I recently purchased a St Bernard/Great Pyrenees puppy. Both parents are CKC registered and were on site at the "farm" where I found my puppy. They were both very friendly, beautiful, and seemed reasonably healthy. I have no doubt that I do, in fact, have a "St. Pyrenees" puppy ...
I say that because the more I read about both breeds and the more images I see, I am concerned that my boy is simply too thin; he doesn't seem to be where either breed should be weight-wise at 16 weeks.
The woman I got him from admitted that she had been feeding them "dollar-store dog food", and that much was evident immediately. He was certainly as tall as he should have been when I got him (at 12 weeks), but not nearly as fluffy or round as any images I have seen of EITHER breed.
Of course, he has been to the vet who assured me he was only slightly underweight and that he was otherwise healthy - he had also had all is vet work done before I got him, incidentally ...
Well he's 16 weeks now and weighed in yesterday at 42 lbs. Is that "right"?? He is a beautiful, happy, healthy dog but he just seems a bit too thin ...
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com He also seems to be a bit of a picky eater - I can't get him to "go nuts" over any dog food I bring home, and I wondering if that is contributing to his lean-ness. I don't mean to suggest that he is emaciated, just gangly: not nearly as filled out as images I have found.
My concern is that he could have a parasite ... or something? Is 42 lbs reasonable for a 16 week old "giant" breed? I found one growth chart which suggested he should be 64 lbs!! That would mean he is grossly off-track.
I know this is a very long-winded question .. l just can't seem to find anyone with large-breed dog experience to tell what is "normal" (my vet didn't even seem to know). Any information from a "giant dog" owner would be so much appreciated!!
You did NOT tell us what his weight is ... just that YOU believe he's "too thin". Ahhhh ... I finally found the weight. .. 42 # at 16 weeks is JUST FINE! I have 4 pyrs and St's are similar in temperament and size. They generally gain about 10 # per month till somewhere about 6 to 8 months of age when the rapid growth spurt slows down, and they are close to adult size by a year, but finish bulking out their muscles (and weight) till about age 2. Call the breeder you purchased him from and ask the current weight of BOTH parents. That will tell you a LOT. My adult male pyr is 86 # as is my 18mo old female pup. For HIM, this is quite normal. My adult female is 97 # (about average for a female) and my male pup at 18 mo is 104 to 110 #, so he ' ll be bigger. To be 64 # at 4 months, the pup would likely have one or both parents over 120 to 140 #.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
You should know that they get a long leggy look at about 4 months (16 weeks + a bit) and since front and hind legs grow at different times, his gait will become awkward and he'll have to relearn to walk and run smoothly when this happens. This is normal. They lose the fluffy round look about 4 months of age when the legs start that growth that makes them look so gangly.
Shift from the "dollar store" to Diamond Naturals. It's not overly expensive but it's a good food and is corn-free.
A slender pyr (or st. Pyr) is a healthier dog. They tend to have hip or joint problems simply because that's a risk of ALL large breeds, and a slender dog is less likely to have joint problems.
Please join our pyr group so you can ask your questions in a group that ALL know the breed, rather than asking the general public most of whom have no idea what the breed is all about.
Your vet said he felt the pup was "only slightly underweight". Ask the vet to show you the canine body condition chart at your next puppy visit, or, if it's not soon, call and ask if you can come by for a quick look at the chart so he can tell you how the pup compares to the chart. This chart is also available online. Trust your vet. Vet's are trained to check body condition on dogs at routine visits.->--
would think a vet's guess would be better than mine
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
feed a good quality food, blue buffalo, wellness
a lot of large breeds look gangly as puppies
I think 42 lbs for a 4 month old large breed pup is fine. He is probably playing alot and running it off. Now if he weight 64 lbs, I would say he's fat. I bet he's adorable.
You should have this dog on a high quality development food for at least one year. Chances are you will end up with some joint problems down the road as the breeder was not sensitive to the nutritional needs of the giants. Giants are alot different to grow than regular puppies. It is important to grow them very slowly, on a high quality food, so the bones and joints are very compact. This helps them to hold the weight when they are full grown. You may need to keep this dog lean for the duration of its live to keep the weight off the weak joints.
My vet told me to buy Large Breed dog food for my 7 month old Great Pyrenees. It's hard to find puppy food in large breed where I live, so I am giving him large breed adult, mixed with puppy food. I have a 2nd adult dog in the house and both he and the puppy would constantly eat the others food, so to be sure both dogs got the nutrition they need, I mixed the adult and puppy food. This worked out well before.
