Why is my husky small?

If your husky is small you might want to know why and what you can do about it.

This post will show you why it might be small and what you can do to get it to be bigger.

So, why is my husky 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 actually a number of reasons why your husky might be small and it could be a combination of factors. But there are also a number of things that you can do about it as well.

Why your husky is so small

Each of the different reasons why your Siberian husky is small will likely come with a number of clues.

Below, I will show you a number of possible causes and what would make them more likely.

It’s getting the wrong diet

The reason why your husky is small could be that there is 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 Siberian huskies to eat between 860 and 1,290 calories per day. If your Siberian husky is active for most of the day, it will require even more. When you see them next, it would help to tell your vet how much you are currently feeding it and to ask if you should be feeding it more than that.

It could also be the case that you are feeding it the wrong types of foods which is causing a nutritional deficiency. This would be more likely if your husky 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 husky.

Genes

The reason why it is small could be that it is in its genes to be small. 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 husky 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.

I have also written more about why your husky might be anxious and how to reduce its anxiety here.

Illness

The reason why it has lost weight could also be due to an illness. This would be more likely if it has lost weight suddenly and if it has been showing other signs of being ill such as being fatigued when awake. If it does seem like illness could be the cause, the best option would be to take it to a vet.

Consider whether or not it has always been small

When trying to figure out why your husky is small it would help to consider whether or not it has always been small for its age.

If it 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 husky to be bigger

Below are a number of ways that you can get your husky to be bigger. You will likely find that making use of a combination of them will work best.

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 husky and to rule out the possibility of it being a more serious issue.

Feed it the correct foods

As mentioned above it could 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 husky 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 make sure that you are feeding it in the right amounts. As mentioned above, a Siberian husky will generally need to eat between 860 and 1290 calories daily but this might be different for your husky so it would help to ask your vet for the correct amount when you see them next.

Take measures to reduce its anxiety

If your husky has become small suddenly and the vet has not found any issues it could be due to a behavioral issue.

One possible cause is that it has become anxious, I have written more about why your husky might be anxious and how to reduce its anxiety here.

However, there are many other possible causes. It would help to ask your vet what else might be causing it other than illness.