My husband and I recently purchased a petigreed golden pup from a japanese pet store. (We live in Japan and they don't have animal cruelty laws) When we got her she was 8 weeks old and extremely under-nurished. She was so skinny that we could see every rib despite all of her fur. We have been feeding her rice and chicken along with her normal 1/3 cup of all-natural puppy food 3 times a day. She is now 14 weeks old and she's gotten a lot bigger (taller) but she isn't bulking up like she should. Is there anything else I can give her to help gain weight?

I would up the food intake on her kibble. When I feed (raw), I go by the look and feel of the dog. Skinny=More and any degree or Fat=Less (unless it is a bitch in whelp).

Has she been to the vet? Cleared for parasites and such?

Parasites was going to be my first question, too.

What food is she on? (BTW, rice is much lower in calories than meat.) If you can link us to the ingredients, we can talk about quality raw fats/oils; fats are about twice as many calories as protein and carbs, and healthy dogs use fat similarly to the way humans use complex carbs.

Weight aside, do you have fish oil and vitamin E for the dog?

Pet store dogs come from puppy mills (not a guess, because ethical breeders do not sell their puppies in pet stores), so I'd have her carefully checked, including fecal.

Welcome to the forum!

The day after we got her we took her to the vet and she was dewormed and microchiped. I had to take her back yesterday for another check-up and the vet did a fecal check. She has no parasites as of now, but the vet did say that she is still underweight. He suggested I switch from Castor & Pollux Natural Ultramix Puppy Formula to Purina Puppy Chow because it is high in fat content and instead of chicken give her ground beef with rice 3 times a day. (they are Army Vets)
Does that sound normal?
Remember I live in Japan and have limited resources in pet supplies and vet choice.

 Quote: Lucy Kostelny

He suggested I switch from Castor & Pollux Natural Ultramix Puppy Formula to Purina Puppy Chow because it is high in fat content and instead of chicken give her ground beef with rice 3 times a day. (they are Army Vets)
Does that sound normal?
Remember I live in Japan and have limited resources in pet supplies and vet choice.

Gotta love those vets...
Here's the link to Castor and Pollux:
http://www.castorpolluxpet.com/store/natural_ultramix/natural_ultramix_puppy_formula

And I don't think I need to provide the link to Purina Puppy Chow. But I will anyway...

http://www.longliveyourdog.com/products/PuppyChowCompleteNutrition.aspx

There are other ways to put more fat in your pup's diet. Purina Puppy Chow is not a good choice for any puppy. It has a very high grain content (corn is the first ingredient); you may very well see a decline in your pup's overall condition (coat, etc) if you switch to Puppy chow.

The other food that you are feeding is a much better kibble. You can increase fat by adding fat directly to the diet (salmon oil would be one way). Also, eliminate the rice and just feed a little more ground beef. If you are feeding seperately from the kibble, you don't even need to cook it. Just give it to her raw; she will love it and it's much more convenient for you.

If it were me, I would feed her the kibble in the morning and evening (1/2 cup each meal), and feed her raw ground beef for her noontime meal. I would also do as Connie suggested and add salmon oil and vitamin 'e' on a daily basis. I will try to find the link to rates for a puppy; I don't know them off the top of my head...

What the heck are "oat groats", that is a new one to me. Although the first three ingredients are okay.

Would NOT go the puppy chow way either.

Grizzly Salmon Oil (sold here at LB) is what I LOVE to use. One pump for your pup at first. I would say one 400IU of E along with that (but I may be incorrect, E always screws me up unless I am looking at the jar)

If you are going to add more raw meat to the pups diet, I would it gradually as fat can cause stomach upset (loose stools).

Don't trust an Army vet to give you good food advice.

They're great with virtually every other aspect of pet care, but not the feeding.

I say this as someone that wishes Fort Lewis still had the vet clinic for "Privately Owned Dogs".

 Quote: Lucy Kostelny

Remember I live in Japan and have limited resources in pet supplies and vet choice.

Sounds like feeding raw may be more convieniant for you than kibble, not to mention better for the pup.

Also, and quite unrelated, I don't know when you will be PCSing, but work with your vet to spread the shot schedule out over as long a period as possible, instead of giving the dog a ton of shots at once right before it goes into quarantine.

Thanks everyone. Hana has gained almost 5 lbs since I've started to give her raw meat with her meals. She is doing great. She has tons of energy know so I know shes feeling better.

 Quote: Lucy Kostelny

Thanks everyone. Hana has gained almost 5 lbs since I've started to give her raw meat with her meals. She is doing great. She has tons of energy know so I know shes feeling better.

Lucy, that's great! Remember that you should feed raw separately from kibble, due to the difference in how they are digested. If fed together one side effect can be very stinky gas...