My puppy eats but is underweight. How can I help him gain weight?

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.

If you can’t increase the volume of food the pups will eat, try to increase the calorie content. Also making sure you feed a high quality food will ensure that the pups absorb the nutrients appropriately. I like Royal Canin and Purina Pro Plan. You will find information about the calories on the side of the package. They are called Kcalories in dog food. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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.

First, I think it is important to determine Malia's ideal weight for her size. If your vet says she is underweight, then you may need to make some changes. But if she a good weight at 32 pounds, then eating a couple cups of food a day should be adequate for her weight. My 30 pound dog only eats about 1 cup per day. Don't forget that it is much healthier for a dog to be a little lean. If Malia is underweight, then you may need to look at foods that are more dense in calories. You can consider some of the super premium foods like Natural Balance, Wellness Core or Orijen which tend to have more bio-available calories in each cup. You may also consider The Honest Kitchen which is a dehydrated food and dense in calories. https://www.thehonestkitchen.com/ Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

I am not sure the amount that you are feeding but he should be getting between 3 and 4 cups total a day. If he is not gaining weight then you could increase the amount that you are giving him. The food should provide all the necessary nutrients for a puppy. He should have a stool sample tested for parasites, even if he has been dewormed. There are some parasites that are not treated with the regular puppy dewormer and require a specific dewormer. If he still is not gaining weight then your vet will have to do a work up to determine the cause. Your vet can run lab-work to help diagnose the problem.

I recommend another round or two of deworming and to start him on the Royal Canin large breed puppy formula. The Maxi may be the same formula, just check. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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.