. I am feeding him about 3.5 cups a day and he looks skinny as a rail. after posting pictures on a different forum some people said he looked too skinny.

I have read that in some cases, especially when the golden is going to be big, most of the food/energy concentrates on elongating and growing taller. This seems to be the case. He has had long legs since the day we got him at around 11 weeks old.

I am thinking of mixing his food with some wet food to help him bulk up.
Can someone shed some light on this for me ?

pic test: OK they work. some forums have a 50 post limit before posting. here is him the day I got him, and one of two nights ago.


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## Hunter'sMom

He looks about the same as my Jackson, who is just a week or so younger than your baby. And I agree, as much as I feed him, Jack only seems to grow longer and taller! I think it may take them a couple months before they start filling out, but hopefully some of the experts here can chime in!

Mac sure is a cutie! Welcome to the forum!!!


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## Mac

ahh see that's like his stature for sure. even though your Jackson seems a bit more filled out. very good looking dog.

I guess I'm trying to find a line. I don't want to overfeed him if his growing is natural and typical for "bigger boys" as stated, we think he's going to be around 100lbs. His paws were huge as a pup.

He has all the energy in the world, believe me, and functions like a normal puppy should, he's just really lanky and bony.

Hopefully I can get some answers so I don't look like I'm not feeding my pup!
Thanks for the response!

here are a few more pics for reference:


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## tippykayak

He looks fine. Lean pups grow slower than chubby pups, and slow growth is well documented in its ability to decrease the risk of growth-related problems. Lean dogs also live longer, healthier lives than dogs who are even slightly overweight.

Can you see his ribs at all times? If not, he's probably not too skinny. A hands-on test is even better. You should be able to feel the ribs with light pressure a few inches from the spine. You should also be able to feel a waist behind the dogs ribs and before his hips. Lastly, a dog should have a moderate fat pad on the top of his hips, between the hip bones. A big pad there (i.e., the bones are hard to feel) means the dog is probably overweight. No fat pad means underweight. You want a fat pad you can feel but that doesn't interfere with your ability to delineate the hip bones.

Just FYI, 75 pounds is the upper end of breed standard for male Goldens. A 100 pound Golden would almost certainly be significantly overweight and would experience age-related illnesses (like heart problems and arthritis) significantly earlier than a Golden at a lean weight. Some boys are a little taller than breed standard and might be healthy at a bit over 75, but 100 is probably way, way over a healthy weight.

Don't let your eye be fooled! We see a lot of overweight dogs out there, and it can skew your impression of what a healthy weight looks like in a Golden Retriever. Keep your dog lean, and you can have more healthy years with him.


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## CarolinaCasey

He looks fine. You would rather be trim than overweight. Use this chart to help you from Pet Obesity Prevention.

Also check out the Slow Growth Plan, it is very good.


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## Mac

tippykayak said:


> He looks fine. Lean pups grow slower than chubby pups, and slow growth is well documented in its ability to decrease the risk of growth-related problems. Lean dogs also live longer, healthier lives than dogs who are even slightly overweight.
> 
> Can you see his ribs at all times? If not, he's probably not too skinny. A hands-on test is even better. You should be able to feel the ribs with light pressure a few inches from the spine. You should also be able to feel a waist behind the dogs ribs and before his hips. Lastly, a dog should have a moderate fat pad on the top of his hips, between the hip bones. A big pad there (i.e., the bones are hard to feel) means the dog is probably overweight. No fat pad means underweight. You want a fat pad you can feel but that doesn't interfere with your ability to delineate the hip bones.
> 
> Just FYI, 75 pounds is the upper end of breed standard for male Goldens. A 100 pound Golden would almost certainly be significantly overweight and would experience age-related illnesses (like heart problems and arthritis) significantly earlier than a Golden at a lean weight. Some boys are a little taller than breed standard and might be healthy at a bit over 75, but 100 is probably way, way over a healthy weight.
> 
> Don't let your eye be fooled! We see a lot of overweight dogs out there, and it can skew your impression of what a healthy weight looks like in a Golden Retriever. Keep your dog lean, and you can have more healthy years with him.


wow this is very solid information!
I have read about the rib feeling before but didn't understand if it was good or bad. I hadn't heard about the fat patch, I will check that as well. I will check as soon as I get home.

As far as his weight goes, I will be sure to take your information to heart. I don't want him to be overwieght/develop health issues etc. I just took the person's information as fact. 

I had youtubed videos of 100lb goldens and saw a few so I thought there was substance behind the person's claim. I will try to aim for 80lb max on Mac.

I saw a golden this morning when I walked Mac earlier than usual. He was 6 years old and thick! Very well fed. I am going to safely assume he may have been overweight. I pet him and felt he was a big boy!

Again, thank you for the great info!


p.s. awesome looking goldens you have! I love that pic of them staring into the water


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## Amberbark

*Amber*

Amber is 6.5 mos. and weighs 52.4 lbs. The vet checked her last week and said that she is fine, but I noticed the "rolling over the loin when gaiting." We you feel her ribs at a sit, she feels fine, i.e. I can feel her ribs but with some meat over them. I hope that she does not have soft muscle or too much weight. Your boy looks fine and handsome.


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## Mac

CarolinaCasey said:


> He looks fine. You would rather be trim than overweight. Use this chart to help you from Pet Obesity Prevention.
> 
> Also check out the Slow Growth Plan, it is very good.



another quality piece of information!

i do need to find a weight converter though! lol

thank you for the insight.

i feel a lot better.

people got me thinking I was being a bad owner


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## LibertyME

often I hear from JQPet Owner...boy your dog is thin or that is the skinniest Golden Ive ever seen...and he ranges from 75-78 pounds!
It just goes to show that the public (generally) is used to seeing overweight goldens...


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## coffenut

He looks just fine .... I remember being very worried about Mazlon as her growth spurts often left her looking.... odd. <G> She filled out just fine though.

Remember, that what most people think is a healthy weight is usually overweight. Purina put together a simple chart that helps describe the various different weight stages that I actually think is quite good. Purina.Com | Dog | Caring | Understanding your Dog's Body Condition


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## LovingBella

I will attempt to attach the Slow Grow Plan article by Rhonda Hovan with U.S. weights. I have been following it very closely with my new puppy Bella and I have found it to be very helpful.


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## tippykayak

Mac said:


> I had youtubed videos of 100lb goldens and saw a few so I thought there was substance behind the person's claim. I will try to aim for 80lb max on Mac.


I always go with the hands-on over weight, since you don't really know what's an ideal weight for your Golden until he's fully grown and you've checked him out. One of my dogs, Comet, routinely weighs around 62 pounds. Jax, despite being a bit shorter, usually weights around 63 pounds. Jax is built more compactly, and Comet has a narrower build, and the weight is good on both.



Mac said:


> p.s. awesome looking goldens you have! I love that pic of them staring into the water


Thanks, man. I've been really lucky.


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## Wyatt's mommy

Mac said:


> I saw a golden this morning when I walked Mac earlier than usual. He was 6 years old and thick! Very well fed.* I am going to safely assume he may have been overweight. *I pet him and felt he was a big boy!


Not necessarily! While not the so called "breed standard" depending on bone structure, even 90 - 100 is a good weight for some goldens. We had one
But back to your pup. He looks fine. They grow in spurts. He will fill in and then grow again which will make him look thinner and then fill in once again......
Our Wyatt is already 74 lbs at 20 months and still looks on the thin side.


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## Mac

coffenut said:


> He looks just fine .... I remember being very worried about Mazlon as her growth spurts often left her looking.... odd. <G> She filled out just fine though.
> 
> Remember, that what most people think is a healthy weight is usually overweight. Purina put together a simple chart that helps describe the various different weight stages that I actually think is quite good. Purina.Com | Dog | Caring | Understanding your Dog's Body Condition



wow this is awesome information!

i shared it with several people already!

i feed Mac Purina, actually.

Can anyone recommend a good food for goldens from 6 months onward?

Should I try to start feeding him adult food?

Any input on using a combination of wet and dry food?


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## OutWest

Hi, my brother in law is a vet, and he works for Purina, which developed the chart that CoffeeNut posted in her link. 

I really do think that all the overweight dogs around us have skewed how we see dogs. Based on my BIL's advice, I've tried to keep Tucker on the lean side. He gets four cups of food a day, and I try to get him to the dog park twice a day. 

Purina did a study with sibling puppies of different breeds from different litters. They tracked them for ten years. The puppies who were kept lean throughout were significantly healthier and longer-lived. 

I recently had a playdate with Tucker's siblings. One of them, with the same basic bone structure, was 10 lbs. heavier than Tucker. He looked like a stuffed sausage to me. I suspect his owner thought Tucker looked like he was starving. But I think Tucker will be the healthier dog. 

That's why when people wonder how much to feed their dogs, the answer has to be, feed your dog what he needs, not how much the package says to.

Good luck! I think your little guy is beautiful.


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## tippykayak

OutWest said:


> Purina did a study with sibling puppies of different breeds from different litters. They tracked them for ten years. The puppies who were kept lean throughout were significantly healthier and longer-lived.


It really is an amazing study. Lean dogs lived over 1.8 years longer overall than even moderately overweight dogs. And lean dogs experienced a delay of around 1.8 years in the onset of many geriatric diseases (arthritis, heart conditions, etc.). Even some cancers show up at lower rates in lean dogs!

Two healthy years! I cannot tell you what I would give for two more healthy years with any dog I've ever had. It's simply the single most cost-effective, simple thing you can do for your dog's longevity. You have almost complete control over what he eats. We argue over and over on this forum about foods, ingredients, protein sources, supplements, slow growth, exercise, and a million other things that contribute to longevity, but not a single one has been demonstrated to have as large an effect as a healthy weight.


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## pzeidan0

*wow!*

its amazing how much my Sully looks like your guy! And when i got him he was about 15lbs under weight according to the vet. Now he,s 5 and a half months and 34 lbs and i think hes still a couple lbs under. Heres some pictures


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## Zoya

After reading all the posts in this thread I did a small research and found this Golden Retriever Puppy Growth Charts. I am not sure about these 3 categories for GR's i.e. Smallest, Largest and Average?? ZOYA is 6 month old and she is 50 lbs at the moment. Does it mean she is overweight? ZOYA she is a very active girl though!!!


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## OutWest

Zoya said:


> After reading all the posts in this thread I did a small research and found this Golden Retriever Puppy Growth Charts. I am not sure about these 3 categories for GR's i.e. Smallest, Largest and Average?? ZOYA is 6 month old and she is 50 lbs at the moment. Does it mean she is overweight? ZOYA she is a very active girl though!!!


If she's really active, you're probably OK, but again, you need to feel her body and look at it carefully. If you can easily feel her ribs, and she has a definite waist, she's not overweight. It's just like people--the number on the scale isn't what matters, it's how the body feels.


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## rhondas

@Zoya

The chart you refer to is just a database that contains information from owners about their goldens - there is nothing scientific there ). It's a very small sampling of dogs and there are too many overweight goldens out there.

Earlier in the thread someone gives the link for Rhonda Hovan's slow growth plan which is written by doctor with experience. I followed it for my 4.5 year old Golden and now for my 4month old puppy (turned 4 months old today). At 16 weeks he weighed 23lbs.

As others have said the right weight for each dog is different. The standard for goldens needs to be kept in mind and also the information out there about what an underweight, just right and overweight dog looks like physically and feels to the touch. Take a look at this type of information.


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## Megora

I saw this thread while still thinking about an old vet bill I was smiling over last night.... 

My Jacks weighed 40lbs when he was 17 weeks old. I have pics of him from that time (I know I've posted them a bazillion times because he was so cute) and he was a lean little guy. 

Between 17 weeks and 12 months, he gained 30lbs. He weighed in at 70lbs (71, exactly, I saw the bill last night).

Between 12 months and 30 months, he gained 5-10 lbs.

Between 30 months and 40 months, he topped out at 85lbs. 

I switched kibbles and had his thyroid checked and started supplement...

As of right now (48 months exactly), he is back down to 78 lbs and I'm determined to keep him right there. Seeing him now, I think his comfort zone is somewhere between 75-80lbs. 

When he was at his top weight, our vet was fine about his weight. It was our instructor pinching his side and telling me that he had to cut down his weight if I wanted him jumping. 

If he were just a household dog who goes for short walks on nice days but spends the majority of his time hanging around the house, I would be less fussy and would go with the vet on this. When we were at a show over the weekend, I noticed a few dogs who "visually weighed" about the same that my guy did when my instructor pinched his side and said he had to loose weight. I saw the breeder of my previous guy (Danny) there and of course her dogs are always kept very lean.


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## Goldenfam

He looks fine to me. Looks exactly like our 14 1/2 year old did at that age.


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