Is Miloh Underweight??

[e_gar]

Hi everyone! Hope you're all doing well. Now let me get started, Miloh went to the vet for his 4th DHLPP shot (the vet says he gives 2 extra to make sure they took effect) and as usual routine Miloh was weighed in and had his tempature taken. Once the vet came in to give Miloh his shot, for the first time ever he asked how he was doing (it was shocking to hear that).

After viewing his file and noticing that they had marked him down as weighing 3 pounds (which was a mistake, my baby was 2.1 last visit), he began to tell me that Miloh was underweight since he weighed in at 2.5 on this visit. I began to tell him there had been a mistake and that he gained .4 ounces but I don't know if he didn't listen or didn't care. He told me Miloh was too skinny for his age (he is 5 months 3 weeks) and suggested I change his food, I have decided not to change foods because he doesn't have a problem with the one he currently eats (Eukanuba).

After listening to his speech about food, he also lectured me on not giving Miloh any treats, not even if I'm training him to do tricks, because they do them no good but harm. My questions are, is Miloh underweight although the breeder said he would weigh approximately 3.5 to 4 pounds? Is it bad of me to give Miloh treats during training or good behavior? All advice is welcome, I just hope I am not harming my little boy. Sorry it's so long, thanks for reading!

[Rhetts_mama]

I won't comment on the weight, because that isn't my area. But as far as treats go, I use pieces of carrots and frozen green beans, at my vet's suggestion. I don't use any commercial treats because most of them are the equivalent of junk food. Rhett thinks they are as good as candy.

[Jacksmom052709]

Jack is a little over 4 pounds and is eleven months old. He weighed only 1.25 pounds when I brought him home at eleven weeks old. He gained weight slowly until now - his current weight is 4.1 lbs. He is small but very healthy.

As far as treats go, I have heard people using cheerios, carrots (Jack loves them) and others use pieces of kibble.

Good luck with little Miloh.

[DvlshAngel985]

Originally Posted by e_gar

Hi everyone! Hope you're all doing well. Now let me get started, Miloh went to the vet for his 4th DHLPP shot (the vet says he gives 2 extra to make sure they took effect) and as usual routine Miloh was weighed in and had his tempature taken. Once the vet came in to give Miloh his shot, for the first time ever he asked how he was doing (it was shocking to hear that).

After viewing his file and noticing that they had marked him down as weighing 3 pounds (which was a mistake, my baby was 2.1 last visit), he began to tell me that Miloh was underweight since he weighed in at 2.5 on this visit. I began to tell him there had been a mistake and that he gained .4 ounces but I don't know if he didn't listen or didn't care. He told me Miloh was too skinny for his age (he is 5 months 3 weeks) and suggested I change his food, I have decided not to change foods because he doesn't have a problem with the one he currently eats (Eukanuba).

After listening to his speech about food, he also lectured me on not giving Miloh any treats, not even if I'm training him to do tricks, because they do them no good but harm. My questions are, is Miloh underweight although the breeder said he would weigh approximately 3.5 to 4 pounds? Is it bad of me to give Miloh treats during training or good behavior? All advice is welcome, I just hope I am not harming my little boy. Sorry it's so long, thanks for reading!

Weight is one of those things that no one can guarantee. The best any breeder can do is give you an educated guess based on his/her knowledge of their lines. As long as you aren't starving your puppy, don't worry about the weight issue too much. Milo is still a baby and still has some growing to do! There is better quality food out there for Milo than Eukanuba, if you're interested. I'm not a big fan of commercial treats either. I usually use Kaji's kibble, or fresh fruit and veggies (in moderation) for trick/obedience training. There are those on YT that make home made dog treats, I like those! The ingredients are in plain English and they're simple, so you know 100% what you're giving your baby.

[bribunny]

We uses Gerber Puffs for snacks. My baby loves the sweet potato ones and they have barely any fat. Carrots work well too!!

[Ladymom]

Did your vet examine Milo? Put his hands on him and feel his ribcage, etc.? If he did, then he is the best judge of whether or not Milo is gaining weight properly.

If he just looked at his chart, then he is probably wrong. Clerical errors are made by staff all the time.

[loveshay]

My lil Shay, took forever to gain any weight, he is 14 months old and weighs 3.0 lbs. I was so thrilled to see him hit 3.0..and he is very healthy.....

Bella is almost 5 months old....and weighs 2.8...and is very healthy too...

and Yes staff at the vets mess up all the time.....they said Shay was 5.2 at one visit ...o boy do I wish...lol...

Good luck to you

[e_gar]

Originally Posted by Jacksmom052709

Jack is a little over 4 pounds and is eleven months old. He weighed only 1.25 pounds when I brought him home at eleven weeks old. He gained weight slowly until now - his current weight is 4.1 lbs. He is small but very healthy.

As far as treats go, I have heard people using cheerios, carrots (Jack loves them) and others use pieces of kibble.

Good luck with little Miloh.

Thanks for the advice! I'm for sure going to start using cheerios as treats.

[e_gar]

Originally Posted by loveshay

My lil Shay, took forever to gain any weight, he is 14 months old and weighs 3.0 lbs. I was so thrilled to see him hit 3.0..and he is very healthy.....

Bella is almost 5 months old....and weighs 2.8...and is very healthy too...

and Yes staff at the vets mess up all the time.....they said Shay was 5.2 at one visit ...o boy do I wish...lol...

Good luck to you

Ahhhh, I totally understand. I don’t think he believed they had made a mistake. Lol Thanks!

Originally Posted by DvlshAngel985

Weight is one of those things that no one can guarantee. The best any breeder can do is give you an educated guess based on his/her knowledge of their lines. As long as you aren't starving your puppy, don't worry about the weight issue too much. Milo is still a baby and still has some growing to do! There is better quality food out there for Milo than Eukanuba, if you're interested. I'm not a big fan of commercial treats either. I usually use Kaji's kibble, or fresh fruit and veggies (in moderation) for trick/obedience training. There are those on YT that make home made dog treats, I like those! The ingredients are in plain English and they're simple, so you know 100% what you're giving your baby.

Yes, you are correct! I have some trust in Miloh’s breeder since they’ve been in the breeding business for over 12 years. What other foods do you recommend? I often serve Miloh a handful of cooked or even uncooked veggies, he loves peas, carrots & broccoli. lol

Originally Posted by Ladymom

Did your vet examine Milo? Put his hands on him and feel his ribcage, etc.? If he did, then he is the best judge of whether or not Milo is gaining weight properly.

If he just looked at his chart, then he is probably wrong. Clerical errors are made by staff all the time.

The vet slightly felt on his rib cage and said you shouldn’t even be able to see it nor feel it. From what I’ve read they suggest you can feel the rib cage but not fully see it.

[DvlshAngel985]

Originally Posted by e_gar

Ahhhh, I totally understand. I don’t think he believed they had made a mistake. Lol Thanks!



Yes, you are correct! I have some trust in Miloh’s breeder since they’ve been in the breeding business for over 12 years. What other foods do you recommend? I often serve Miloh a handful of cooked or even uncooked veggies, he loves peas, carrots & broccoli. lol

The vet slightly felt on his rib cage and said you shouldn’t even be able to see it nor feel it. From what I’ve read they suggest you can feel the rib cage but not fully see it.

There is a website that rates dog food. Most of the food that they sell at grocery stores and big chain pet stores would be considered junk food at best. Let me search through the threads and find that website.

[e_gar]

Oh wow, I'm surprised! Thanks!

[DvlshAngel985]

There's a wealth of information in the Diet and Health forum, where people have already debated the food topic. Here's one website that rates food. Dog Food Reviews | Dog Food Ratings One last thing, if you can go to Centinela Feed & Pet Supplies this store is awesome! If you walk in and ask someone to help you pick out a new food for your pet they give you a sample of almost everything. Plus, when you decide on something and Milo decides he doesn't like it (it happens ) you can take it back no questions asked.
Really read through the health and diet forum, read up the ingredient list and decide what you would like for your baby. It's a lot of work but our pups are so worth it!
In case you were wondering, I feed Kaji Lotus. It's a little known dog food made here in Torrance and distributed locally. He loves the chicken flavor and the Centinela store will give you samples of it.

[e_gar]

Thank you very much! I really appreciate all your help! I'm pretty sure Miloh will choose Lotus as well, he loves chicken! lol Thanks once again.

[AddieandMiaMom]

You should be able to feel the ribcage when you run your hands back and forth along the body. Looking down along the dog's back, they should be slightly smaller just under the ribcage, this is their waist. The hipbones at the back should not be prominent in any way. If you can see the ribcage, your dog is underweight. From what you say, I doubt that is the case. Addie was also small at a bit over 5 months. She gained weight slowly.

I might be overstepping my bounds here, but when I read your post, my first reaction was, get a new vet. He's doubling the number of vaccines on a dog he considers underweight?

As for food, if you are interested in changing, dogfoodanalysis.com has ratings for dog food, plus you can find many opinions on the topic of food on this forum.

Treats should be fine, just read labels. All natural ingredients, stay away from artificial preservatives like BHA and BHT (this goes for dog food, too).

[e_gar]

Originally Posted by AddieandMiaMom

You should be able to feel the ribcage when you run your hands back and forth along the body. Looking down along the dog's back, they should be slightly smaller just under the ribcage, this is their waist. The hipbones at the back should not be prominent in any way. If you can see the ribcage, your dog is underweight. From what you say, I doubt that is the case. Addie was also small at a bit over 5 months. She gained weight slowly.

I might be overstepping my bounds here, but when I read your post, my first reaction was, get a new vet. He's doubling the number of vaccines on a dog he considers underweight?

As for food, if you are interested in changing, dogfoodanalysis.com has ratings for dog food, plus you can find many opinions on the topic of food on this forum.

Treats should be fine, just read labels. All natural ingredients, stay away from artificial preservatives like BHA and BHT (this goes for dog food, too).

Thanks for your reply, I felt terrible after hearing the vet say what he said. He topped it off in the end by saying, "I'm just letting you know, if you don't change his food to what I advice you can risk him getting sick or even dying, It's all up to you". I totally agree, I've been doing my search for a new vet and am hoping I can find one in my area that specializes in small breeds. Okay, thank you for your helpful information, it is highly appreciated!