Vet Minute: Puppy Weight Gain
Discover a simple formula that helps answer the question of how much weight should a puppy gain per day. Dr. Marty Greer, Revival’s Director of Veterinary Services offers tips on how to help a newborn puppy not gaining weight or what to do if a puppy is gaining too much weight. Puppy Weight Gain
How Much Weight Should Puppies Gain Each Day?
There is a really important bit of information here on weight gain. We use to say that puppies could lose up to 10% of their body weight in the first few days and still be safe. We now know that if they exceed more than 4% of their body weight it does puts them at increased risk. So we want to make sure that puppies don’t loose too much and start gaining pretty rapidly after birth. A typical puppy should gain 1 to 2 grams per day per pound of anticipated adult body weight using the parents body weight to calculate that. So a female may weigh more like what her mom weighs. A male puppy may weigh more like what dad weighs. So that gives you some sort of idea of what you should use as a calculation.
Some people weigh before the puppy eats. Some people like to weigh after the puppy eats. If you want to weigh both times you can make sure that the puppy has actually gotten in what they should have either during nursing or feeding with a bottle. So weighing twice at that time would work. It’s really important to use a digital scale with a stable platform on it so the puppy has a good solid weight. I recommend scales that measure both in grams and ounces. You’ll see smaller changes in grams than you will in ounces either on the upside or the downside. So a digital scale will really be helpful if you can toggle back and forth between grams and ounces.
You’ll also want to monitor the puppies urine color. That’s going to help us know both if the puppy is well hydrated and if it’s well fed. A dark colored urine tells us that the puppy is dehydrated. A light colored urine tells us that the puppy is getting adequate amounts of fluid. And I really emphasize that you record the weight, the rectal and the urine color of the puppies at least twice a day while you’re monitoring their early first few days.
Why is my newborn puppy not growing?
Puppies that are not growing at a normal rate or who are too small for their age are stunted; that is, something has prevented them from growing naturally or at a normal rate. There are several things that can cause stunted growth in puppies, ranging from intestinal worm infections to genetics.
Caring for Weak Puppies
If you’re concerned about your puppy’s lack of weight gain, don’t panic yet.Puppies grow at different rates, but if yours is below the average for his breed, there may be an issue.
We always advise bringing your pet into our office to discuss any questions or concerns you may have.
Underlying causes are a common reason your puppy isn’t gaining weight as they should. If your pup seems to have a good appetite, it likely is not due to inadequate food intake.
There could be any number of reasons behind her inability to gain weight, but intestinal parasites—particularly roundworms and hookworms—are probably the most common.
Inflammatory bowel disease, protein losing enteropathy (any condition of the GI tract resulting in loss of protein), and hypoglycemia are examples of diseases we’ll look for.
Or the problem may be dental-related. For example, the puppy’s teeth may not have erupted normally and may be coming into contact with the tongue.
Because there are so many possibilities, we always advise you to bring them to our veterinary office for a check up.
Additionally, certain foods can be too rich for some puppies and result in diarrhea. “This isn’t necessarily a food allergy, but I think some pups with developing gastrointestinal tracts can’t handle certain foods,” she explains.