How many milliliters can a newborn Doberman puppy's stomach hold?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The maximum volume of a 14 lb dog's stomach is approximately 500 mL, but this would be considered full distention and would likely be very uncomfortable for Nellie. I hope this helps!

8 week old puppies, even large breed ones, have pretty tiny stomachs, and they also have poor abdominal musculature development at this stage. Those 2 factors can cause you to really be able to see their abdomen bulging when the stomach is full or water or food. So that might be one reason you're seeing this. The other reason could be that Mishka has intestinal parasites. They are very common in young puppies, so if she hasn't been dewormed, this should be done, at least twice (3 - 4 weeks apart). It's also a good idea to have your vet check a stool sample. You can buy dewormer over the counter in most pet stores; follow the directions on the package.

As a general rule with tube feeding you give 1ml per ounce. I would be inclined to give 10 to 12mls and see how you get on. You should only tube feed puppies that are too weak to suckle. If the puppies are stonger i wiuld take the time to bottle feed them as there are so fewer potential complications.

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!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your puppy. Some puppies are so small that their stomachs visibly distended after eating. If this is the case, her stomach should look normal again some time later. Going forward, feed her smaller more frequent meals and use puppy formula as opposed to goat milk. I hope this information helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is likely normal but I would feed less formula at each feeding and increase the frequency or number of feedings. That way he is getting smaller amounts and his stomach won't get so distended. Be sure to contact your Vet for a deworming protocol soon. I also suggest weaning bottle fed puppies sooner due to the constipation or diarrhea affects of formula. Have a good day!

If your puppy is in a lot of [pain](https://www.petcoach.co/article/7-subtle-signs-your-dog-is-in-pain) and is struggling to walk or is having breathing problems, you should take her to your vet without delay. If the belly is swollen but the puppy is not in discomfort, you may monitor her for a few hours to see how she goes. Consider smaller, more frequent [amounts of food ](https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-much-to-feed-a-dog-to-meet-his-energy-needs)for the next few days instead of larger meals.