New to the forum... I have a 13 week old lab pup. He had kennel cough at 8 weeks... Recovered from that now and my vet says he is doing well.. However he only weighs 14 pounds. I just saw a 12 week old that weighs closer to 19 pounds and looks like a traditional sized lab pup. Cooper is playful and ful of energy, just can't seem to put on weight and looks terrible. Vet checked for worms and the usual when he was treated for the kennel cough... Could him being ill at a key point in growth done something? I am grasping for answers as the vet just says he needs to bulk up. Not really satisfied with that answer but I don't want to tell the Dr his business. Thoughts are appreciated.
Re: Puppy not ganing weight Hi and welcome to the forum. Have you any photos to show your pup's side and from above? They would show us if ribs were showing etc. does your pup eat well, sleep well and play well? If your pup seems happy and is putting on some weight each week then maybe he just needs to catch up. You could of course see another vet. My pup was 8.3 kg at 13 weeks; not a chunky lab though.
Re: Puppy not ganing weight Elsie had distinct growth spurts legs and ears grew first making her look very gangly but quite light, she has since stopped growing upwards and put a bit of flesh on her frame. Quite a small lab though I believe because it took us time discovering her wheat/gluten intolerance and that slowed her growth down. I doubt she will grow as big as she should now. Often happens I believe when pups have a rocky health start.
Re: Puppy not ganing weight Hi and welcome to the forum Every lab is different in size. My pup was tiny when she was younger and the vet said she would reach a max of 20kg......at 14 months old she is 27kg and looks good. Harley had a poor start in life with her being wheat intolerant, we didn't find out until she was 4.5 months old and she was really poorly so struggled to put on weight. As soon as we changed her food, she gained weight at a steady pace. Might be worth looking at different food?? What is your pups name?
Re: Puppy not ganing weight UPDATE So Cooper went to he vet last week for another round of his shots and weighed in at 24 pounds... he was born on July 5th. He is playful and FULL of energy.. I have talked to the vet till I am blue in the face and he is very happy with his condition.. he is just catching up since he had a rough start with Kennel Cough he said. Some days he looks thinner than others... he just doesn't look like the typical pictures you see of sturdier built Lab pups. We have changed food a couple of times.. he eats all of them no problem and have not switched him out to large breed puppy yet. I am still struggling with accepting that he is just a little thin because of that reason.. although I have nothing and the vet can find nothing to support otherwise.. he is healthy and happy. Just looks like an emaciated Lab pup. If I get a chance I will post a pic or two.
Re: Puppy not ganing weight Oh bless Cooper,you sound really worried about him.Lots of us have very slight labs ....Lauren's' Penny is only about 19 kgs ( I think that's about right Lauren?) and then we've got Kate's Sam who is a whopper but very healthy at 38kgs .my Dexter is 23 kgs at 2 years of age .Sorry Im talking to you in kgs rather than pounds.....what I'm trying to say is the number isn't the most important,it's all about how they look for their frame and their health.You sound like you are describing him not thriving..I'm sure his health problems are a big factor in this and he is very young ....are his stools firm?If they are coupled with the fact that he seems bright and energetic I'd say in my amateur capacity his food is suiting him....are you following the recommended amount ?you could cautiously try increasing if you aren't but be really careful how you do it....don't over face his little tummy,I'd give him an tiny extra meal rather than make his existing meals bigger .... Now that his injections are complete and he's over the horrible KC you can monitor him and see if he is increasing satisfactorily...... Julie's right,they have some odd looking episodes while they are growing into themselves ....prepare yourself for the 'what is he?' question....I had that the ALL the time. : Good luck ,let us know how he does and I hope he really starts to come on now...he sounds like a lovely little chap x
Re: Puppy not ganing weight Yep my little girl is teeny tiny and always had been as a pup - when we brought her home she was only about 2.5kg at 7 weeks old. She grew normally but just didn't get very big! If your vet says he is fine I wouldn't worry too much - they are the experts after all!! You could try upping his food a little if you are that worried but just be aware that too much food can cause diarrhoea.
Re: Puppy not ganing weight Like Lauren I have a lightweight girl. My vet described Molly as petite. She is a working strain Lab and they do tend to be lighter than the more common Show Lab. It is a responsibility feeding them when they are little, but like us humans they do come in a variety of sizes.
Re: Puppy not ganing weight As long as he has been vet checked and is fine, try not to worry. One of mine weighed 18lb at 16 weeks and always looked too thin right up to adulthood. Nothing wrong with her though. She is now on the tall and long side for a working bitch, weighs 25kg and runs all day without tiring.
