My friend has a beautiful gsd bitch. She is happy and healthy in all respects as confirmed by her vet but although she doesnt appear to be losing weight is certainly not putting any on but she has lost a couple of kg over the last 6mths.. She is about 30kg and 18mths old fed on Royal Canin plus occasionally abit of raw tripe. Some days she will eat her full amount then 1 to 2 days aweek isnt interested unless meat is added then is still picky.
Mum and Dad were both big gsd dad around 45kg Mum I think about 36kg.
My friend is very concerned about her slimness it is very obvious when you meet her (the dog that is). What would others suggest . I myself have her brother who weighs around 40kg and he is fed raw although initally on canin till he boycotted all complete food. My friend is not happy to go raw.

time is what it will take if she is otherwise fit and healthy, has normal stools etc.

I have here a fit 11 year old who many think is younger than her daughter, she was practically anorexic until she had a litter at two years old, was in fab condition while rearing and until her next season then did the miss meals a few times a week as before.

I let her get on with it.

By the time she was fully mature she was in fab condition by 2002 when she was five, and won a  RCC and many Limit classes, previously she had a lot of seconds and thirds saying she needed to body and coat up.

Just leave her too it feed a good quality calorie dense easily digested food, and wait for maturity to do it's thing.  My Kizi is a sneaky food thief now.

I have 2 GSD's and have owned GSDs for the last 14 years and I have found in my experience that females can go through fussy phases with their food, however I have never come across the males ever being fussy. I have found with my female that she goes through her fussy stage when she is in season or after her season. Re weight, I would not worry too much what the scales read although 30 KG can be quite acceptable for a female GSD depending on her size and build. The best way to determine is by feel. If you can feel her ribs and backbone very easily and she doesnt have much covering over her ribs then yes, she would be underweight, but if you can just feel the ribs and there is a moderate covering over them, then she is fine. GSD's can vary considerably in weight dependant on their size. My girl is a large substantial and very strong female and weighs 38KG, yet my boy who I lost last year who was going on 13 yrs old was a slimmer build GSD and weighed in between 36-38KG. I feed my 3 dogs (2 GSD's and CKC cross) on Arden Grange and they love it. They stock quite a varied range of food. The Arden Grange premium is a food which contains a higher level of chicken and oil and dogs don't have to eat so much, so this might be good for her girl. They have a lovely nutritionist there who is very knowledgable and she will ask questions and offer advice and will also send samples. My 3 have all done well on it (including my boy who I lost last year) so I would have no hesitation in recommending it.

My Anorexic girl was fed Arden Grange Prestige for the first three years of her life as it was the only food she would eat enough of when she did eat.

As with yours it was during and after seasons when she was worst.

Thanks for your reply's have passed on the information to my friend. I do think she is rather slim and after another visit to the vet to chek everything I think my friend may change her food.I favour raw or arden grange, not because i have tried it but it seems very popular with gsd owners. (or should I say their dogs !)

Yes GSD females are not the greatest eaters, we had 1 who just would not eat, she was skinny, now she is 6 years old and is correct weight, i wouldnt wory to much, they fill out in their own time, yes the males rarely refuse a feed. Arden grange is a great food, as is Happy dog which i do prefer for them,