My 4-day-old chihuahua puppies aren't gaining weight. Is this normal?

This may be completely normal and could be due to the competition for space inside the uterus. Monitor his food intake and his body weight intensively for the first days and make sure he stays in a warm place all time. He could easily put on weight in the future and his size could result normal after few months.

You could wait another week or two to see if the mother will wean them soon. If she hasn't weaned by 8 weeks, then I would recommend doing so yourself by completely separating them by a door or baby gate. Continue to offer the puppy food, try mixing it with water or puppy milk replacer and allowing them to play in it. They may not be hungry if they are still nursing.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your your puppies. I recommend you weigh each puppy daily with a gram scale. Puppies typically gain about 10% of their body weight per day and will double their birth weight by roughly day 10. It is ok if the pup is smaller than the others, but growing adequately. If she is not gaining at an appropriate rate, she needs to see a veterinarian. I hope this information helps!

It is ok if your puppy does not eat all in the first days at its new home. This is a very stressful time. I suggest , since you only just got your puppy, to take him to a vet next week for a wellness check to make sure he is healthy. You can then also schedule the remaining vaccinations and worming and make sure he has no congenital defects or other health problems. Should your puppy still not eat properly by then, you can address that with your vet.

Considering the puppy is losing weight and failing to thrive, I would bring him into your local vet for an exam to check for any physical deformities that may be affecting his ability to nurse properly and eat, and for any potential illnesses or issues that could be causing him to not do as well. If he is able to eat with a bottle, I'd also recommend increasing his feedings if he still seems hungry, to try and keep weight on him and get him back up to speed.

Chihuahuas weight varies greatly during puppyhood and there is no specific weight chart that we use in practice. Instead we use a more accurate assessment of your puppy's weight, which is his/her body condition score (BCS) where 3/5 or 5/9 is considered an ideal weight. Your vet should be able to tell what the body condition score is easily by simply examining your pet. Also in puppies, unless you see vomiting or diarrhea symptoms, and they are getting feed the proper amount 3x a day, then chances are your pet is of proper weight. Also feel free to share a photo of your pet via consultation request, and we can tell you without a doubt whether your pup is proper weight or not.

Have him examined by a veterinarian. A stool sample should be rechecked for intestinal parasites or bacterial overgrowth. Puppies typically require multiple deworming to clear parasites. Malabsorption or maldigestion issues should also be ruled out. Review the vaccination history with the veterinarian to confirm Brownie is adequately protected against illness.