Why is my puppy eating poop, always hungry, and not gaining weight?

Poor girl. Rosy likely has intestinal parasites in her belly, causing her to not gain weigh. Intestinal parasites can also give a bloated belly appearance. Rosy needs to have her feces tested at your local veterinarian practice or humane society and get dewormed for parasites. Even when puppies are negative, they are still dewormed regularly at this age with a broad spectrum dewormer (i.e. pyrantel palmoate). Also make sure that Rosy is on a high quality dog food that will be more filling, such as Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Evo, Merrick, Iams, etc.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Ginger. It is abnormal for a dog not to gain weight as she grows. I would recommend that she sees her veterinarian for fecal testing and deworming. If this does not resolve her symptoms, I would then try her on a prescription low fat highly digestible diet. Most of the time poor stool quality is related to parasites or diet in young puppies. I hope this information helps!

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!

There could be a few reasons why Bella is not gaining weight. I would recommend checking a stool sample to make sure there are no intestinal parasites since if she does have them this could be a reason why she isn't gaining weight. I would also recommend talking to your veterinarian about Bella's diet and exactly what she is eating. If these both are good then I would recommend getting blood work to make sure there is nothing systemic going on with Bella. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello. Genetics can be pretty tricky to interpret in dogs, especially if each parent was a combination of breeds. As long as Bella is eating & drinking well, active & engaged with all around her, I would not be too concerned about how she looks when compared to her litter mates. Is she up to date on her vaccines, wormed on a regular basis & on heartworm preventative? If she is well cared for, eats a name brand food & does not seem overly hungry, then changing her food will not probably change much. She is still young, & truthfully, staying a little thinner is actually healthier than being overweight. If you are concerned, a good evaluation by your veterinarian would confirm if there are any issues to be dealt with. But, all sounds pretty normal. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Have Stella examined by your veterinarian to diagnose any underlying medical conditions for her lack of weight gain. Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites, bacterial overgrowth or malabsorption/maldigestion conditions. Feed a good quality canned or dry large breed puppy food. Stop hand feeding her. Dogs thrive on routine, so begin a consistent schedule for feeding. Prepare her food and leave it down for 20 minutes before picking it up whether she has eaten or not. Repeat this at the next mealtime. Be firm and be consistent. She will not starve. She will eat when she gets hungry. You can mix in a bit of warm water or a teaspoon of plain baby food to stimulate the appetite.

We would expect a five month old puppy to eat a lot in order to grow. However, if you feel Diva is eating more than she should and still not gaining weight, this could be a sign of intestinal worms. You should have Diva tested for worms and treated if necessary. If that is not the problem, I would suggest giving her smaller meals more frequently.