Why is my 3-month-old Doberman puppy only 11 pounds? Is it healthy?

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!

It sounds like Rocky is growing well. Every puppy grows at different rates so it is hard to tell just by a number on a scale. You shouldn't be able to see his ribs but should be able to feel them when you pet him. He should also have an hourglass waist. With the diarrhea I would be concerned for intestinal parasites which would also cause him not to grow properly. Talk to your vet about deworming and follow the bag of puppy food for how much to feed daily. Good luck and kisses to Rocky!

Hello! In an ideal situation, you can feel the ribs, but not see them, so that sounds pretty good! When you look at him from above, there should be an "hourglass" shape, just behind his ribs, in an ideal body condition.

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.

Puppies tend to go through a lanky phase especially if they're a taller breed. Typically they will grow taller before they start to fill out and grow muscle mass. It sounds like your kid is still young and otherwise very happy, so I would give it some time if she was dewormed appropriately. If you're feeding once a day it might be best to consider twice a day feeding as well, like 2 cups twice a day instead of 3 cups once a day. It's very hard to overfeed puppies as they are actively growing. So if you feel like she is not gaining weight appropriately you can try adding an additional 1/2 cup at a time and reassessing in a week or two. Also most veterinary clinics will be fine with you bringing your pet in just to use the scale, just call ahead to ask. This would be a good way for you to know about weight gain. I hope this helps and thank you for using pet coach!

Dogs can vary quite a bit in size, even if they are the same breed - so it's more important to look at your dog's body condition to determine if he is under (or over) his ideal weight rather than comparing to averages for the breed. Ideally, you should be able to feel his ribs easily with your hands when you run them down his sides, and he should have a visible "waistline" or abdominal tuck just behind the ribcage. The ribs and hipbones should not be visibly jutting out of his fur, as this would be a sign that he is too thin. If his body condition is normal, I would not recommend increasing his food or trying to make him gain weight, as it's not good for growing dogs to be overweight at this age - it's very hard on their joints and can predispose them to orthopedic problems such as hip dysplasia later in life. If you're unsure if he is the correct weight for his size, you're welcome to request a consultation with one of us and share some photos of him - we would be glad to try and help :)

Rather than a particular weight, we want to go for an ideal body condition score. Now with young puppies (just like kids) they are growing and the body condition scoring doesn't matter as much, but we still don't want her to be very overweight. Here is a helpful guide to checking body condition at home : https://www.aaha.org/public_documents/professional/guidelines/weightmgmt_bodyconditionscoring.pdf and your vet can also weigh in on this.