# CONCERNED: 10 wk old male underweight/not eating well.



## AshlieNichole (Sep 22, 2017)

I picked my puppy up a little over a week ago, he was the smallest male in the litter. I took him to the vet 3 days ago and he only weighed 11lbs at 10 weeks old. I had him vaccinated and wormed (he had three different kinds of worms) and the vet said aside from the worms he seemed healthy, just a little underweight. I have not for the life of me been able to get him to consistently eat and he seems to sleep all of the time, like 90% of the time. I have tried two different kinds of dry kibble alone, mixing canned food with the dry, tried chicken broth, tried boiled hamburger meat and rice mixed with dry all with no luck. He wont touch just plain dry kibble and he wont touch dry mixed with canned. I got him to eat a little of the hamburger meat/dry kibble once and then he wouldn't eat it again. I noticed he would try and pick around the dry food, so just to see, i gave him straight canned wet food and he ate all of it. He seems to be rejecting anything mixed with dry kibble. Is it bad for him to only eat canned food right now? Should i try another dry kibble and see if it's just the taste of the last two kibbles he doesn't like and not just the texture of hard food? Is 11 lbs for 10 weeks drastically underweight? His mom weighs 80 lbs and his Dad weighs 100 lbs. Should i be worried about his weight and eating issues or is he just being picky? Is him sleeping so much also a possible sign of something being wrong? I have another vet appt. in a couple weeks for more shots, should i have the vet give him a more in depth check up?
any advise is appreciated, this is so stressful lol.


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

Puppies are especially sensitive to dietary changes. Couple that with having worms, treatment for said worms, and having only been with you for a week, and I'd have to say he's probably fine. Just give him a little time to adjust. I'll defer to others who will no doubt chime in, but if he seems to like canned food only I'd recommend giving it to him, at least for now. 

You should also contact the breeder to find out what kinds of food he was eating. If possible, and the puppy seems to like it, feed him that for now, then gradually move him over to a better/different type of food.

Sleeping a lot is normal for a 10 wk old puppy...90%...not so normal. So I'm hoping you're maybe exaggerating a little? Puppies, much like human babies, need plenty of sleep. And they won't act "normal" if they're not getting enough!

I got my puppy at 12 wks old, and she was so sleepy and lethargic for the first few days that I rushed her to the vet thinking she must be sick. They checked her out and said that she was perfectly healthy, but probably suffering from separation anxiety from her litter mates and possibly just depressed. So seriously, I get your comcern...just give him a little time to adjust to the HUGE life changes he's been through. And, do everything you can to make him feel safe and loved in the meantime. Chances are he'll snap out it in a day or two!

If not...revisit your vet, as it is possible something was missed...


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## cloudpump (Oct 20, 2015)

Add hot water to melt the fat in the kibble, add some ground beef (95/5) and some raw pumpkin. Also some food grade diatomeceous earth.


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

you may be inadvertently making him too nervous to eat. Mix some food and put it down. Don't hover and worry, simply walk away. Feeding him in his crate or an x-pen will help keep him from getting distracted and wandering away after only a couple mouthfuls. You've only had him a little while and all those food changes (coupled with getting wormed) may be giving him an upset tummy.

Some dogs aren't overly food motivated. They are happy to lightly graze on enough to keep them going and not a bite more. 

As others said, give him something that he will eat and let it go. Give him time to settle in and adjust to you and get the parasites out of his system before you worry about what and how much he is eating.


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## Bramble (Oct 23, 2011)

What brand are you feeding?

Before I knew any better I fed my lab mix pedigree puppy as a pup. She would eat a little then leave it. I even tried mixing canned food in, which worked a little, but she still never finished. I then got a bag of higher end food for her, Earthborn that the feed store I go to was selling. She gobbled it up, and I never had any other problems with her finishing meals.


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## Evohog (Jul 18, 2017)

Get in touch with breeder and find out what pup was eating there.
My wife who has goats sells raw milk to breeders to supplement.

I wouldn't worry too much as your pup is likely stressed out from the move/new environment.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

what were those three kinds of worms ?

based on this, handing over a puppy who is obviously under condition and full of worms I wouldn't go back to the breeder for any kind of advice .

10 weeks old? that pup should have had a vet health check as routine before being sent home.


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## AshlieNichole (Sep 22, 2017)

I got him the Wednesday before last and kept him on the food the breeder was feeding him (canned pedigree and puppy chow), he wouldn't touch it, like at all. I noticed he was eating some of my one year old female GSD's food (Canidae large breed puppy) so I let him have that mixed with canned pedigree. He ate small amounts for a couple days, just picking at it. I unfortunately ran out and discovered that the formula has been discontinued so I couldn't get more. So I picked up some Blue Buffalo large breed puppy and that's what I have now. He won't touch that either, which I'm glad because I plan on taking it back after doing more research on it and not liking it. I've been researching for days trying to decide which puppy food I will settle on and actually which adult food I will settle on for my one year old female now that hers is discontinued. Any suggestions ? I've been letting him have the canned food and he's been eating it thank god. How much should I give him and how often? I leave food down in the kitchen all day and put him in there with me while I clean/cook etc etc and he won't voluntarily go and eat it. I have to put some in my hand and then slowly lower my hand down to his bowl and he will start eating it. 
I've tried everything to get him to eat dry food and he won't. It's as if he doesn't like the hard texture. This is my third GSD and I've never had any issues like this before so this is new to me. The breeder I got him from is the same breeder I got my one year old female from. My sister also has two males from the same breeder and we've never had the issue of getting them with worms. I'm extremely frustrated about it to say the least. I've contacted the breeder and he has apologized and assured me the vet said he was healthy and worm free. Obviously someone is lying. He had hookworms , tapeworms and Coccidia. I am giving him a dose of medicine a day for the Coccidia, he has about 3 days left of it. I talked to my vet and he said if by mid next week he hasn't gotten more energy and started eating consistently and putting on weight that he will look deeper into things.


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## AshlieNichole (Sep 22, 2017)

carmspack said:


> what were those three kinds of worms ?
> 
> based on this, handing over a puppy who is obviously under condition and full of worms I wouldn't go back to the breeder for any kind of advice .
> 
> 10 weeks old? that pup should have had a vet health check as routine before being sent home.


My thoughts exactly and he assured me he was. He handed me a pet health record which showed the dates of his first vaccinations but didn't say anything about worming. When I asked him if he was wormed at home or at the vets he said "they were all wormed at the vets" . Seeing as how he had been trustworthy up to that point with our previous dogs, I believed him. I know now that was an obvious mistake.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

He had hookworms , tapeworms and Coccidia. 

Hookworms are serious . Hookworms are a devil to eliminate from the environment .

Please take measures to deworm the pup -- before giving vaccinations because this pup is 
not at his healthy best AND take stool samples of your older dog .

The pup may not be eating well, being hesitant , because his lower intestine is inflamed.

He hurts. 

Tapeworm and hookworm in such a young pup ? I would question the conditions .

http://www.akc.org/content/health/articles/understanding-hookworms-in-dogs/

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2090&aid=747


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## AshlieNichole (Sep 22, 2017)

Dainerra said:


> you may be inadvertently making him too nervous to eat. Mix some food and put it down. Don't hover and worry, simply walk away. Feeding him in his crate or an x-pen will help keep him from getting distracted and wandering away after only a couple mouthfuls. You've only had him a little while and all those food changes (coupled with getting wormed) may be giving him an upset tummy.
> 
> Some dogs aren't overly food motivated. They are happy to lightly graze on enough to keep them going and not a bite more.
> 
> As others said, give him something that he will eat and let it go. Give him time to settle in and adjust to you and get the parasites out of his system before you worry about what and how much he is eating.


I'll try putting it in his crate and see if that helps. I leave food down for him in the kitchen always to see if he will eat it on his own, so far he hasn't, not even once. He will only eat if i put some canned food in my hand first and then slowly move my hand toward his bowl, so that is what i've been doing. He is so bony and underweight that at this point i'm just doing anything i can to get some food down him. I figure once he puts some weight on and gets healthy then i will worry about establishing a schedule and feeding rules. I talked to the vet this morning and he said pretty much what you said- it may all be due to the worms and medication and to give it till the middle of next week.


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## AshlieNichole (Sep 22, 2017)

carmspack said:


> He had hookworms , tapeworms and Coccidia.
> 
> Hookworms are serious . Hookworms are a devil to eliminate from the environment .
> 
> ...


The vet vaccinated him when i took him this past Tuesday and also gave him worming medicine for the hookworms and tapeworms and then a separate medicine for Coccidia. I also have an extra pill i have to give him in two weeks for the hookworms/tapeworms again just to be sure. I pick his poop up instantly when he goes potty in the front yard and if he goes in the house (which has only happened twice, i stay on top of taking him out) i sterilize the area with bleach/disinfectant. My older dog is on Trifexis which doesnt cover Coccidia so i'm keeping her out of the front yard for now. She only goes potty in the back yard. I'm hoping that helps with preventing the potential spreading of it. The Trifexis should keep her safe from the other worms right? I'll take a sample of her poop in though just to be safe of course.


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

Agree with Carmen.....no vacc's till he's 100% healthy!

High quality foods:
*Fromm’s:* https://frommfamily.com/* Store *locator: http://frommfamily.com/retailers/usa/#progress=2

*Acana: *http://acana.com/?lang=usa Store locator: Store Locator | Acana

*Open Farms: *https://www.openfarmpet.com/* Available at Pet Flow: *https://www.petflow.com/open-farm?utm_content=primesearch&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=AW_OpenFarm&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkI2ptp6K1gIVCoR-Ch29FgNYEAAYASAAEgKeOPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds 

Try pouring Raw Goats milk or Goat Keifer (available at a whole foods or local healthfood store (NOT GNC) on the food and let it set for a while before feeding. Place in frig if all is not eaten.

I would put food down for 10-15 minutes then pick it up till next feeding whether he eats or not. No "Free Feed" ..... leaving food set all day.

Consider Kocci Free Herbal combo for worms: https://www.amazon.com/Amber-Techno...ee+-+all-natural+anti-parasitic+for+pets+4+oz 


Good luck!
Moms


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## AshlieNichole (Sep 22, 2017)

Momto2GSDs said:


> Agree with Carmen.....no vacc's till he's 100% healthy!
> 
> High quality foods:
> *Fromm’s:* https://frommfamily.com/* Store *locator: http://frommfamily.com/retailers/usa/#progress=2
> ...


Well the vet already vaccinated him, so there isnt much i can do about that now unfortunately. As for free feeding, I totally agree that free feeding isnt the way to go and i don't free feed my adult female GSD, but it's really hard for me to enforce feeding rules with the puppy right now. With him being so bony, underweight and hardly eating as it is, I cant stand by and just watch him go an entire day without eating. I just can't. I know it's breaking all the rules, but until he is healthy and eating on his own I'm just going to let him eat when he wants , if he wants. He isn't eating large enough amounts for me to be concerned about free feeding causing an issue. I have to encourage him to eat multiple times a day anyway, he wont just walk up to his bowl and eat on his own. I have to put some in my hand and feed him. Once he is healthy and passed all this i will implement a feeding schedule like i did for my female 
We just have to get passed all these icky worms and get him healthy.


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