Hello my baby is so skinny!

[lilshortguh618]

Hi all.

I have a baby jack russell that is 9 weeks old. I've had her since she was 3 weeks.

I've noticed lately that she doesn't look too healthy. I mean, she runs and plays wonderfully with a lot of energy. But she looks so skinny that I can see her lungs when she inhales. Is this normal? Should I be feeding her milk as well?

She did have worms but I dewormed her and she pooped them all out. She doesn't have worms anymore. So what could be the cause?

Thanks guys

 

[Zoom]

I would first suggest a trip to the vet. 3 weeks old was entirely too young to be weaned, so she probably has missed out on some serious nutrients.

She may have another round of worms.

How many times a day are you feeding her and what type of food?

 

[lilshortguh618]

heres a picture. You really can't tell shes skinny.

http://s36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/Sirius_GTO/


she is the first picture. Thank you

 

[lilshortguh618]

I am feeding her 3 main meals a day. With two snacks inbetween.

Will feeding her milk help? Thank you

I took her to the vet, and she said that she is perfectly healthy. No worms in the excrement.

 

[Zoom]

Cow's milk won't do much...if you want to get some weight on her, I'd say start feeding her a bit of Nutri-cal. You can find it at Petsmart. It's a very concentrated gel/paste stuff; be careful you don't overfeed it.

Also, I know some puppies, terrier pups especially, that are just super skinny because they are so darn hyper! She doesn't look terrible, but a front shot is really hard to judge by. Can you get a side shot of her?

 

[lilshortguh618]

yes ill try to get a side shot later tonight. Thank you so much for your informative posts. Petsmart... here i gooooO!

 

[Zoom]

What food do you feed her, like what brand name?

 

[lilshortguh618]

i feed her something from Purina. Its called puppy chow... sorry I don't know the exact details.

It says it doesn't have fillers, but it does have chicken byproducts. Tomorrow, I am going to this puppy salon to get her homemade baked food. Well, for both bizkit and oreo. Its natural and no fillers and no by products.

 

[bubbatd]

Hope you get along well ... this baby should have been on a puppy formula after you got her. She looked healthy in the picture , but she missed out on so much being taken from her mom and litter at such a young age. I don't chastise you.... you may not have known better, but I do the breeder. Every one lives and learns .... I hope in this case it's not for the sake of the pup. You will be bashed here for getting a pup so young. What's done , is done. Ignore and let us help you.

 

[LabBreeder]

why was she so young when you got her? just curious...not saying anything bad about it.
i had a JRT/Chi mix and at 9 months she only weighed 7.1 lbs. and she was perfectly healthy. she was just a small dog. here's a pic of her sitting next to my Lab so you get an idea of her size.

 

[lilshortguh618]

Well, guys, I'm just estimating her age. She was 2.5 pounds when I got her... I don't know what that means. She just started a little bark today. And I've had her for over a month.

 

[LabBreeder]

how much does she weigh now? and how old is she now...9 wks?
how long have you had her?

 

[lilshortguh618]

im guessing she weighs 4 pounds. Shes at 9 weeks now.
Ive had her for 4 weeks.

Here are some updated pictures

http://s36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/Sirius_GTO/

they were taken as of today. 12:19 PM Central time.

 

[Zoom]

Yeah, she is pretty skinny.

I suggest checking out the Dog Food forum on here, and/or "The Dog Food Project" by Mordy as well. Purina is not a good food to have a dog on, ever.

 

[lilshortguh618]

is there a reason why purina isnt good? becuase the food includes chicken heads, guts, eyes, feets???

 

[Zoom]

It uses lots of low quality grains (basically grain/rice chaff and dogs have no use for corn), the parts of chickens that don't make the grade for human consumption (and when you stop to think how many people love to eat gizzards, livers, and buffalo wings, you have to wonder what's left) lots of chemical preservatives (including some that are also used in commercial fertilizers).

Go check out www.dogfoodproject.com

 

[LabBreeder]

i don't know about to skinny. like i said my jrt/chi mix was only 7.1 lbs at 8 months old and she was perfectly healthy. you could feel her ribs but not see them really. she was a small breed dog. granted, if you're worried take her to the vet and possibly put her on a more fatty, meat based diet. i don't see what's wrong with purina. i give my older one purina dog chow and the younger purina puppy chow. the puppy chow has a higher protein level than the dog chow...witch i've always been told is needed until the pup is at least a year old. then you lower their daily intake of protein. i believe 19 - 21% is average for adult dog. purina puppy chow has nutrients the same as mothers milk and dog chow has vitamins and minerals for healthy dog.
it's ultimately your choice what to feed your baby. i just suggest no store brands and no really cheap foods. look at protein, fiber and moisture content to make sure it's what your dog needs. yes, they also need meats but that can also be a supplement that you provide, doesn't have to be the dog food itself. and a dog is not strictly a carnivore so meats could be left out as long as you provide the same benefits with other foods that you get from meat.
i give my dogs purina and have never had trouble with it...they are both healthy and like their food...they also get treats from the fridge and puppy treats sometimes. (ex - tira loves hotdogs and gunner loves turkey)

 

[LabBreeder]

actually you couldn't see her ribs at all....look at the pic.

 

[lilshortguh618]

I can only see her ribs when she exhales.

She is not TOO skinny is she?

 

[lilshortguh618]

i meant to say inhales.