Our little runt is so small. He is 5 months and only 1lb. I just cannot seem to get him to eat enough. I can see his ribs and it is driving me crazy. I free feed dry all day and they also get wet. I even bribe him with chicken too but he just doesn't want to gain weight. Any suggestions?
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Yikes, that is small! I can certainly see why you'd be worried. Have you spoken with your Vet? Does the pup have any illnesses/side effects from being so small, or does he seem happy and healthy but just tiny? Is he drinking ok? Is he eating the chicken you're offering? I'm not really sure, but I'd imagine there will be high calorie puppy foods you can get that're designed to add weight, perhaps you should look at them?
Deb will probably be able to help more as she had to hand raise Bandit from a teeny pup. We have a lot of other knowledgeable members who'll chip in soon enough aswell I'm sure. I hope someone comes up with something that helps you, do please keep us informed how it goes, wsont you?
Hmmmmmmmm.... if he's not taking chicken or any other forms of bland cooked up meat, I'd take him to your vet to be checked out... does he have any other visible issues? Runny stool or anything like that?
He does eat, just doesn't seem to keep it on. And does not exhibit any other issues, he is a scrapper and takes on the bigger ones like he is just as big and he gives it to them. He is very vocal, it is really quite funny to watch him playing with his dad.
I figure that he will never be that big, his mom is just now 4 pounds since giving birth and the dad is maybe 3 1/2 pounds now. His sister is definately healthy...lol
The vet said that he has hydrocephalus and I know smallness it is a side effect but it just worries me so much. In my opinion, that is the only side effect that he exhibits, he was given a steroid shot at 8 weeks. The only side effect he has shown that I have read about is the abnormally small growth and domed skull not any of the others.
The types of signs seen with this condition include unthriftiness (smaller than littermates, slow to grow), a domed skull (which gradually becomes more pronounced), abnormal movement behaviours (restlessness, aimless walking), problems with vision, and seizures. These pups are very slow to learn - it may be extremely difficult to housetrain them for example.
I am not disputing the vet but I do not have very much confidence in her either. I am looking for another vet now, I really miss our vet in CS, she was phenomenal.
I am just trying to figure out something else he might eat better, if anyone had any ideas out there. I will check into the food and see if I can find something with higher calories and see if that will help.
Thanks!
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It seems that you have some knowledge about the situation. I think I would do like you said and get a second opinion for him. My Buster was a runt of the litter and he was always very tiny and frail. Skinny! He was like that all his life... never gained an ounce. When you do take him, please let us know what he says.
Have you tried using Nutri-Cal? It is a high calorie dietary supplement for dogs that contains cane molasses and corn syrup. It is apparently very tasty, as I had no problem getting Bandy to take it... There were times when Bandy was younger that we worried so much about his weight and getting him to eat.. At 9 ounces when we got him, he certainly had no "body fat" to spare! We found that he would take the Nutri-Cal right off our finger and loved it. We gave it to him 3 times a day in the beginning to prevent low blood sugar... He will soon be 7 months old and has now reached 2 pounds and is a very healthy, happy and spoiled rotten little fella!
It really worried me to hear your Vet has pronounced Bubba with Hydrocephalus, it is a common mis-diagnosis when Vets dont know much about the breed. Bubba sounds like he is healthy and happy to me, just smaller than average. It certainly doesn't sound like he has the other symptoms to go with the diagnosis. I would really recommend a new Vet! When you manage to find a good one who you're going to stick with, please let us know what they say about Bubba, k?
Deb's suggestion of Nutri-Cal is a great one, other than that just keep feeding him the food he loves as much as he'll take it.
Just like Jess said... that's a common mis-diagnosis... definitely get a second opinion on that one... it's a possibility, but if you are already less confident with the vet as it is, perhaps it's time to find a new one.
Thanks to ChicoLuver of www.chihuahua-cabana.com for the siggy and avatar!
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