My puppy won't eat and seems underweight, but the vet says he's fine.

Most puppies should be proper weight if they are getting fed puppy food, and in his case large breed puppy food. If you are concerned about his weight, then I would recommend getting him checked to ensure he isn't losing nutrition due to intestinal parasites, which is the #`1 cause for weight loss in puppies. Otherwise, he may just be naturally lean. I can see his ribs there but he is laying down, if he stands and his ribs are still readily pronounced, then he may be a tad bit underweight. Also if he has any loose stool, this can indicate other internal organ issues that should be checked by your vet. If he has an underlying issue that is not treated, then no matter what you feed him, he will continue to be undersized. I hope that things work out well for your pet Thunder and that his weight normalizes soon! Best wishes and take care.

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.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Thank you for posting pictures, these are helpful! Rocky is very thin, and you are right to be concerned. He should not be this thin. I would be very worried about some underlying disease condition that is preventing him from either being able to eat the food, or from being able to absorb the food. Possible causes are GI parasites (worms, giardia, coccidia, etc.), exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), other GI absorbtive disorders (IBD, GI lymphoma, etc.), partial obstruction or foreign object in the gut, persistent right aortic arch or hiatal hernia causing vomiting/regurgitation, food allergies, etc. I would try feeding him boiled rice with boiled/boneless/skinless chicken breasts, as well as a high quality canned puppy food. I would also strongly recommend getting him to a vet where I would discuss a fecal test, a deworming trial, x-rays or preferably ultrasound, testing for EPI depending on the quality of his feces, and x-rays of the chest to look for congenital malforations there. Best of luck with Rocky, I hope he feels better soon!

From the pictures and weight you described he seems pretty healthy, however your vet can help you monitor Murphy's weight to make sure he isn't gaining too much or becoming overweight. Most vets will use a body condition score to determine if the weight is appropriate (around 3 on a scale of 5 or 5 on a scale of 9 is good). Many vets will also let you bring your pup in for weighing without charge so you can track his weight as he grows.

Thanks for using a Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is not possible to know this without an examination and cytologic examination. I highly recommend you consider having him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. It may be best to switch him to a diet of a different protein and carbohydrate such as duck and potato for example in case he is having allergies to his current diet. Good luck and have a great day!

It looks like his weight and body condition are good, though its difficult to evaluate that without being able to put my hands on him. (the hair can be deceiving) . When you run your hands over his chest you should be able to feel his ribs easily but they should not be prominent. When you run your hands along the sides of the abdomen back to the hips, you should be able to appreciate a "waist," but the bones of his hips should not be prominent. His spine (backbones) over his lower back should not be easy to feel. Without a walk-on scale like your vet has in his office, the best way to weigh him is by picking him up and weighing yourself on a bathroom scale. Then subtract your weight. (please be careful!! I don't want you to injure your back picking him up!) I hope that information is helpful for you. If you are continuing to feed a home cooked diet, consider checking out the site www.balanceit.com. This website will help you ensure that you have a balanced home cooked diet for Bear. Thanks for asking PetCoach!

I would be more focused on how Maya looks and feels. If Maya is gaining weight every week and has a good coat with good coverage of fat over her ribs than I would not be concerned. Some dogs will just eat less than others or can be less interested in food. I would make sure that Maya has a fecal exam done by a vet to see if she needs deworming. A lot of young dogs have parasites which will cause a problem with weight gain and how they feel. I hope that helps and congrats on the new puppy