Is my Doberman puppy growing normally after having diarrhea?

Congrats on the new puppy! It is ok that he is only 11 pounds as long as when you look at him he is an ideal weight. He may end up being more petite than other dobermans which is okay! For an ideal weight, he should have waist and you should be able to easily feel his ribs but you should not be able to see his ribs, top of spine or top of hip bones by just looking at him. For his size and energy he should be eating a total of 1.5-2 cups of food a day split into two to three meals per day. Also make sure he is on a puppy food to ensure he is getting the proper about of nutrients. I would definitely discuss his weight In more detail with your vet at his next appointment. Your vet will be able to tell you whether he is underweight of you are unsure. I hope this helps!

Your pups are so cute! Diarrhea and reduced appetite could be caused by parasites, change in diet, toxin ingestion, infectious viral diseases, blockage in the intestines caused by ingestion of a foreign body, or a mass/growth in the gastrointestinal tract. Parvovirus is also a possibility, particularly in a dog as young as Rocky, as you mentioned he is too young to have had all his boosters yet. Please make an appointment to have Rocky seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible, as diarrhea can easily lead to dehydration in such a young pup, and can be very dangerous if left untreated. In the mean time, if he is not eating well, you can try boiling boneless skinless chicken in water, shredding the chicken, and feeding her small amounts of the resulting chicken broth and cooked chicken with boiled plain white rice once it has cooled. I recommend taking in a fecal sample from Rocky to your vet as well, as that may aid them in making a diagnosis. Good luck, and I hope he feels better soon!

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! The picture quality isn't great but Duke appears a bit think. I think I can see his hip bones. Please look at this ideal body condition chart and aim for a 4-5 body condition score. https://oregonvma.org/files/Purina-Dog-Condition-Chart.pdf I hope this helps!

I wouldn't recommend adding any additional food to help Simba bulk up - you should just increase the amount of puppy food that he gets each day. You could try increasing by about 25% for two weeks and then judge his body condition using this scoring chart to see if he seems like he is an appropriate weight. If your veterinarian recommended a specific diet for his diarrhea that he is still eating you should check with your veterinarian first to make sure it is okay to increase the amount of food offered or if there is something else he should be fed. Since he is feeling better he should gain weight quickly - don't forget to cut back on food again once he seems like he is back to an ideal weight. http://www.mabcr.org/template/upload_files/PuppyBodyCondChart.pdf

Intestinal worms are a common cause of diarrhea in puppies, so that could be causing it in Rocky. Give him a deworming treatment, and another two weeks after the first one to kill all the worms. He should be dewormed monthly until he is six months of age, and then should be dewormed every three months thereafter. The fruit could also be causing his diarrhea, as certain fruits can cause GI upset. Check this list below to see what fruits and veggies are safe to give him as an occasional treat. http://www.akc.org/content/health/articles/fruits-vegetables-dogs-can-and-cant-eat/

Weakness is unfortunately a very non specific symptoms. The first thing I would suspect could be causing such a sign in such a young dog would be gastrointestinal parasites. Make sure that your pup has been dewormed and has had its fecal sample checked for the presence of any remaining bugs. The diet you are using is fine, but please make sure that it is a large breed puppy specific diet. Any adult diet will not provide the appropriate nutrients to a puppy. Rabies vaccines are generally given to dogs 12 weeks and older. The combo shots are typically started at 8 weeks and then given every 4 weeks until 16 weeks of age. Hope this helps.

Aw, what a cutie. 6 weeks old is pretty young to be away from his mama. These guys are often fed by their mom until closer to 8 weeks. A good quality puppy food, probably canned or kibble soaked in warm water will be necessary. At this age he probable won’t eat dry kibble. It is best if you feed the same thing the breeder fed in the beginning. This will help with the soft stool and keep him from diarrhea. Once he eats that well, you can transition. I would choose a high quality large breed puppy food for the first year. I like Merrick, if your budget allows. If you need a grocery store available food, try Purina One. If his stool is really soft, he needs to have a fecal check with your vet as he may need deworming.