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Why is my 8-month-old Boerboel puppy thin even though he eats?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Boerboel | Male | unneutered

My dad got a Boerboel not so long ago and is thin for some reason, even though it eats once a day, please help. And it is perfectly healthy, we even tried deworming it but nothing. It is 8 months old

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 3rd, 2017

He is quite thin in this picture. Poor guy. Bully is still a puppy and should be eating at least twice a day at this age, around 3-4 cups daily of a high quality puppy food like Hills Science diet, Wellness, Natural Balance, Evo, or Eukanuba. If after 1-3 months he still is not gaining weight, or if he has abnormal consistency to his stool at any point, then he needs to see your local vet to explore other possible causes to him being underweight besides malnutrition, such as intestinal parasites, an underlying malabsorption disorder or even exocrine pancreatic insufficiency just to name a few. Intestinal parasites is still a possibility if he has not have a proper fecal exam, because there are many parasite possibilities and not every dewormer will kill all the possible worms out there. I hope this helps and best wishes with getting Bully to a healthy weight soon. Take care.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

    Veterinarian

    Published on May 1st, 2019

    Titan is still growing so he could still be in a lanky phase. The two best things you can do to help maintain a good weight are to make sure he is free of parasites (since they will steal his nutrients) and feed a high quality protein. Not all dog foods are created equal. You also can’t tell from the label what is a high-quality protein and what is not unfortunately. The diet I recommend is called Royal Canin and you would want the giant breed puppy formula. It will ensure a consistent growth. I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian having his feces check for parasites and have his body condition score evaluated so that you know if he is too thin or just right for his current frame. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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