# HELP! Is my puppy malnourished?



## leahne_rose (May 8, 2017)

I've had my German Shepherd Husky mix mix for five weeks now, I got her when she was 9 weeks, she is now 14 weeks. When I first got her, she looked really healthy. I can now see her ribs and her rib cage, nearly all of them now.
I've been feeding her Victor Nutra Pro for active dogs and puppies for the past few weeks, giving her food as much as she can eat within 20 minutes, 4 times a day, which it says in the instructions. This puppy food is supposed to provide more protein than other brands because it doesn't have as much sugar, and replaces it with protein from meat. I've had to now leave the food out all day long because she just doesn't eat enough. She will eat only a bowl (2-3 cups) a day. I don't understand why I can see her entire rib cage and she's way too skinny looking down on her too. What do I do?
(Floppy ears is when I got her) (Pointed ears are now)


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## DutchKarin (Nov 23, 2013)

Has the puppy been to a vet? The vet is the best bet here. Puppies can get or have worms that affect nutrient absorption. A simple dewormer may be in order but let your vet guide you here. Also puppies grow at different rates... some times they seem skinny, sometimes fat, sometimes their ears are big sometimes small. They grow in fits and starts. Again your vet will be the best bet.


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

We need to see pictures from the top down. 

Maybe she doesn't like the food! 

If you like the high meat content, Orijen is a great food, if your pup has a good gut (some dogs get loose stool from it). It just might do the trick, but it's more expensive than what you are feeding.
*ORIJEN LARGE BREED PUPPY: *
Deboned Chicken, Deboned Turkey, Yellowtail Flounder, Whole Eggs, Whole Atlantic Mackerel, Chicken Liver, Turkey Liver, Chicken Heart, Turkey Heart, Whole Atlantic Herring, Dehydrated Chicken, Dehydrated Turkey, Dehydrated Mackerel, Dehydrated Chicken Liver, Dehydrated Turkey Liver, Whole Green Peas, Whole Navy Beans, Red Lentils, Chicken Necks, Chicken Kidney, Pinto Beans, Chickpeas, Green Lentils, Alfalfa, Natural Chicken Flavor, Lentil Fiber, Herring Oil, Ground Chicken Bone, Chicken Cartilage, Chicken Fat, Turkey Cartilage, Dried Kelp, Freeze-Dried Chicken Liver, Freeze-Dried Turkey Liver, Whole Pumpkin, Whole Butternut Squash, Kale, Spinach, Mustard Greens, Collard Greens, Turnip Greens, Whole Carrots, Apples, Pears, Pumpkin Seeds, Sunﬂower Seeds, Zinc Proteinate, Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative), Chicory Root, Turmeric, Sarsaparilla Root, Althea Root, Rosehips, Juniper Berries, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Biﬁdobacterium Animalis Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product.
*Find a store:* http://www.orijen.ca/where-to-buy/ 

If you do decide to change, always transition with small amounts of new food mixed with old, taking a week or two to change. If stool get loose, go back to previous amount fed (where stool was solid) and hold at that amount for a few days until his/her gut gets use to it. Then increase again. This is called "bowel tolerance".


Moms


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## Ozzieleuk (Mar 23, 2014)

I don't think your girl is malnourished.
My second GSD was a female and she was on the small side until about six months when she started growing like a weed.

Have you had her to the vet for a fecal test to see if there are any parasites or worms?
Pups do have worms a lot of the time. A test might reveal she has a mild case of worms. That will put a dent in a pups appetite, especially hook worms.
Fecal test is a cheap and fast way to see what is going on with a puppy's digestive system.

She is super cute and she does look healthy!


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