My puppy is very thin. What should I do to help her get healthy?

Labradors are large breed dogs and thus they should eat a large breed puppy food to help correct growth and development. The large breed puppy formula will make sure growth is slow and consistent which is best for development. Large breed dogs are prone to a variety of growth abnormalities and the appropriate diet helps to prevent them. Additionally, most veterinarians do not recommend grain free diets. The research is not fully complete but there appears to be a link between grain free diets and heart disease. Not every pet who eats a grain free diet will develop heart disease but more dogs do on these diets than dogs who eat grains. There is likely a genetic predisposition that the diet affects. I recommend to change your food to a commercial diet that is formulated for large breed puppies. I recommend the brand Royal Canin. They even have a formula for Labrador puppies. This diet is easy to digest and is formulated for appropriate growth. This diet is complete and balanced and you do not supplement protein or vitamins/minerals. It is also important to make sure that Pom is dewormed appropriately as parasites will cause dogs to be thin. He will gain the weight once he is on an appropriate diet and eating the correct amounts. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

If she is underweight she may have an underlying medical condition. I suggest you have her examined by a vet. That is big weight discrepancy. Be sure you are feeding her a high quality food like Royal Canin puppy and be sure she has been properly dewormed. You can also try this supplement. ( https://jawsnpaws.in/pet-mankind-aptiquik.html ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

First, I would make sure you feed Dio a puppy food, not an adult food. Second, make sure you are feeding him enough cups of food. Third, make sure to feed a high quality large breed puppy food. A grain free brand like Merrick or Wellness or Taste of the Wild would be great. Even Science Diet Large Breed puppy would be ok. Last, make sure your puppy has had a fecal test run to make sure he doesn’t have worms. A monthly heartworm prevention, like Heartgard or Interceptor, treats parasites too. If your dog is still not gaining, they may need further testing or work up. In addition, adding a probiotic may help as well. I like Animal Essentials Plant Enzymes and Probiotics.

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.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would be sure he is on a good quality large breed puppy food. I like Purina Proplan or the Royal Canin or Hill's Science diet puppy foods. Feed him more than the recommended amount on the bag. At 11 weeks old he should be seeing your Vet for vaccinations. Be sure he has had his stool tested for intestinal parasites and has been dewormed a few times. Parasites are a huge issues in all puppies. Good luck!

Thank you for more information on your pet! Your dog should be getting a high quality dog food such as Royal Canin or Hills Science diet. I would also have him seen by a vet, as there could be a medical illness behind him being so thin such as intestinal worms or an inability to digest nutrients properly. The vet can diagnose if there is a medical illness causing him to be so thin, and can prescribe treatment for him.

There is not a photograph attached to this post. If she is too thin, I recommend to increase her food intake. Also make sure she is current on her deworming medication. Puppies at her age are lanky, they are like teenagers so being thin is normal. They don’t generally begin to fill out until closer to one year of age. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.