[lottalita]

Hi all,

This is my first time posting anything online here, and though i read most of the posts, I did not find an answer.

So first a little history:

I have had dogs my whole life, but they have always been small breeds, Griffons, poodles, Dachshunds, Pappillons, Westies.. the list goes on... so needless to say, I know how to read my dogs and can tell when there is something wrong.

So 2 days ago, I adopted a new puppy. The mother is my fiance's brothers Golden retriever and i don't know the father, but from what i understood it was a friends male golden retriever.
(additional information on the mother, she has a hip problem. doctors say it is very slight but not to let her get to fat to avoid strain)

So the adoption was not completely planned. My fiance wanted a male puppy, but for some reason or another, they gave away the only two males.
All the other puppies had found a home and the only one left was the little girl runt. (she is the only one out of the three runts that survived), no one wanted her and they were just going to give her to the couple who i know are not the best dog people, anyway, long story short, that night we took her home.

My little puppy is at least half the size of her brothers and sisters, and less fluffy (she looks more lab then retriever) she is not weaker or lethargic, has a good appetite and has a great character. when I took her to the vet, she said she looks healthy.

Questions:

As i am not sure how a large breed puppy should look and as she is the runt i have nothing to compare to.

SO here are my concerns,

I know she is small for 3 months, but that is normal for being the runt of the litter. so i am not worried about that.

First, she seems a little skinny (as i can feel and see her ribs) but has a puppy belly on her, also her back or butt area is thinner, her hips are more pronounced and she seems to have bow legs.

So this may be perfectly normal but I wanted to ask you all to put my mind at east, as i am sure many of you here have had retrievers for a long time.

Oh last but not least. I have at home a cat and 2 other dogs. So far they all get on.

Anyway thank you for reading through all this, and I hope you can shed some light on my concerns.
I will try to attach picture of her. (if i figure out how)

thanks again,
Lotta

 

[Megora]

Well... she looks very golden retriever to me. Her back end does look bowed, but I'm not sure if that is something that means a bigger problem or if it is something that fixes itself.

She DOES look very thin and I guess I would just make sure she has been wormed.

If you are worried about her inheriting a hip issue from her mother, I would discuss exercise, joint supplements, and adequate diet for her. It would not prevent joint issues, but it would at least make a difference in how bad they would be.

 

[Rainheart]

Welcome to the forum and to your little girl!

She must have not been able to get enough to eat! She is very skinny! Your vet said she looks healthy? I would maybe go to another vet. Did they do a fecal test on your girl? You said she has a big belly, which some people may call a 'worm belly'. She probably needs to be dewormed! So, please take a fecal sample in for them to check. If it comes up negative, push for a dewormer anyway because parasites might not always show up.

 

[Maxs Mom]

SHE IS ADORABLE!!!!!!

Yes she is thin. Pups need some fat to grow healthy. Have you taken her to a vet? Worms can cause a pup to not get all their proper nutrients. I would slowly work on fattening her up. Three meals a day, maybe 1.5 cups each feeding. Don't worry if she does not finish just pick up the bowl when she is done eating.

Letting the pup have ample exercise (play time with your other animals in your back yard or SHORT leash walks) will help muscle growth. Your pup does look a little bow legged in the picture but that could be due to lack of musculature, and fluff. Goldens are very fluffy usually even a 3 month old pup. Nothing to worry about, some have different coats. Mine are less fluffy too.

I had a "runt" pup, she ended up being a normal size dog and a GREAT dog one of my best.

As for the mom having a hip problem. That bothers me they bred her. Don't over do with your pup during the first year. Let her be a pup, teach her basic obedience stuff, avoid long leash walks or repetitive activities. Fetch in moderation is fine, avoid frisbees for the first year. Let your pups bones fully grow, before strenuous activity. Don't let your pup get too heavy either. A little extra as they are growing is fine, but when they get over 6 months of age, the growth slows (as does the speed of burning calories) so watch weight at this time. I have an HD dog. I don't think your pup has any issues, but with mom's history I would error on the side of caution. Make sure your vet knows mom's history too. That way if a concern arises, your vet will have some background.

She is simply a cutie! Good luck and have a ton of fun with her! I am glad you are giving her a wonderful home.

 

[Noey]

New vet, and I agree she looks thin for 12 weeks. Is she eating and pooping ok?
My second golden had this sort of puppy fur, his fur was 100% not the same as my first, but it filled in fine....took some time. He was not a fluff ball, but now has feathers that are beautiful and a nice coat.

 

[Molly's Mum]

Definitely get a new vet if that last one said she looked fine. I would say she is too skinny, as the others have said either from not getting enough to eat or possibly worms or both.

 

[lottalita]

I got her dewormed as soon as she got home.. because she was rubbing her bum on the floor.. so that is the first thing she got. She is eating well and has a big appetite.. could be she did not get enough food fighting with her brothers and sisters.

The woman at the vet clinic was the vet assistant as the vet was in surgery. but as i was just getting her dewormed i did not worry. I will go tomorrow to see the actually Vet and discuss a little of what you guys have said.


I live in egypt, and here sometimes you have to push a little for them to see the issue.. so thanks all.. now i can go back and tell them to take a better look.

will keep you posted on her progress

 

[LibertyME]

IMHO, She is extremely thin for a 12 week old puppy and needs to see a vet ASAP.
My guess is that she has never been wormed ...
Doesnt sound like the people that bred these dogs were experienced in breeding or puppy care...

Do you know at what age the other two puppies died?

 

[lottalita]

New vet, and I agree she looks thin for 12 weeks. Is she eating and pooping ok?
My second golden had this sort of puppy fur, his fur was 100% not the same as my first, but it filled in fine....took some time. He was not a fluff ball, but now has feathers that are beautiful and a nice coat.

Yes she eats and poops at least 2 times a day. Not sure if that is normal or not..

I do think she does have worms and have taken measures to fix that

 

[lottalita]

IMHO, She is extremely thin for a 12 week old puppy and needs to see a vet ASAP.
My guess is that she has never been wormed ...
Doesnt sound like the people that bred these dogs were experienced in breeding or puppy care...

Do you know at what age the other two puppies died?

I know they knew nothing about breeding... i was a little concerned when i heard that their dog was pregnant... as she has hip problems, but i don't think they will do it again. At least i told them they should not.

She has been wormed now

The other 2 died soon after birth. they were just too premature


I just called the brother (owner of mother)

NONE of them have been dewormed not even the mother... so i am happy that was the first thing i did...

Anyway i suggested he gets that done asap, so i hope the other puppies that got adopted have good parents

 

[Rainheart]

I would definitely still deworm her again (please do a fecal test). If you dewormed with one product, perhaps try a different one next time since each dewormer is for certain parasites and there is not one that covers everything.

You definitely need to see the vet, not the vet assistant!

 

[CarolinaCasey]

Usually puppies will need to be dewormed again 14 days after the first dose. Make sure that you remember to do so as the worms have a life cycle that you need to interrupt. You also need to drop a stool sample to the vet. There are things they can check for that you can't see with the naked eye. It also will determine what type of wormer to use.

She does look thin. How much are you feeding and how often and what kind?

Please tell your friends that they shouldn't breed this bitch again. Bad hips are passed from one generation to the next.

 

[lottalita]

okay... going to the vet now. My usual doctor is there...

I will defently follow up on her deworming.. and research some better foods.

But as egypt has now banned dog food... it's hard to find anything good

 

[Yuki]

But as egypt has now banned dog food... it's hard to find anything good

if you cant find dog food then there tons of recipes for making your own "dog food" at home if you have the time to buy the ingredients and prepare it. its pretty easy too. honestly its better than dry dog food kibbles and dogs love it.

I have lived in middle east for couple years and honestly its kinda hard to find dog food or treats there though there is tons of cat food and treats easily available.

 

[lottalita]

UPDATE

So saw my usual doctor (thank god) and he said yes she is VERY skinny, and has a distended (puffy) stomach that is probably due to having worms. So he is happy i got her dewormed and said to come back in 2 weeks to get the next dose.

He suggested to give her better dog food, and suggested royal canine or pro pack. I found some royal canine special blend for golden retriever under 15 months. So will start her on that.

there is some not so great news though... he did say that her hip is a little protruding, and we can't tell what the problem is until she's 6months to a year, but i guess i will cross that bridge when i get to it...

on the brighter side, he said that it could also be protruding due to the lack of fat and muscle mass.. so if she is fed well it might be nothing serious at all!

So fingers crossed...


Thank you everyone for helping me out and pointing out that she was indeed abnormally skinny and to get her checked..

lotta

 

[lottalita]

if you cant find dog food then there tons of recipes for making your own "dog food" at home if you have the time to buy the ingredients and prepare it. its pretty easy too. honestly its better than dry dog food kibbles and dogs love it.

I have lived in middle east for couple years and honestly its kinda hard to find dog food or treats there though there is tons of cat food and treats easily available.

thanks i found some food but if the Egyptian
government decides to hold up their threat.. then i will be asking for those recipes.. i always have times for my dogs.. they are my family lol

 

[Megora]

Awesome! Good luck with the treatment - really glad you got in to the vet.

It's really saddening to hear about all the hardships that people are living with... and I really hope and pray things get better.

 

[cgriffin]

I am glad to hear that you went to the vet and thank you for taking in this little girl.
Has the pup had any vaccinations yet?

 

[lottalita]

I am glad to hear that you went to the vet and thank you for taking in this little girl.
Has the pup had any vaccinations yet?

Not yet, but the vet said wait a week for the worming meds to work and next we we start her vaccinations.

She is my new angel in my house.. have to say my other little girl (daschund) is sulking a little but she is still protecting her when the cat comes to close.

:--shyly:

 

[cgriffin]

I am curious though: Why does the Egyptian Government want to ban dog food?