[Commandoo]

Hi everyone,

I have a 5 month german shepherd born dec 23 and he only weighs 35 pounds. My pup is from a working line and has a good background. I feed my pup 2 times a day since i got him at 3 months old. I feed him canidae chicken and rice 4 cups a day. He also seems to poop alot but im pretty sure my dogs underweight. What can i do to help grow or is it something hes lacking and why is he pooping so much(6 times a day). Please help i appreciate any help. Thank alot in advance!

 

[ken k]

whats a lot of pooping?, got pics of the pup?, been to the vet check for worms? thats all my Heidi weighed at 5 months, shes 60lbs now, very small compared to the other 2, but the other 2 are over breed standard

 

[Cassidy's Mom]

Is he actually skinny (bones sticking out) or do you just think he looks small for his age?

If you're feeding him twice a day he shouldn't be pooping 6 times a day. I agree with Ken about checking for worms. Are his stools normal or soft?

 

[Commandoo]

u cant visually see his bones and ribs but u can kind of feel him but when i give him a bath and his coat is all wet you can definitely tell hes skinny. when i went to take a look at him at 8 weeks at the breeders he was one of the largest pups. I had him dewormed about 3 weeks ago and there were this white long things in his poop so im guessing worms. Im not sure if he still might have worms left?? will worms cause a pup to be underweight? and what explains the several poops day when i feed him twice a day? is it the food canidae, that's poor quality?

I attached some pictures but i dont know if you can really tell that hes underweight the last picture(4) is when he was 3.5-4 months old

 

[Commandoo]

i think he is small for his age...

 

[GatorDog]

My 5 month female is 33 pounds and healthy.


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[Capone22]

Take pictures above the dog showing the waist. How tall is he?


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[vukc]

Based on your description of your findings after giving your pup de-worming medication, I would say that you pup potentially had and maybe still has some worms.

Yes, worms will malnourished the growth of a young pup.
Yes, worms can cause loose stools although you never mentioned their consistency, but based on your statement (poops 5-6 times a day) I would guess that these stools are not firm and consistent in their form.

Usually it is advisable to repeat de-worming process (if shown to have worms) at least two times in the interval of 26 to 28 days after the first de-worming treatment.
When de-worming you are not killing the larva worms, just the mature / grown ones. Hence, to ensure that the cycle is broken repeat de-worming after 26-28 days is recommended. (that is how much it takes for worm larva to become active adult)

There might be other health problems which can cause the situation you describe with you pup, but I would start with the basic and the cheapest one...fecal exam for worms. Go from there and see where it will get you.

Go to your vet and do the fecal exam on your pup's stool.

Good luck.

 

[selzer]

I agree with the worming.

I also think that the food is not working for you. A 35 pound puppy should not need 4 cups of calorie dense food a day. That's a lot.

Sometimes, when we over-feed a dog, the poops get loose, and the nutrients go right through. So that the dog actually loses weight with a higher intake. If you back down a little and the stool gets firmer, and you worm the dog again. Then weigh the dog once a week and see if you are seeing growth -- Give it a couple of weeks.

If you aren't seeing any growth at all, or your dog continues to lose weight, definitely consult with a vet, and maybe change foods as well.

 

[Commandoo]

Ok thank you to everyone that replied i really appreciate it. I will get him dewromed again and see what happens. His stools arnt really loose. They are mostly solid. I mighy get 1 loose stole after a couple of days but all of them are solid.