Why isn't my 5-month-old puppy growing after recovering from parvo?

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!

Puppies grow at different rates and even though the parents are large and stocky not every pup may get their build. Make sure you are giving Max a good quality food and that you are feeding enough at each meal. If he's very hungry and eats all the food quickly then you're probably not feeding enough at each meal. I feed twice a day and give a biscuit or two for treats. Controlled exercise daily will build muscle and swimming is a great exercise also. Max will reach his full size by the time he is two years old, perhaps slower than the others. He's a handsome boy and is just at an awkward stage right now. In addition please have a stool sample checked by your veterinarian to be sure there are no parasites effecting his growth. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Max.

Puppies who are affected by serious disease during their crucial growth phases can experience as much as a 50% decrease in adult size when compared to puppies who did not experience disease. There are no medications that can help Tyson to grow larger. The best things you can do at this point are to make sure he remains parasites free so make sure to have his stool checked every 3 months for parasites and keep up with his routine deworming. Nutrition will also play a large role in his development. Large breed puppies need to eat diets formulated for large breed puppies. This helps to ensure that they grow and develop properly. I recommend Royal Canin Large Breed Puppy. It will ensure even, normal growth and is very easy to digest. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! At least in the pictures, he looks pretty good. Very handsome dog. These dogs do tend to show their ribs a bit. I think that he could benefit from perhaps gaining a few pounds but not much. In terms of his growth, he has likely reach his growth plateau which is why he has not been growing much lately. If he is otherwise doing well in terms of appetite and activity level, I would not worry much. I do think that it would be best to relay this to your veterinarian who knows his medical/preventative care history so that we ensure that his caloric intake is appropriate for his age and most importantly activity level. This is something that can be easily done and make a difference in terms of him gaining some weight. Again, he is very handsome so congrats as it looks like you have been taking good care of him. Good luck!

I’m glad to hear Max has recovered! Parvo can affect the overall adult size but feeding him a proper diet will help to counteract its effects. You should feed him a large breed puppy food but do not give him any supplements. Large breed puppy foods are fortified with the proper amount of calcium, phosphorus and protein. Providing additional calcium and phosphorus can actually hurt his bone structure and cause severe growth abnormalities. Omega-3 fatty acids for dogs are fine to supplement with and this will help to decrease any inflammation in his body and also improve the coat and skin health. The foods I recommend are: Royal Canin German Shepherd Puppy. This is my favorite diet for German Shepherd‘s as it is formulated to meet their growth needs and also takes into account their sensitive digestive systems. Purina Pro Plan large breed puppy formula. Nutro large breed puppy formula. Science Diet large breed puppy formula. Eukanuba large breed puppy formula. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Bruno! He is very cute! Parvo virus doesn't normally affect bone structural growth. It can affect the heart if they contract it very very young. If Bruno contracted parvo in his first few days of life then the heart complications are possible. I can't tell from your post if he got parvo at 3 days old or 3 days ago. As for drinking milk, at 8 weeks of age Bruno can be drinking water and eating just dog food. He should be about weaned off milk products. You can syringe water gently and slowly in his mouth. If he is recovering from infection 3 days ago then you can also syringe watered down canned dog food. I hope this helps and I wish you and Bruno the best!

You should definitely feed a puppy food. Purina Pro Plan and Iams are good foods that are a little less expensive. If your puppy still isn't gaining weight you should see a vet - parasites, food sensitivities or pancreatic diseases may be keeping him from gaining weight.