dog crates hong kong image
Bunnypunch
Well, I live in Hong Kong and I got a German Shepherd Pure and a Tibetian Mastiff mega mix from another country. Now the country I bought it from apparently falls into the "category 3" countries and therefore, it's mandatory under law to keep it in a government kennel for 4 months for "quarantine" from the day it lands here.
It's been almost two months in the kennel now and currently my German Shepherd is 7 months old and Mastiff is 8. But I noticed that my German Shepherd is not as big as he's supposed to be.. or not think enough. I don't really care about my Mastiff mix because he stopped growing 4 months ago. I think he's terribly mixed up. But German Shepherds at that age are suppose to be thicker and maybe even taller than what he is right now. Even the kennel personal agree that he's smaller. Is it their fault?
Here are the pics~
http://s963.photobucket.com/albums/ae115/Away_ng/?action=view¤t=IMG_1488.jpg
http://s963.photobucket.com/albums/ae115/Away_ng/?action=view¤t=IMG_1484.jpg
http://s963.photobucket.com/albums/ae115/Away_ng/?action=view¤t=IMG_1485.jpg
Well, here are the facts about how they treat him there (which I think is not right, considering his age):
- They feed him only twice a day when puppies are supposed to be fed light food 3-4 times a day.
- They tell me after 5 months dogs aren't puppies anymore when I've been told by vets that they are puppies until they stop growing.. which is about 14 months for height and then 4 more months for width.
- They feed my dogs adult food.
- They don't get exercise, bath or whatever unless I go visit them. But I'm working full-time and the only time I have got to visit them is once per two weeks. And the location is so bleeping far out in terms of geography because it's on the other side of where I live. I have to take a Cab... There is no direct route.
Maybe I'm wrong. I use 70% of my salary just paying for them every month. I don't want to see my dogs weak, you know. I'm gonna take some vitamin and protein supplements next time I go.
What do you think? Is his size okay? What do you think is the problem here? Any suggestion is helpful. Thanks.
Answer
I have a German Shepherd, so I relate to your worries. Unfortunately, you didn't include what his height is at the withers, nor how much he weighs.By the picture alone, I can tell his is skinny and a bit small, but it's hard to truly compare through a picture. Is this the red variety, by the way? I just hope he isn't crossed.
A 7 month old German Shepherd should weight around 55-65 pounds.
This sites posts a weight-age table for puppies
http://www.german-shepherd-lore.com/german-shepherd-growth-chart.html
At 7 months old, your GSD should be maybe 22-25 inches tall at the withers, depending on whether your is female or male.
General Info: Puppy food is essential. It contains a higher dosage of fats than adult food. This is necessary for a healthy digestive system and growth.
At this age, the dog should be fed no more than 3 times.
Dogs are puppies until they reach sexual maturation.
Don't feed protein supplements until your dog is mature enough or your vet recommends it. I think the problem here could be:
1. Genetics: Your dog COULD be a cross, even if he has papers stating otherwise. DNA testing is expensive, but it would eliminate all suspicions.
2. Runt: Your dog might be the runt of the litter, that is to say, that puppy that received that least amount of nourishment (milk). If the dog received scanty amounts of it, his growth would have been impaired compared to his brothers and sisters.
3. Diseases: Diseases that cause anemia; roundworms, tapeworms and any other parasite that interferes with the absorption of foods and nutrients
4. Exercise: Lack of exercise and a small crate will atrophy his muscles, joints and bones.
5. Food: Lacking nutrients needed by a puppy, such as when feeding adult dog food , especially of the cheap ones.
It could be a mix of all these things or some of them.
Hope you can fix this problem soon. The quicker you do this, the quicker the problem can be targeted and hopefully, reduce the impact later on. Talk to a vet about his weight and size, and see what he/she recommends.
I have a German Shepherd, so I relate to your worries. Unfortunately, you didn't include what his height is at the withers, nor how much he weighs.By the picture alone, I can tell his is skinny and a bit small, but it's hard to truly compare through a picture. Is this the red variety, by the way? I just hope he isn't crossed.
A 7 month old German Shepherd should weight around 55-65 pounds.
This sites posts a weight-age table for puppies
http://www.german-shepherd-lore.com/german-shepherd-growth-chart.html
At 7 months old, your GSD should be maybe 22-25 inches tall at the withers, depending on whether your is female or male.
General Info: Puppy food is essential. It contains a higher dosage of fats than adult food. This is necessary for a healthy digestive system and growth.
At this age, the dog should be fed no more than 3 times.
Dogs are puppies until they reach sexual maturation.
Don't feed protein supplements until your dog is mature enough or your vet recommends it. I think the problem here could be:
1. Genetics: Your dog COULD be a cross, even if he has papers stating otherwise. DNA testing is expensive, but it would eliminate all suspicions.
2. Runt: Your dog might be the runt of the litter, that is to say, that puppy that received that least amount of nourishment (milk). If the dog received scanty amounts of it, his growth would have been impaired compared to his brothers and sisters.
3. Diseases: Diseases that cause anemia; roundworms, tapeworms and any other parasite that interferes with the absorption of foods and nutrients
4. Exercise: Lack of exercise and a small crate will atrophy his muscles, joints and bones.
5. Food: Lacking nutrients needed by a puppy, such as when feeding adult dog food , especially of the cheap ones.
It could be a mix of all these things or some of them.
Hope you can fix this problem soon. The quicker you do this, the quicker the problem can be targeted and hopefully, reduce the impact later on. Talk to a vet about his weight and size, and see what he/she recommends.
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Title Post: Is my German Shepherd small for his age? I think so.. Picture here.?
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