Goldendoodle puppy growing but not gaining weight. Should I worry?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! At least in the pictures, he looks pretty good. Very handsome dog. These dogs do tend to show their ribs a bit. I think that he could benefit from perhaps gaining a few pounds but not much. In terms of his growth, he has likely reach his growth plateau which is why he has not been growing much lately. If he is otherwise doing well in terms of appetite and activity level, I would not worry much. I do think that it would be best to relay this to your veterinarian who knows his medical/preventative care history so that we ensure that his caloric intake is appropriate for his age and most importantly activity level. This is something that can be easily done and make a difference in terms of him gaining some weight. Again, he is very handsome so congrats as it looks like you have been taking good care of him. Good luck!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would have his stool checked for intestinal parasites and be sure he has been dewormed a few times. You can increase the volume of food at each meal by 25%. And see if that improves his weight in 2 weeks. Be sure he is seeing a vet for vaccines. Good luck!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I wouldn't worry about the decreased pooping. As long as she is eating, not vomiting and is active it could just be a fluke and she'll go just fine the following day. The weight and size of a dog depends on genetics and breed. Not all dogs weigh the same, so not all puppies weigh 16 kg at 4 months old. I hope this helps!

Before changing food I would actually recommend going to the veterinary visit you have scheduled. I would recommend getting some blood work done to make sure there is nothing systemically causing the weight loss. Once we determine there is nothing else going on with him then I would discuss what type of food he is currently on and seeing if a change in diet is ideal. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

There is no ideal weight as doodles vary so much in size. A perfect weight dog should have a waist when looking down on him and a tucked tummy from the side view. You should be able to easily feel his ribs but not see them when looking from the side. He should have good muscle covering over his spine. The amount of food to maintain ideal body weight varies on size and activity but monitoring how he looks and feels will tell you if his weight is ideal. In my experience most doodles are active and not prone to being overweight. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Ziggy.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I have several thoughts for you regarding Cooper. 1) He's simply hungry. Puppies, just like human children, do not all eat the same and do go through growth spurts. If he is underweight (per a veterinarian), increase the total amount by ~25%. If he is an appropriate weight, but seems to have "stalled out" in the growth department, give it time - again, sometimes weight gain comes in spurts. Your vet can actually calculate a daily calorie goal for Cooper based on his current weight and body condition score if you'd like a more specific recommendation. 2) He has an underlying problem. Liver shunt, heart defect, pancreas problem, or other issues can cause a "failure to thrive" or "runty" puppy. If he truly isn't gaining weight or is underweight despite a good appetite and plenty of food, it's time to talk to your vet about bloodwork and other testing to figure out if there is a problem. 3) He has worms. Worms do not shed eggs 24/7 and it is technically possible to have a "negative" fecal float and still have worms. If he had enough worms to cause problems gaining weight, it is doubtful the float would be negative but still, talk to your vet about a dewormer - just in case. It is much cheaper and easier than all the other testing so you'd hate to miss such a simple fix. Hope this helps and best of luck to you and Cooper!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It would be very unusual for a dog that young to have developed kidney disease, and if it was severe kidney disease, I would not expect him to be active and eating well. He may be drinking and urinating more due to the change in temperature outside. I recommend ensuring you are feeding him adequate calories based on the feeding chart on Pixel's food, and continuing to monitor his weight. Eventually he will plateau at a certain weight, and may fluctuate up and down from that weight. As long as he is acting normally and eating well, and not experiencing any vomiting or diarrhea I would not be concerned! I hope this is helpful!