Need help/advice on Binky's weight please-sorry, long

[Binky]

As you might know, Binky is on the small side for a Great Pyr.  We have been monitoring her weight and growth as the vet said not to worry until she turns two and is done growing.  Her 2ncd B'Day is next week, so...
When we had her groomed, the groomer was really upset by how small and skinny Binky is.  I took her to the vet yesterday and he said that she is unusually small even for a small Pyr.  She weighs just 60 lbs.  Her coat is good, she does have muscle tone but no extra fat what so ever and her ribs and back bone are very easily felt. She seems otherwise healthy to me-good activity level, etc.  We just changed her food to Solid Gold Wolf King and have started giving her extra scraps- chicken, bread, etc.
The vet is worried that she could possibly have a problem absorbing nutrients or a kidney or liver problem.  However, he doesn't want to run tests until we track her weight a little more.  I have tried getting in touch w/Binky's breeder but have not heard back- wanted her opinion before we get too worried.
What do you all think?  Should I be worried?  Anyone else ever heard of such a small purebred Pyr?  She is not just skinny, she is shorter than most Pyrs.  I don't want to pack extra weight on her if it's not healthy weight and am just unsure of what to do.  Any advice?  Thanks, sorry so long. 

[kathryn]

I can't help much with the specific pyr questions because I don't have them.  I just wanted to say that Innova EVO put the weight back on Kaila when she lost it all to her meds.  She has maintained her weight too. 

I do know that in the Malinois breed you can have pups from the same litter that are small, dainty, and weigh around 40 pounds then have the tall, robust, 70 pounders or even higher.  She may be just a very petite girl. 

[LuvmyMal]

I am not sure about Pyrs. but Tonka is small for a female mal, she is between 62-75 lbs and is over 2 yrs old. My theory is as long as she has lean muscle and is healthy I am happy. By chance was Binky the runt? When you talk to the breeder ask if there is a small pyr in the lines, she could just be taking after one of her family members.

[patrick]

A small Pyr bitch can weigh as little as that at 2 - not desirable but can happen.  I had one small bitch that was just 60 pounds at 18 months- at 5 she was a healthy 85 pounds.  Patrick was thin as a rail at two and just blossomed at 4.  This breed is NOT finished growing until between 3 and 4.  They get most of their height by the time they are a year or so old but they can really pack on the weight between 3 and 4.  In the meantime it is important that you get her to gain some weight to be sure she has adequate nutrition on board.  I really don't like feeling washboard ribs.  Also when thin like this I always do a 3 day worming with Panacur to be absolutely sure that worms aren't part of the problem.  And worms do not always show up on a stool sample either.  All the snacks will help

[Duramax]

there's always a possibility that it's something serious, but lots of times it's just the genetics they inherited. take max for instance, he's a bean pole still! he looks under fed but he's not. and i hear it from people who think that im not feeding him right. but the truth is he is just a skinny guy.

 see....

[Binky]

Thanks everyone for putting my mind at ease.  I heard from Binky's breeder and she basically said, as others did, that some Pyrs are just small.  Also, Binky was the runt of her litter, though the breeder did tell us that she would probably grow to a "normal" size.  I will continue to make sure she eats well, but she really does seem healthy-normal stool, etc.  Thanks again.

[GoldenPyrs]

I'd missed this the last few days.  I agree that I wouldn't worry, but I would check to rule out parasites and feed her the best food that you can, but that's a good idea anyway.  We feed Innova (green) and Natural Balance Duck & Potato here.  My guess is that you'll start to see Binky really fill out nicely between 2 & 3 or so. Cara, our first Pyr girl was 90-95# at her prime and she finished filling out around 3 to 3 1/2.  Halley, our second, was only around 70-80# but she passed away of cancer at 3 so my poor baby never really got to finish maturing and filling out.    Now Cassie just turned 2 in May and she is around 75# and definately still has the young girl look.  Cara & Halley came from reputable breeders with full papers (Halley came from a long line of CH's and a number of her litter mates have their CH's, too), but Cassie was re-homed to us by an older couple that bought her at a pet store (sigh....) so I don't know anything about her background and we're not certain that she's 100% pyr, but she is an amazing sweetheart and very healthy, so we are very thankful!  Pyrs do vary quite a bit.  I know of females in the 65# range up to 120# or so.  Of course, for conformation and breeding, they should always be within the breed standard, but outside of the showing/breeding arena you see a lot of variation in size.  As long as she is energetic, bright-eyed, happy and has a good appetite, I wouldn't worry.    Please give her a big hug for me.   

[mama23+pyrs2]

Aww, poor Binky! If it were me, I think I'd maybe do what the others suggested with the food and see what difference it makes. I know they can take a lot longer than 2 yrs to fill out. If she is on the short side too like you mentioned and was the runt, that probably explains a lot of it, but I'm sure she will bulk up a little more as she gets older and with the food maybe. My pups didn't do well at all on the Solid Gold but I've heard of other Pyrs doing just fine on it so it may be just that it didn't agree with them.

When I got Yiska she was on the skinny side, very boney at only 8 wks old. It took her months before her ribs didn't stick out anymore, I worried for awhile something was wrong with her and that she was too small, eventhough she was the larger of the females in the litter. I'll have to see how she is as she grows up but now she's only 10 lbs lighter (but several inches shorter) than my male who is a very large guy. I guess it just took her longer to catch up. Their mom isn't one of the large females you hear about so I'm not expecting her to be huge though either.

Good luck to you and Binky!