Why isn't my Labrador puppy growing? Is his small size normal?

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I agree that Max looks a bit smaller than an average 5 month old lab. However, severe intestinal parasites would typically cause a dog to look very skinny and in the picture you provided, Max doesn’t look alarming thin to me. Deworming should be done a few times in puppies, so I do think it’s a good idea to deworm again (under the guidance of your Vet), but I don’t think his size or temperament are likely to be related to worms. If you’re concerned he’s not growing appropriately, I recommend having him examined by your Vet, and run some bloodwork to help rule out systemic diseases which could influence growth. However, my suspicion is you simply have a petite lab and his size is normal for him. I hope this helps!

There are a few possibilities. He could still be recovering from the parvo disease and will start gaining weight soon. He could be a mixed breed and just have a small adult size that he's getting to (and from his picture, he doesn't look like a pure lab to me, although it's impossible to tell from looks alone), or he could have an endocrine issue that he preventing him from growing normally. If he is otherwise normal, I would recommend giving him another month to work on growing, otherwise, schedule a vet visit to talk about possible testing. Good luck! He's quite a cutie.

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! 3/8 of a cup twice daily for a growing labrador sounds a little under the calories he should be getting daily. He should be consuming closer to 2 cups of the royal canin maxi food daily. Chicken stew and rice are not good sources of nutrients for a growing dog and should not replace eating his regular puppy food and should be discontinued. Just feeding more of his puppy food will help him grow and put on healthy weight. Thanks again for posting!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would be sure he is on a good quality large breed puppy food. I like Purina Proplan or the Royal Canin or Hill's Science diet puppy foods. Feed him more than the recommended amount on the bag. At 11 weeks old he should be seeing your Vet for vaccinations. Be sure he has had his stool tested for intestinal parasites and has been dewormed a few times. Parasites are a huge issues in all puppies. Good luck!

This is a common question we get from people who want their dog to be very big. The answer is that you should not be trying to make her grow too much too fast. Labradors vary in size depending on their genetics, so I can't give you an exact height that she should be, but she appears at a normal height for five months old. I know that my answer is very different than what you are expecting and it requires some further explanation. Below is a link to an article that does a great job of explaining how you should feed a large breed dog and why giving them too much nutrition can cause health problems later on. https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/04/09/slow-growth-diets-for-giant-breed-puppy.aspx I hope that helps and all is well with Olie.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! That will not necessarily stunt his growth. As long as you continue him on a good balanced diet and you continue the good job you are doing, he is likely going to be ok and be back to his normal expected growth. He looks at an appropriate condition for a 2 month old puppy. Good luck and have a great day! He is super handsome!

Labradors are large breed dogs and thus they should eat a large breed puppy food to help correct growth and development. The large breed puppy formula will make sure growth is slow and consistent which is best for development. Large breed dogs are prone to a variety of growth abnormalities and the appropriate diet helps to prevent them. Additionally, most veterinarians do not recommend grain free diets. The research is not fully complete but there appears to be a link between grain free diets and heart disease. Not every pet who eats a grain free diet will develop heart disease but more dogs do on these diets than dogs who eat grains. There is likely a genetic predisposition that the diet affects. I recommend to change your food to a commercial diet that is formulated for large breed puppies. I recommend the brand Royal Canin. They even have a formula for Labrador puppies. This diet is easy to digest and is formulated for appropriate growth. This diet is complete and balanced and you do not supplement protein or vitamins/minerals. It is also important to make sure that Pom is dewormed appropriately as parasites will cause dogs to be thin. He will gain the weight once he is on an appropriate diet and eating the correct amounts. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.