# Puppy with stunted growth



## stephanie.jackson

So I "adopted" (more like rescued) a 4 week old GS puppy and when I got him tested, he came out positive for giardia and severe roundworms. At 4 weeks he weighed 2.6 pounds. He is now 4.5 weeks old and is up to 3.2 pounds thanks to the treatment and upgrade in food quality.
Well, while talking to my vet whom I work for, she said he looks stunted in his growth and it may or may not be permanent. I was wondering if anyone has had a puppy before with stunted growth and how severe it was? 

I am trying to be hopeful that it won't be bad or even noticeable since he is so young still and is gaining weight rapidly. I would like some input from others if possible!


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## JakodaCD OA

nothing for advice here, but I"m glad he's gaining weight, and who knows, once that worm infestation is gone, and he gets a little older you'll be able to get more of a handle on it..good luck to you and the little cutie)


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## Sleepyhouse22

Hey Stephanie.

The same thing happened to us... we brought our puppy home at 6.5 weeks and he only weighed 3 pounds. We have him up to 10 pounds now at 12 weeks old which is still insanely tiny, but at least he is growing. 

We have all the same concerns that you have, but we've noticed that his body is staying in proportion with his weight which is a good thing. At first the weight he was putting on made him look chunky with a tiny frame, but the frame is catching up.

We've made sure to measure his height, length, and weight each week to be sure he's staying consistent, and he is. We have him on a good diet, steady diet now and are sure to give him a lot of exercise and socialization. 

Good luck with your pup, I'm sure he's just like ours and just needs some time for nourishment.

6.5 weeks/3 pounds:









12 weeks/10 pounds:


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## Bundash

Do you have any pics? 
For a while my guy stayed small, the runt of the litter even got larger than him. His normal sister was twice his size at every stage in the beginning 6 months.
Now for background, I got my pup as a rescue from the remainders of a litter that was left in the yard to die because the lovely owner bred a litter for one person, who chose what they wanted and then that was it. They ended up huddling together in a puddle underneath and abandon pickup truck. My guy had gotten a bacterial infection that left him with no hair on his tail, and most of his feet. 

They called him the "Possum", and he looked nothing like a GSD. His weight was very similar to what you have right now. It was awkward for a while cause you read about 4 month old 50-60 pound puppies on the boards, or other pups in your obedience or club while yours is in the 30's.

Mine was also neutered at the bare minimum (not our choice) age which is thought to be a horrible growth hinderer...........but believe it or not we are at 10 months and nearly 70 pounds! With plenty more time to continue to grow slowly and fill out. With good food, love and exercise these babies thrive. He now looks one hundred percent German Shepherd and a total chow hound. Now your obviously knows better than I would about his condition, but time is your best friend , enjoy the process 

Before: {October} 

This month


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## stephanie.jackson

Ohhhh thank you lol it's nice to know he still has a shot! 
The first pic is the day we got him, the second pic is him with my german/aussie mix yesterday, and him with a tennis ball yesterday. He seems to be growing (weight & height) every day.... but no pics from today


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## stephanie.jackson

I have a quick question. We are trying to put some weight on him as he is now shooting up in height, but is NOT putting on enough weight to keep up with it. His spine is still easily feelable (not a word, i know ) and his ribs are sticking out as well. He's up to 4lbs now and turns 6 weeks on Wednesday we're assuming.

Anyways, a friend/german shepherd breeder gave me a raw diet recipe that she said works wonders on her pups. I was wondering if this is a good recipe and contains enough nutrients and stuff for him. He absolutely loves this food, way more than any kibble he's had. Here's the link:

Satin Balls Original Recipe. Includes Substitutions for key ingredients for when you do not have everything you need. Heartland Great Dane Rescue, Inc.


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## vat

I have never used them but I have seen many good things about satin balls on this forum. I see no reason you could not feed them, I think you just want to be careful to not let him gain to fast. I am sure others with more experience will chime in.


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## BowWowMeow

That is an extra that you give to bulk a dog up but I DO NOT think it is appropriate for a puppy. It is not a complete diet. 

When I fostered a pup who had just had major surgery (for PRAA) I fed him a special growth diet for puppies that I found in Pitcairn's book Amazon.com: Dr. Pitcairn's New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats (9781579549732): Richard H. Pitcairn, Susan Hubble Pitcairn: Books

I also fed him 4 or 5 meals a day until he started to fill out properly.


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## stephanie.jackson

I forgot to mention, my friend told me she adds a can of pumpkin to the mixture too, so I did that as well.. Not sure if that makes a difference or not


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## BowWowMeow

Pumpkin is good fiber and is chock full of vitamins but that still doesn't make Satin Balls a complete diet. I have never seen it promoted as a complete diet, only as something you would give an adult dog to help put on weight quickly. 

In your pup's case you want a steady gain from a complete diet.


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## stephanie.jackson

Alrightyyyy.

So then that leads me to ask, what should I add to his diet to make it complete?


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## Cassidy's Mom

Others can help you with what to add to his diet, I have no experience with that, but I do think it's awfully early for a vet to decide his growth may be stunted for life. I just don't see how you can tell that at his age. 

Keefer had some digestive stuff early on (giardia and SIBO) that caused him to be pretty skinny until we got it diagnosed and treated. At 6 months old he was 6 pounds less than his half sister had been at the same age. By the time he was an adult all that had worked out and he ended up being 8-10 pounds more than her. He just got there a little slower.


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## Chicagocanine

At that age there is a good chance he will be able to "catch up" as he grows.

I rescued a kitten once that weighed 2 1/2 pounds. I thought she was about 2-3 months old due to the tiny size (very small besides being underweight) but when I went to the vet they said she looked to be closer to 6 months old! However despite her poor start at life and being so small and underweight, she ended up growing into a normal-sized cat. 
Same with the last litter of kittens I rescued, three of the kittens from the litter were about half the size of the other kittens when I rescued them as 3-week-old ferals and also were underweight and sick, but as they grew they eventually caught up with the rest of the litter. Now that they are grown up, with most you could never tell which ones were the runts. Here is a pic of one of the "runts" as a baby with a normal-sized littermate, and here is a photo of him as an adult next to one of his normal-sized littermates --you can't tell which cat started out undersized!
I know, not dogs but I have heard similar stories with puppies who were very small or malnourished but they "caught up" over time.


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## stephanie.jackson

I hope so! Today he weighed in at 4.4 lbs... Which means in the 11 days I've had him and fixed him up, he's gained 1.8 lbs. I'm looking up different kinds of raw foods to feed him, and gonna put my other dog (aussie/gsd mix) on raw food too. It's just soooo confusing


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## stephanie.jackson

Hey I just wanted to give an update and hear about everyone else's updates about their little pups 

I just got home from a one week vacation and when I picked Midas up from my friend's house, he got HUGE (well, to me at least). He was 6.4 lbs when I dropped him off, and 2 days ago he weighed in at 8 lbs, so in 6 days he gained over 1.5 lbs. He's 8 weeks old or so now, and still underweight but definitely catching up. Also when I was gone, his eyes turned brown  I liked the blue lol. Since he got his 2nd vaccine while I was gone, we went for a walk yesterday and he met 6 rambunctious little kids around the ages of 4-7 years old. I kept a VERY close eye on him but they did a really good job and he looked like he had fun. And today we went for a walk around a construction site and he climbed the huge sand hills, learned to walk on the wood plank piles, and climbed a huge bail of hay. He was a little weary at first but did really well after a minute or two.


Now I have a question, isn't he supposed to be in his "fear stage" right now?? I am concerned because we aren't sure if he is 8 weeks, it was just a roundabout guess. If he were less than that, than I wouldn't be so freaked out by his small size. When did everyone else's pups hit the fear stage?


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## Bundash

I'd say its normal for him to be curious, a little cautious and social in new situations  Fear stages do occur, but not at specific months per se. Hears a great article to follow--Article on how your German Shepherd Puppy develops in the first two years written by a German Shepherd Breeder

so glad to hear he is growing bigger  !!


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## MaggieRoseLee

Bundash said:


> I'd say its normal for him to be curious, a little cautious and social in new situations  Fear stages do occur, but not at specific months per se. Hears a great article to follow--Article on how your German Shepherd Puppy develops in the first two years written by a German Shepherd Breeder
> 
> so glad to hear he is growing bigger  !!


The better we do at socializing and better genetics they have for temperment, the less we even may notice the fear periods our pups may (or may not) be feeling. We have alot of impact on getting our dogs prepared and to guide them thru. 

More info on fear stages and our pups mental development:

Developmental Stages

Puppy Development

And from looking at those he's got a few weeks until a potential problem period comes up...


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## JakodaCD OA

sounds like he's doing great,,ok where's the updated pics of the little squirt


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## stephanie.jackson

Oh okay for some reason I thought they had the fear period around 8 weeks. Everytime anything happens to him, like getting his foot caught in the door, I'm thinking "omg now he's going to be terrified of doors!!!". First time puppy mommy so give me a break 

Here's him, all from Sunday-Today.


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## Bundash

OMG hes sooo cute! Love that stage. He looks great, keep up the good work puppy mom


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## JakodaCD OA

he is sooooooo stinken cute!!! Love the little tongue sticking out in the second one)

And ya know, some dogs go thru fear periods, some dont'..Honestly, most of the ones I've had, I just have never seen it,,immature periods maybe, but not where one day I get up, and BAM they are afraid of this or that...where they weren't before..

You have been such an angel for that little cutie


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## stephanie.jackson

Alrighty I will just sit back and let him do his thing. Hopefully he doesn't grow into a crazy adult dog


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## Sleepyhouse22

Hey Stephanie,

I just like hearing about your pup because he looks and weighs the same as our pup was.

Here's some up to date stats on our "little guy":










He looked just like your little guy:










But now he looks like a normal pup:











I was seriously dying laughing at this picture this morning having not seen it in a long time:











Do keep us updated


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## JakodaCD OA

sleepy he is still a cutie, love those little white boots


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## stephanie.jackson

I'm glad you put your chart up! I weigh mine every single day since where I work has a pup scale lol but since I wasn't keeping a written track, the only solid records I have are from when I checked Midas in and had to get his weight for our records. Sorry it took so long, I've been a busy body 

Here's his chart I just made


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## Chicagocanine

All dogs (and wolves, and foxes, etc...) go through fear/socialization imprint periods, and the timing can vary somewhat by individuals. This doesn't necessarily mean anything that scares your puppy will cause issues in the future, it just means they are more likely to be impacted by "scary" experiences so it is good to try to keep everything positive. If your puppy does seem to act afraid of something in particular it would be good to work on relieving that fear by introducing him to whatever it is slowly and gently.

Here is some info on fear/socialization periods.

This is about adolescent fear period but has some good general info on them: <> DIAMONDS in the RUFF - Barking <>

Puppy Development

How to socialize

Developmental Stages


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## Mpholgate

Hi everyone this is my first post and i have joined because of seeing this on a google search.My GSD Riddick was skinny from the start and no matter what we fed him he never gained weight quickly.Numerous visits to vets mentioning our concern but was told yes he is a little thin but should put on weight soon and to try giving him more food.He was hungry all the time and eating rubbish ie leaves soil and anything else he could.We had him in a GSD training club and he was small up to all the others and we got the feeling like we wernt feeding him from the looks off other owners.Well cutting it short his ribs and backbone and hipbones were easiliy felt .In the end i insisted that blood tests were done and he was diagnosed with EPI (pancreatic insufficiency) .He is on a powder called pancrex and he went onto that at 8 months of age.His weight increased quickly and despite being skin and bone for months now is taller,longer than most ive seen.Hes lean in tiptop condition and weighs a little over 40kg (90lb).And good god is he active lol, his nickname is rocket or 100 mph dog as everything he does is at speed. So my point is dont worry your puppy will grow to be a normal sized dog in its own time.If any dog was going to stay Stunted then Riddick was a no1 contender.Oh yes and hes 18 months old now and no joint or hip problems at all.Give them time and they all reach their full growth potential albeit at different times and rates..Have faith...Mike


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## stephanie.jackson

Well I just wanted to give everyone an update on Mr. Midas. We had to go to the vet today cause he was limping very badly on his back left leg, and he had radiographs and all that done. I had them examine his hips too since I got him from such a bad "breeder". Well, his hips looked excellent they said, and he ended up having nerve damage (we think he may have gotten his foot stuck in the kennel wiring) which is HOPEFULLY not gonna cause permanent damage, I think he will be fine. But he's all drugged up right now but cute as a button with his tongue sticking out :laugh: Anyways, long story short, he is 6.5 months and now weighs 54.3 lbs. So he is still a little under but he is definitely growing. And cute as can be! I think he should definitely hit at least 70 lbs since he is super, super skinny right now. Hope everyone is doing well!


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## NancyJ

Glad to hear he is doing well and hope he learns to compensate well for the damage.


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## JakodaCD OA

we HAVE to see pics of the little beast LOL!! glad he's doing good


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## stephanie.jackson

The first pic is him just after we woke him up from sedation from his x-rays, so he looks extra goofy. The second pic is him 2 weeks ago, but basically looking the same


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## lar07

Doesn't look stunted to me! Great job!! He looks wonderful.


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## JakodaCD OA

he is soooooo handsome!! and BIG! I agree he doesn't look stunted to me) 

You've done a wonderful job with the little beastie)


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## MaggieRoseLee

Looks like he's on his way to being a normal healthy GSD! Good luck and hope he heals up well.


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## stephanie.jackson

Thanks, and me too! The only problem is he isn't supposed to be running around and jumping... which is all he's been wanting to do since his injury. Blah, making things difficult


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## Minoli

Leo at 16 weeks only weighed 31 lbs. He'll be 18 weeks this coming Friday. The sire is 90 lbs., and the dam is about 65-70 lbs. He's on the thin side, but healthy according to the vet. Out of a litter of 5, he was about in the middle size wise (2 males, 3 females). 

I've just started mixing canned food with his kibble, and noticed a big difference in his appetite. 

Can I expect him to get to his anticipated 80-85 lbs.?


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## obhijit

Hi, I have 8weeks old GSD whom i brought around 15days back. I recently took him to the vet to remove hairs growing inside his eyes. 
The vet while checking him, said that he's a stunted GSD. (He weighs 2kgs at 2months) 
The reason Im discussing it here because I dont trust the vets in my area. Any suggestions would be highly appreciated.

Thanks.


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## carmspack

mix a bit of goat milk (whole fat) and a teaspoon of melted coconut oil into his food , or warm to blood temperature and offer as a drink

this will be helpful to his digestive system and provide protein and energy


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## obhijit

He's a very lame one sleeps throughout the day. His energetic periods between his naps are very short. He doesnt even chews his toys or chew bones by himself unless i put it in his mouth. I feed him pedigree dog food, in which he's not interested either. Only recently he shows some interest in food. Im just concerned if these are symptoms of a stunted puppy?


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## carmspack

obhijit pedigree dog food is not your best choice for food. Pedigree Dry Dog Food | Review and Rating

corn , corn and more corn , by product , BHA , wheat and totally unnecessary food dyes 
Ingredients: *Ground whole corn*, *corn gluten meal*, *poultry by-product meal*, *meat and bone meal*, *animal fat* (preserved with *BHA* and citric acid), chicken, *brewers rice*, peas, *dried plain beet pulp*, *ground whole wheat*, natural flavor, salt, potassium chloride, *vegetable oil* ([source of linoleic acid] preserved with *BHA*/*BHT*), carrots, vitamins (choline chloride, a-tocopherol acetate [source of vitamin E], niacin, biotin, d-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement [vitamin B2], pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin A supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate [vitamin B1], vitamin D3 supplement), minerals (zinc sulfate, zinc proteinate, copper sulfate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, potassium iodide), added FD&C colors (*red 40*, *yellow 5*, *blue 2*)


recent recalls (Aug 2014)

consumer complaints Pedigree dog food may be endangering your pet, yet no recall despite over 300 complaints from customers - NaturalNews.com


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## obhijit

I tried Drools(mutton and egg), but he doesn't even comes near it. Just smells and move away. I know, Royalcanine is a good one for them but frankly speaking the cost of royalcanine is out of my budget. Can you suggest any other food which he would love and also would be healthy for him.


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## lve2raft

Try the Kirkland brand from Costco. Apparently it is made in the same factory as Canidae - which is a good brand! 

Here is Canidae link for info:

Canidae Grain Free Pure Dog Food | Review and Rating


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