As a Great Dane owner, one concern you may have is the appearance of your dog looking skinny. Actually, it is a concern for any dog owner.
You may have also been tempted to add more of their food portions to help them out with the weight gain.
We delve into the factors that influence a Great Dane’s weight, how to know if your Great Dane is skinny and when to seek medical attention for your dog.
Here’s why your Great Dane is skinny
Several factors can contribute to a Great Dane being skinny. Common reasons include inadequate nutrition, underlying health issues such as parasites or gastrointestinal problems, and increased activity levels.
Are Great Danes supposed to be skinny?
Great Danes are not supposed to be excessively skinny, but they should have a lean and muscular build. The breed standard typically describes a well-proportioned dog with a strong, athletic physique. While they are one of the giant dog breeds, they should not be overweight, nor should they be excessively thin.
A healthy Great Dane should have a body condition that allows for a slight covering of fat over the ribs and spine.
The key is to maintain a balanced weight that supports good overall health.
Is my Great Dane too skinny?
A Great Dane may be considered too skinny if its ribs, spine, or hip bones are prominently visible or easily felt. A healthy Great Dane should have a slight layer of fat covering these areas. To assess if a Great Dane is too skinny, run your hands along its sides and back. If the bones are overly prominent, it may indicate that the dog is underweight.
If your Great Dane is too skinny, it can be unhealthy as it may indicate malnutrition, underlying health issues, or insufficient caloric intake.
A skinny Great Dane is a concern. While a Great Dane can have a lean or slender build that is considered healthy for the breed, being excessively skinny still raises concern.
It is important to distinguish between a naturally lean physique and being underweight due to health issues.
A healthy Great Dane should have an appropriate weight with a slight layer of fat covering ribs and spine.
Great Dane not gaining weight
An underweight Great Dane or a Great Dane that is not gaining weight may be experiencing various factors contributing to malnourishment.
Possible reasons for a malnourished Great Dane include insufficient caloric intake, poor-quality diet, underlying health issues, parasites, or dental problems affecting eating.
It is not normal for a Great Dane to consistently lose weight, as steady weight gain is expected during their growth phase.
If your Great Dane is struggling to gain or maintain weight, it’s important to consult with your veterinarian promptly.
The veterinarian can identify the underlying causes, recommend appropriate dietary changes, and address any health issues to ensure your Great Dane achieves and maintains a healthy weight.
Are Great Dane puppies skinny?
Great Dane puppies typically have a lean appearance, but they shouldn’t be excessively skinny.
To assess your puppy’s weight, run your hands along their sides; you should be able to feel their ribs without them being too prominent.
A healthy Great Dane puppy should have a proportional build with a slight covering of fat over the ribs.
Why is my Great Dane puppy so skinny?
A Great Dane puppy may be skinny because of a poor diet, ineffective feeding method, underlying diseases, teething period, and competition for food with other puppies making them feed too poorly.
Also, different puppies grow at different rates and some will have a weight that can be below the average estimates for their age. For a large breed puppy such as a Great Dane, it is normal to look slightly skinny but with a healthy weight. A veterinarian checkup can determine if your puppy is developing properly or if there is presence of a problem.
Is it normal for puppies to look skinny?
It is normal for puppies to look skinny if there are no underlying medical causes and the puppy is feeding well. Puppies grow at different rates and may fall below or above their weight estimates for their age.
Regular health checkups by the vet should be done to rule out any health problem and recommendations provided towards healthy weight gain and development based on their age.
What should a Great Dane puppy weigh?: Great Dane puppies weight
The weight of a Great Dane depends on their age and the development stage they are at which can range from 5 to 8 lbs at month one to 95 to 140 lbs at 12 months of age.
A growth chart for a Great Dane provides the average weight they should be at a certain age which gives an overall picture of what is to be expected. All puppies grow at different rates therefore it is also quite normal to weigh below or above the average range.
The most important aspect is to have regular weight checks with your vet to monitor and ensure your puppy is growing well.
The below is the average weight estimate of a Great Dane puppy up to one year of age.
Age (Months) | Weight (lbs) | Height (Inches) |
1 | 5-8 | N/A |
2 | 15-30 | 13-18 |
3 | 25-45 | 17-23 |
4 | 45-65 | 20-25 |
5 | 60-85 | 24-30 |
6 | 65-100 | 26-33 |
7 | 70-110 | 27-34 |
8 | 80-120 | 28-34 |
9 | 85-125 | 28-35 |
10 | 95-140 | 29-36 |
Underweight Great Dane puppy
An underweight Great Dane puppy is one that has a lower body mass than what is considered healthy for its age. Signs of an underweight puppy include visible ribs, a lack of muscle tone, and a generally thin appearance.
An underweight Great Dane puppy with ribs showing may be experiencing various factors contributing to insufficient weight gain.
While it’s normal for puppies to go through growth phases where their ribs may be more palpable, visible ribs can indicate underweight conditions.
Causes of slowed growth of a puppy
Slow growth can be described as being below the average weight as per a certain age. Factors that cause a puppy’s slow growth include:
Poor diet
The slow growth of a Great Dane puppy can be a result of their diet which is not providing them the required nutritional balance for proper growth.
A poor diet with insufficient calories and nutrients that does not support a Great Dane puppy’s nutritional and energy level requirements leads to underdevelopment.
As a large breed puppy, a Great Dane needs the appropriate diet specifically formulated for large or giant dog breed puppies to provide the essential nutrition.
Underlying diseases
The presence of underlying diseases in a puppy can cause slow growth.
The diseases cause loss of weight and slow weight gain limiting healthy growth. Diseases such as diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, digestive issues, hyperglycemia or intestinal parasites especially hookworms and roundworms have this effect on a puppy’s growth.
The vet can examine and determine if a puppy has any underlying health problem and provide treatment.
Puppy teething
Teething is a very uncomfortable phase for a puppy. This is the period where a puppy’s baby teeth fall out and the adult teeth emerge from the gums.
It is a painful time where you will see puppies chewing on anything to ease the discomfort.
Teething also results in a lack of appetite which makes a puppy not eat as much food which also affects their weight gain.
Ineffective feeding methods
Ineffective feeding methods can also contribute to the slow growth of a puppy.
Great Dane puppies require smaller meals scheduled throughout the day instead of two large meals in a day.
This helps in healthy weight gain. Great Dane puppies also have a growth spurt between months 4 and 6.
They require an appropriate diet for large breed puppies in correct portions to support proper development.
Competition for food with other puppies
Competition for food that is served together with other puppies or dogs in a home can also limit the weight gain of a Great Dane puppy.
The puppy could be eating small portions because of sharing and struggling to eat together with the other dogs.
The puppy ends up not having enough and may not gain weight as expected because of not feeding well.
The solution to this is to feed a Great Dane puppy separately to enable them to eat their daily required portions.
This will reduce the stress of having to struggle to get enough food during meal times. Eating appropriate serving portions helps with healthy weight gain for a puppy.
How to get a Great Dane to gain weight
If you have a skinny Great Dane and want to help them gain weight in a healthy manner, it’s important to approach it gradually and under the guidance of your veterinarian. Here’s how to get a Great Dane to gain weight:
Consult with your veterinarian veterinarian
Before making any changes to your dog’s diet or lifestyle, consult with your veterinarian to rule out any underlying health issues that may be causing the weight loss. They will provide tailored advice based on your dog’s specific needs.
Quality dog food
Ensure that your dog is receiving high-quality, balanced dog food. Look for a brand that lists meat as the primary ingredient and doesn’t contain excessive fillers.
Your veterinarian can recommend a suitable dog food based on your dog’s age, size, and health condition.
Supplement with healthy additions
Consider adding healthy supplements to your dog’s diet, such as cooked lean meat, eggs, and plain yogurt. These additions can provide extra protein and calories.
However, it’s important to consult your veterinarian before making significant changes to your dog’s diet.
Monitor weight gain
Keep track of your dog’s weight to ensure they are gaining at a healthy and steady pace. Rapid weight gain or sudden changes in weight may indicate underlying health problems.
Treats in moderation
While treats can be used to encourage your dog to eat, be mindful of the type and quantity. Choose healthy treats, and limit them to prevent excess calorie intake.
Regular exercise
Ensure your dog gets regular exercise to build muscle mass. Exercise is essential for overall health and well-being. However, do not over exercise your dog. Overexertion is detrimental to proper bone development of your Great Dane.
Consult your veterinarian to determine an appropriate exercise routine based on your dog’s condition.
What should I feed my Great Dane puppy to gain weight?
Large or giant dog breed puppy food should have key features that must be present to provide balanced nutrition for proper growth.
Balanced food for large breed dogs does not encourage rapid growth or weight gain which can be detrimental to their health.
Remember not all puppies are alike and they will grow at different rates.
For a Great Dane puppy, it is perfectly normal to be a little skinnier than the average weight of a puppy their age.
Unless there is an underlying health problem, being skinny is healthier than being overweight for a large breed puppy.
If your puppy is a little below the average weight of a Great Dane puppy at their age, talk to your vet first.
The vet will examine your puppy and be able to rule out any medical problems and recommend best feeding practices for your puppy.
Continuous monitoring of the health and weight throughout their puppy stage whose period is 15 months should be done to ensure proper growth.
Recommended Reading: Can Great Danes eat strawberries?
Important puppy food factors to consider
The below should be considered when selecting a Great Dane puppy food.
Quality protein source
Growing Great Dane puppies require protein in their diet for muscle development. At this life stage, they are rapidly growing and require the protein to support this development.
The protein best recommended is protein from animal sources, that is from meat, poultry, or fish.
The protein content however should be between 25% to 30% of the food formulation. Avoid puppy food that does not contain quality animal protein as the main ingredient.
Essential vitamins and minerals
As a large dog breed, the Great Dane puppy requires some essential food elements that support their health.
Chondroitin and glucosamine are essential supplements that promote bone and joint health.
The supplements are important in a Great Danes diet for this purpose.
They are found in meat and poultry sources.
Essential vitamins and minerals that are also important for the proper skeletal development of a Great Dane puppy include vitamin A, vitamin D, copper, zinc, and manganese.
A risk of abnormal orthopedic development occurs without these in the diet.
Puppy food made from whole foods provides these together with antioxidants which reduce inflammation in the body.
Allergen-free food
Food-related allergies can occur in Great Dane puppies.
Food formulations with limited ingredients or those that exclude allergens such as grain corn soil or wheat are recommended to prevent allergic reactions.
Depending on your vet’s guidance and your puppy-specific requirements, allergen-free food is a good choice for a puppy that is susceptible to allergic reactions.
Carbohydrates and fats
Healthy fats include Omega 3 and 6 which can be found in sources such as almond oil, canola oil, or flaxseed.
Carbohydrates and fats are important in providing calories that are used as energy.
Great Dane puppies are energetic and burn a lot of calories during their playful activities therefore they require energy from food to supply them.
Large breed puppy food formulations are also made in balanced proportions of the required fat and calories not to cause rapid weight gain.
Rapid weight gain in Great Dane puppies can lead to joint and bone problems because of the excess weight that their bones would not be able to support.
Probiotics
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that are usually formulated with some puppy food or sold separately. Probiotics are beneficial because they promote the good digestive health of Great Dane puppies.
What To Avoid
Overfeeding
It can be tempting for a Great Dane owner to add more cups of food to each serving for their puppy to encourage weight gain. This is actually detrimental to adult Great Danes as well as puppy growth and should be avoided.
Overfeeding a Great Dane puppy over the recommended portions will make them become overweight which causes a strain to their skeleton and joints. This leads to abnormal orthopedic development.
Always feed the right recommended portions to a puppy based on their age and instructions as per their puppy food instructions or as directed by your veterinarian.
Even if your dog or puppy seems hungry after a meal don’t be tempted to add more instead have them on a meal schedule distributed throughout the day.
Adding excess nutritional supplements
Another temptation would be to add extra nutritional supplements to encourage weight gain and growth. This is also not recommended because it can be harmful to a puppy.
For example, excess vitamin D intake leads to toxicity while excess calcium leads to the development of orthopedic diseases in large breed puppies.
Always consult with a veterinarian on the appropriate quantities for your puppy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my Great Dane is too skinny?
An adult Great Dane is too skinny when there is prominent protruding of bone such as ribs, hips, and spine as well as the appearance of a sunken abdomen within the rib cage. These signs indicate that a dog is too skinny and determination from a vet can confirm this. Great Danes like all dogs grow at different rates and their weights vary from the average weight estimates at different ages. The average weight of an adult Great Dane ranges between 140 to 175 pounds and being 30 to 32 inches tall for male dogs while females are usually 110 to 140 pounds and are 28 to 30 inches tall.
Takeaway
A skinny Great Dane can be a cause of alarm especially for a breed that is expected to grow massively.
Some reasons can lead to this in a Great Dane but usually, this is normal because individual dogs grow at different rates and can fall below the average weight estimates for the age.
Regular vet examinations and checkups are important to monitor growth and healthy weight gain as well as to know if any health problems are causing the lack of weight gain.
With this determination from a vet, as a Great Dane owner, you can be well assured that your dog is doing well even if they are slightly skinny.
By knowing why a Great Dane or puppy can look so skinny, what is considered too skinny for an adult Great Dane, what causes slow weight gain in puppies, and what to avoid you can help your Great Dane gain healthy weight.