9 weeks puppy underweight

[jjust19]

Hi, one week ago i got a new dalmatian puppy. She was the smallest of the litter (3.3 kg at 8 weeks) thats around half of the weight she should have had. That was mainly because she was the smallest and the biggest bullied her from 6 weeks to 8 weeks. This week at home I am trying to have allways food for her and give plenty of treats while training, to get her back in shape. She has gained aroung 0.5 kg this week. Is this a good approach? Anyone has experience with this that can help? Thanks

 

[markwp]

@jjust19 It doesn't matter how much she weighs compared to her siblings, but in relation to her size. 3.3kgs seems like a fine weight for an 8 week old dalmatian if she's on the smaller side.

It's very important that she doesn't grow to fast or get overweight as that can lead to joint problems later in life.

For comparison, my field lab was the biggest of the litter and weighed 3,2kgs at 8 weeks, he is 25kgs at 8 months. Don't overfeed and check with your vet if you're unsure.

 

[markwp]

Forgot to mention, if you post a picture other can help judge if she's actually underweight or just small.

 

[jjust19]

@markwp I cannot put images in the post. Maybe i create another one innthe future with image if i see that we are not progresing

 

[hemispheres]

@jjust19 My dog was the runt of her litter and I believe she is still the smallest. She's 2 years old now.

I think weight gain is probably a question best asked by your vet.

 

[agathos23]

@jjust19 She really isn’t too far off, my Dalmatian weighed 4.5kg at 8 weeks and was in the middle weight range compared to his brothers..with puppies I feed 4 times per day and let them eat as much as they want during each meal until about six months