Why do my puppies look skinny but have big bellies after deworming?

Puppies tend to go through a lanky phase especially if they're a taller breed. Typically they will grow taller before they start to fill out and grow muscle mass. It sounds like your kid is still young and otherwise very happy, so I would give it some time if she was dewormed appropriately. If you're feeding once a day it might be best to consider twice a day feeding as well, like 2 cups twice a day instead of 3 cups once a day. It's very hard to overfeed puppies as they are actively growing. So if you feel like she is not gaining weight appropriately you can try adding an additional 1/2 cup at a time and reassessing in a week or two. Also most veterinary clinics will be fine with you bringing your pet in just to use the scale, just call ahead to ask. This would be a good way for you to know about weight gain. I hope this helps and thank you for using pet coach!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Puppies should be dewormed every 2 weeks from 2 weeks of age to about 10 weeks of age. She can still have worms. But in general puppies of Bella's age tend to have fat little distended bellies, just like human babies, which is very normal. They tend to look even fuller after eating. It is time to start her vaccinations so the Vet can also feel her belly to be sure everything is fine. I wish Bella the best!

Yes, intestinal worms can cause a puppy's tummy to rumble, and she certainly can pass them along to your other cats and dogs. The fat belly is an indication of worms, and if you got the deworming treatment from the shelter, more than likely it kills roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms. Tapeworms require a medication called praziquantel to kill, and that is available by prescription only from the vet. To keep your dogs and cats from getting worms themselves, you will need to give them deworming treatments as well. I recommend Panacur, which you can get from your vet's office. I also recommend Drontal, which contains the praziquantel I mentioned, and that is available by prescription from the vet. You will need to give your new puppy and your other animals another deworming treatment two weeks after the first to kill all the worms. After that, your cats and dogs should be dewormed every three months if they are over six months of age, and the new puppy should be dewormed monthly until she is six months of age. She can then be dewormed every three months thereafter. I hope this helps :-)

I would recommend a really good deworming since he is young. However it would be best to take a fecal to the vet to determine if he has parasites and if so what kind. If he does not have any parasites I would recommend a food change. I would try a basic diet like purina, royal canine, or science diet puppy food.

Poor guy. Check his stools and make sure he doesn't still have worms. If he does then he will need a second treatment. In most situations puppies need two deworming treatments anyway, done 2 weeks apart. If he doesn't have worms and the stool is abnormally loose or soft, then talk to the vet about checking for bacteria and other parasites. In most cases of puppy weight loss it is a parasite issue. Some other uncommon causes are a malabsorption problem, endocrine disorder or pancreas problem. These disease processes would require bloodwork to be done on your pet to properly diagnose and treat. Also make sure you puppy is on a high quality dog food such as Royal Canin, Hill's science diet, Evo, Merrill, etc. And keep in mind that a few ounces difference day to day may be abnormal fluctuation for your puppy, especially after recovering from a worm infestation.

It's possible that he still has intestinal worms. Not all worms are killed by routine deworming, so I would recommend a fecal test by your veterinarian to see if he has any current parasites. He does look a little on the thin side, but not a ton. Most pets are overweight and so sometimes people think healthy dogs are too thin. I think it would be reasonable to increase his food by 10% to see if he fills out a bit. You want to be able to easily feel his ribs and hips, but not see the bones.

Hi there. Weight loss in a puppy Bear's age is concerning. It could be the parasite but also diarrhea can cause weight loss quickly. I would recommend taking him into your vet for blood work and fecal testing to diagnose what is causing the diarrhea, and get him the treatment he needs. I hope that helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.