My dog looks skinny at his ideal weight

I have a 2 year old Pitbull who weighs between 60-65 lbs. This is right in line with what he is supposed to weigh. However, he looks very thin compared to other Pitbulls I've seen. He looks lanky and his ribs are noticeable. Should I try to make him gain more weight?

 

Have you talked to your vet about this? What are you basing his 'ideal weight' on? He could actually need to put on a few pounds, but your vet would be able to tell that better.

 

How is his health in general? Is he active and alert all the time? Sometimes dogs do look a bit lanky but they can be in good shape actually. I remember that Dark Lady, my Dobermann, can never grow fat however much she eats but she has no problem going for long runs. Of course, a visit to the vet can tell you more about your dog's condition.

 

I also have dogs before that does not become fat no matter how much they eat.

I think a consultation with a vet could give you a clear status of his health whether it will be fine for your dog to gain more weight to not look skinny.

 

Thanks for all your replies. I am basing his ideal weight on information I've read on the breed. What I've read states that he should weigh 50-65 lbs, give or take. It seems a real APBT should not weigh more than this. I know others call American Bullies APBT but that breed is much larger.

As far as his general health, he is very active and alert. The only thing I can think of is that he frequently has loose stools. He is on a dry food diet only.

 

Talk to your vet about the loose stools, for sure. That could be an indication of something else being wrong, like possibly worms.

Beyond that, it's hard to base the weight off things you read on 'averages'. Your dog might not be as tall or framed the same way that another dog might be, so he may need to weigh a bit less.

 

I think you have to change your dog food. After all, what they eat does matter. Check out your dog food and see its content, maybe its more on fillers which isn't great in building muscles. Dogs still need their protein.

The loose stools can also be an indication of intestinal parasites so make sure he's dewormed regularly.

You might want to visit your vet for more detailed advice on what food works best for your dog.

 

Loose stools? That's not quite right. It should be firm and nearly dry. Do you see any worms in the stools? I think a visit to the vet is definitely in order.

 

Unfortunately I think you are right. So far I haven't seen any worms in his stool. A vet visit my be the best way to make everything is okay.

 

Thanks for the advice. I will definitely try changing his food before anything else. I hear a dog's digestive system is very sensitive and the wrong food can make him ill. I do deworm him regularly so I don't think it's worms or parasites, unless the deworming doesn't cover all types of worms.