If your Golden Retriever is small you might want to know why and what you can do about it. In this post, I will show you common reasons why they can be small and what you can do about it.
So, why is my Golden Retriever small? Possible reasons are that there is an issue with its diet, it could be genetically small, anxiety might be causing it or it might have an illness.
There are many different reasons why your Golden Retriever might be small. But, there are some things you can consider when trying to figure out the exact reason and there are a number of things you can do about it.
Why your Golden Retriever is so small
Below are some common reasons why Golden Retrievers can be small and what would make them more likely to be the reason why yours is small.
It’s getting the wrong diet
It could be the case that it is small due to an issue with its diet.
It could be the case that it is not eating enough calories for its activity levels. Generally, it is recommended for Golden Retrievers to eat between 989 and 1,272 calories per day when they are sedentary and between 1,353 and 1,740 when they are very active.
When you see the vet next, it would help to tell them how much you are currently feeding it and to ask if you should be feeding it more than that.
It might also be the case that you have been feeding it the wrong types of foods which is causing a nutritional deficiency. This would be more likely if your Golden Retriever seems to be trying to get the nutrients in other ways such as by eating dirt. You can read here to see what you should and should not be feeding your Golden Retriever.
Genes
It might be the case that it is small due to its genetics. This would be more likely if it has always been small and if your vet has never commented on there being any issues with its size or weight.
Anxiety
If your Golden Retriever has suddenly lost weight after a stressful event it could be the case that it is because it is stressed or anxious. This would be more likely if it started losing weight after things such as another pet dying, someone mistreating it or moving homes.
In this case, it would be important to deal with the issue and it would be highly recommended for you to get the help of a vet and a dog behaviorist.
Illness
Another possible cause is that it has an illness or medical condition. This would be more likely if it has become small suddenly or if it has suddenly stopped eating as much and it has been showing other signs of being ill. In this case, the best option would be to take it to a vet.
Age
Obviously, if it is a puppy, it will grow larger as it gets older. However, if it seems to be small compared to other puppies, it could still be the case that it will grow to be a normal size when it gets older. If the vet has not found any issues, it would likely help to wait for it to get older since it might still grow a lot.
Consider whether or not it has always been small
When trying to figure out why your Golden Retriever is small, it would help to consider whether or not it has always been small for its age.
If your Golden Retriever has become small suddenly, it would be more likely to be due to things such as being more active but not eating enough calories, getting ill or being stressed. It would help to consider what else changed when it became small.
Whereas, if it has always been small for its age it would be more likely to be due to things such as genetics. However, it could still be the case that it hasn’t been getting fed enough and it would help to make sure it’s being fed correctly when you see your local vet next.
How to get your Golden Retriever to be bigger
Below are some options you have when dealing with your Golden Retriever being small.
Talk to a vet
If you can’t figure out why it is small, it has become small suddenly or it has been showing signs of being ill the best option would be to take it to a vet. By doing so you will be able to get expert advice tailored to your specific Golden Retriever and to rule out the possibility of it being a more serious issue.
Feed it the correct foods
As mentioned above, it might be the case that you have been feeding it the wrong type of diet. You can look here to see what dogs should and should not be eating. If your Golden Retriever became small when you changed its diet it would also make it a lot more likely to be due to an issue with its new diet.
Feed it the right amount for its activity levels
It would also help to ensure that it is getting the right amount of daily calories. As mentioned above, a Golden Retriever will generally need to eat between 989 and 1,272 calories per day when they are sedentary and between 1,353 and 1,740 when they are very active but this might be different for your Golden Retriever so it would help to ask your vet for the correct amount when you see them next.