How can I help my pitbull Mastiff gain weight quickly and safely?

From your pictures, it does appear that yes Nova is a little thin. She definitely have worms if she pooped some out, it sounds like she has roundworms which look like spaghetti. Even though she isn't pooping anymore out right now, the fact that she did poop some out means she has worms. The hernia on her tummy can be fixed surgically when she is spayed, and bald spots around her ears could be due to her scratching them. She should see a vet for all of these issues, and I would call one first thing in the morning to make an appointment for her. Best of luck.

Thanks for the question. The ideal weight for every dog is different, and unfortunately, obesity in pets is a big problem. We see so many overweight dogs that sometimes healthy dogs look too skinny! You should be able to lightly run your fingers across the body and feel Bubbs's ribs, but not be able to see them. He should have a waist when viewed from above, and his belly should be tucked up when viewed from the side. In your pictures I do not see any ribs, so he is definitely not underweight. I hope this helps.

He actually doesn't appear to be underweight based on the pictures shown. I'd have to examine him to be sure, but the biggest indication that he is not underweight is the fact that he appears to have well-developed muscles. Dogs of this breed tend to be naturally lean and put more weight on their muscles rather than their ribs, or belly. If I was concerned that he was underweight, then I would first want to rule-out a disease, or parasite causing him to lose or not gain weight. It's best to have a veterinarian evaluate him, so you can ensure he's healthy and ensure that you are not going to feed him unnecessarily. Dog obesity is a big problem in the U.S., which means that the average person thinks a fat dog is at ideal weight; and a dog with an ideal body condition, or a lean body condition is thought to be starving. The truth is that the lean dogs are statistically healthier and live longer than overweight dogs. Some dogs (much like people) are able to naturally maintain a lean body condition. Leo is one of those dogs, but would urge you to have a veterinarian examine him to make that call. Below is a link to a body condition scoring guide. This is what veterinarians use when assessing whether a dog is overweight or underweight. We prefer them to be at a BCS of 4 or 5, but some are naturally at a 3. https://www.wsava.org/sites/default/files/Body%20condition%20score%20chart%20dogs.pdf At this time, I recommend feeding him normally and would not recommend a diet change until he can be evaluated by a veterinarian. I hope that helps and all is well with Leo.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Be sure that Noora has been dewormed and stool samples have been checked. Intestinal parasites can cause poor weight gain. I would deworm her even if the stool was negative. Also get her on heartworm prevention as that is also a monthly dewormer. If she eats well I would increase her food volume gradually, spread it out over 3-4 meals. If she is still not gaining consider changing brands of puppy food. I wish you the best!

It's difficult to tell from the picture, but she doesn't look too skinny, or too small to me. It would take a physical exam to make this determination though. I would question the need for her to gain weight if she was otherwise healthy and not too small for her age. As long as Stella has received appropriate parasite treatment from your vet and is getting the right amount of food, she would be expected to grow well. This is all assuming that she doesn't have any other medical issue causing her not to grow well. Your vet can help make sure that is not the case. You definitely don't want her to grow too much and too fast, because this can cause a few different bone and joint problems that can cause life-long problems. I recommend feeding her food labeled for puppies at the amount recommended on the back of the bag. This can be changed to adult dog food around 8 months of age. Make sure she also visits a vet regularly for deworming, vaccines and other preventative health care. With these simple tips, Stella should grow well and stay healthy. I hope that helps and all is well with Stella.

It is difficult to give you an exact weight that Rosie should be without seeing her and knowing how big her parents were full grown. She may be anywhere from 60-90 pounds by now. The key it to make sure she is on a large Breed puppy food and she is a healthy weight. This means when you look st her you can see her ribs but you can easily touch her and feel her ribs. Also, you should be able to appreciate a “waist” when you look at her from above and the side. If you don’t see a waist, she may be too heavy, but it is unlikely a puppy with become overweight. If you google “dog body condition chart”, several charts will come up that will help you decide if she is the proper weight. I hope this helps!

Make sure you are feeding a good quality food and giving her as much as she wants to eat. Then I would check a stool sample for intestinal parasites. If she continues to lose weight a veterinary exam and lab tests to diagnose the reason are indicated. She is a senior dog and could have a heart problem or organ failure, or possibly cancer. These symptoms are general so an exam and testing are needed for a diagnosis. Once they know the reason then they can start the appropriate treatment. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Georgina.