# severely underweight puppy



## TheGreatCeaser (Jul 10, 2017)

Hello everyone i think my puppy is severely underweight. The vet didnt think the age was correct when i showed him the papers so i contacted the breeder. He told me the age was correct and that this was the mothers last litter and she nursed them poorly. So by going off the breeder he's 17 weeks old and weighs 15lbs. I feed him half a cup 3 times a day but now im wondering if i should be feeding him more as he's less than half of what he should be according to what i read online. I saw his father and he was huge, his mother looked normal the other puppies around him didnt look any bigger so i dont think he was a runt. Im lost, any help is appreciated.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

half a cup 3 times per day is very deficient --- 
get the best possible feed , good clean protein, essential fatty acids .

you can run an immune system into the ground and that begs for all sorts of developmental and 
emotional and long range health problems.

what are you feeding?


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## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

And your vet didn't tell you to feed the dog more? 

Where are you located? Buy some of the best food you can and feed him. 

For your reference, my 17 week old was getting between 3 and 4 cups a day if memory serves me right.


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## TheGreatCeaser (Jul 10, 2017)

eddie1976E said:


> And your vet didn't tell you to feed the dog more?
> 
> Where are you located? Buy some of the best food you can and feed him.
> 
> For your reference, my 17 week old was getting between 3 and 4 cups a day if memory serves me right.


I live in northern indiana.

My vet didnt think by his body that size that he was that old. Ive had him maybe 4 weeks. when i got him he was 10 lbs or less. I was feeding him that blue buffalo wolf stuff because of their solid branding but my vet told me to stick to big name stuff. so hes on large breed purina puppy food right now. Im not partial to any brand. Money isnt a problem, i believe in giving a pet the absolute best. But when my breeder told me he was actually his age, i got worried because all the picture online show much bigger dogs. My breeder told me he fed the pups twice a day. So i thought if anything i was over feeding him. Is purina puppy food good or should i switch it up? Right now i feed him 3 times a day, when he wakes up around 9-10 am, 2pm, and 6pm. He has about 4 bowel movements through out the day. Im a night owl so i usually take him out at 1 am so he has a bowel movement before bed and he hasnt had any accidents throughout the night since the 1st week (knock on wood).


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## TheGreatCeaser (Jul 10, 2017)

here is the most recent picture i have


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

He has about 4 bowel movements through out the day

--with Purina , he would ! So much filler that is indigestible - anti nutrition .

his coat looks rough 

does he have a good appetite?


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## TheGreatCeaser (Jul 10, 2017)

carmspack said:


> He has about 4 bowel movements through out the day
> 
> --with Purina , he would ! So much filler that is indigestible - anti nutrition .
> 
> ...


He has a good appetite and they did a fecal test and everything was fine.

What food would you suggest?

His coat is very coarse and dry 

How many bowel movements is the norm?


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

I would deworm this pup regardless of test results.


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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

I used and liked Fromm Large Breed Puppy. 

A lot of vets are proponents of Purina, Science Diet, Iams. I wouldn't feed any of those brands normally.


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## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

Lots of misinformation coming from vets. I would feed Fromm Large Breed Puppy if you can get it in India. Blue is better than Purina, although they have had a few recalls.


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## MyHans-someBoy (Feb 23, 2013)

What an adorable little guy!
I'm another fan of Fromm Large Breed Puppy. I'm a fellow Hoosier, but in the Southern part of Indiana. 
If you can't find it locally, you can order Fromm through Petflow, I believe. I really would switch him off of Purina. I know there are a few fans of Purina, but ever since a family member worked at one of their plants many years ago, with stories of some pretty nasty practices, I've steered clear of their products...
Fromm will seem to be a lot more expensive, but you likely won't feed nearly as much of it as you would a food with a lot of fillers, like Purina, so it really doesn't end up being that much more expensive in the long run.
Once my pup is no longer eating puppy food, I plan to keep him on Fromm.


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

Many years ago, when I got my first GSD, a rescue, she was a walking skeleton - 5 years old, 26" tall and weighed only 35 lbs. My aunt and uncle had taken her in when their elderly, senile neighbour had to go into a nursing home. When I asked how come she was so skinny, my aunt shrugged and said, "She won't eat!"

Guess what they were feeding her? Purina Dog Chow. (Okay, I'm sure there was some neglect involved too!)

I feed both my dogs and my cat Natural Balance foods, coats are shiny and they are very healthy. The dogs get the Lamb and Rice limited ingredient formula, because my older female has some allergies (sensitive to chicken, it seems.)


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## cheffjapman (Jun 8, 2017)

We feed ours Diamond Naturals beef and rice. We have had good results with it.


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## TheGreatCeaser (Jul 10, 2017)

MineAreWorkingline said:


> I would deworm this pup regardless of test results.


Ive gave him 2 different dewormers so far. One i purchased the week i got him because the breeder recommended it. Just over the counter at petsmart. And then my vet gave me another dewormer (free) i gave him this week. I told him that i had already used a dewormer but i guess they treat many different kinds.

My issue with blue buffalo foods.
1.Vet ive trusted my whole life told me not to use it. Same vet gave me advice on what to feed my only other pet ive had. A cat that lasted 19 years and only went to the vet when he couldnt walk and had to be put down
2. Employee at petsmart told me vets say that so they get kick backs from large food brands so they can go on fancy vacations. Seemed logical until she threw in free blue treats ,a blue wilderness collar and a bunch of coupons.
3. My research online showed they were sued because the didnt actually know what was in their food and lied about it.


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## TheGreatCeaser (Jul 10, 2017)

Just placed an order for Fromm, kinda sucks that none of the big box pet stores carry it. But i do have one location close to me that sells it. However i doubt i will be able to get it for the price pet flow has.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

I have never had a gsd do well on Blue. And they scare me. This attitude of we really dont know whats in our food so lets just pay and move on scares the crap out of me.
Purina has issues but at least they dont claim otherwise.
The food I feed is made in its own facility not someone elses. And in all their years in business 0 recalls.
I like that.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

Blue seems like it's really a marketing company. They outsource a lot of manufacturing, and their recalls happen because they don't always seem to know or have control over what the manufacturer is putting in the bag. They always profess SHOCK and OUTRAGE that bad stuff that they didn't specify in the factory contract somehow ended up in their bags. Meh.

Also, all that branding that you mentioned costs money -- a lot of money. They spend millions on advertising. That's millions _not _invested in ingredient quality sourcing, R&D, or quality control. I like companies that focus money on what goes _in_ the bag, not TV commercials. I also like companies that control their own manufacturing, own the quality control (no one to pass the buck to!), and don't just slap a label on food made by someone else. I also want clear information on ingredient sourcing -- no ingredients from China!

Fromm, Victor, and Champion (Acana/Orijen) are examples of companies that own their own plants, have had no major recalls, and have been in business making good food a long time. I believe all of them reject China-sourced ingredients and focus on quality control.

Fromm doesn't sell through big box stores because they want to support independent, mom-and-pop retailers who really care about selling good food, knowing their customers, and offering expert advice. They're investing in Main Street small businesses that enrich a community of dog owners. It's mildly inconvenient to drive to a small store that's a little out of my way, but I've come to love my local store proprietor and I want him to thrive. The bricks and mortar stores have access to Fromm's Buy 12-Get 1 free loyalty program, to level the playing field with online pricing (you may pay a little more per bag, but get every 13th bag free in this program, so it tends to even out...).


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