[joanne 1986]

Hi everyone,I posted a few weeks ago about my dog having worms.
She's got over that now but still seems to be skinny is this normal? She's only 4 months old but for an american bulldog she should be half the size she is now :-( she looks as if she hasn't been fed for weeks but we feed her 3 times a day as advised

[carolbcac]

Have you followed up with her deworming? Most, if not all, dewormers only take care of adult worms. The adults leave behind lots of eggs that hatch out over a period of days to weeks. A heavy infestation may take multiple dewormings to clear up. Also, did the wormer contain something for tapeworms? You won't always see tapeworms in the stool, but they can really make a dog look malnourished.

[doggie_poopie]

Has she been given a full exam by a vet? What kind of dewormer? Was it one only to get rid of tapes? Or all the parasites that puppies have and get? Have you contacted the breeders with the issues? What genetic issues do the parents have in this line?
Next what are you feeding? If it is by-product and corn than she will have to eat twice as much and poop tons. Just because other dogs lived on XYZ food for 12 yrs doesn't mean it is good enough for her. Check out The Healthiest Pet Foods in the World – Natural & Organic Pet Food – Natura Pet Products in the tools and resources area for a pet food ingredient list and check your food against it!

[joanne 1986]

Hi all she was dewormed by the vet and had her 2nd dose yesterday! Were feeding her science plan she has 3 big bowls full a day as advised ,the vet didn't seem to worried about her but I am she looks really bony you can literally see her ribs.I haven't seen any worms since the last time she was bringing them up in her sick.do you think I should be worried?

doggie_poopie I was on the phone to the breeder straight away when I found out she had worms I paid quite a bit of money for her and she was supposed to be wormed etc.. im unsure of any issues with the parents.

[doggie_poopie]

"had her 2nd dose yesterday" Sounds like a basic dewormer is it yellow? If so, it only covers Roundworms and Hookworms. This is the typical dewormer for all puppies. However, it does not cover Tapeworms or Whipworms.

"3 big bowls full a day" That seems like A LOT of food for a puppy. Read your label and go to The Healthiest Pet Foods in the World – Natural & Organic Pet Food – Natura Pet Products to the pet food ingredient list to check out what the ingredients are and if you are satisfied with what your puppy is eating. I don't think you will.

"I haven't seen any worms since the last time she was bringing them up in her sick." Many times you will NOT see the worms. It also may be an intestinal protozoa. I would take in a fecal sample and have the vet send it off to a lab to test it. That will put your mind at ease and doesn't cost a lot.

"do you think i should be worried?" NO! She just may be a thin puppy, plus she did have worms. She is eating mostly corn and by-product-not very nutrious.

"im unsure of any issues with the parents." For future advice always look up what questions you should be asking the breeder in regards to the specific breed you are purchasing PRIOR to buying the dog. It will possibly save you from some trouble.
Email me if you need more info or have any othr questions. I'd love to be of further assistance.

[joanne 1986]

They gave her a tablet to take,and put yellow stuff on the back of her neck.
We were advised to give her 3 bowl fulls a day the stuff we give her science plan is the good stuff over here it's the best product to give them a great start.

[doggie_poopie]

The tablet could have been Drontal (takes care of all types of intesstinel worms) or a tablet for only Tapes. I have no idea what the yellow stuff would be on the back of the dogs neck.
I don't know where you are located but seriously take a look at what the ingredients are and then tell me if you think it gives your dog the best start.
Here are the top ingredients for Science Diet Puppy

1st ingredient- Ground corn is the entire corn kernel, ground or chopped.

Corn products are commonly used in pet foods as a main protein source. Because corn products are lacking in certain amino acids such as methionine, arginine and taurine, they are not as nutritious as the protein from meat.

2nd-Chicken by-product meal consists of the dry, ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered chicken, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines -- exclusive of feathers except in such amounts as might occur unavoidably in good processing practices.

Chicken by-product meal is an inconsistent ingredient because of the multiple organs used, their constantly changing proportions, and their questionable nutritional value. Chicken by-product meal is much less expensive and less digestible than chicken meal.

3rd-Soybean meal is the product obtained by grinding the flakes which remain after removal of most of the oil from soybeans by a solvent or mechanical extraction process.

Soybean meal is a poor quality protein filler. The "Crude Protein" analysis on pet food labels is only a measurement of the amount of nitrogen in a food -- not the quality of the protein. Because of this, pet food companies can use the cheaper by-products of human food production, such as soybean meal, to boost protein numbers.

Meat is always the best source of quality protein. Meat protein is better absorbed and retained and is higher in essential amino acids like methionine, arginine, and taurine. Soybean meal has a biologic value less than 50% of that of chicken meal.

4th-Animal fat is obtained from the tissues of mammals and/or poultry in the commercial process of rendering or extracting.

Animal fat is a by-product of meat meal processing. The origin of the contributing animals is never known, and the resulting oil is very low in linoleic acid -- an essential fatty acid that is important for skin and coat health.

5th-Dried beet pulp is the dried residue from sugar beets which has been cleaned, freed from crowns, leaves, and sand, and extracted in the process of manufacturing sugar.

Dried beet pulp is added to some pet foods to act as a fibrous stool hardener. The fiber in higher quality products is derived from our all-natural ingredients. It has been found that the sugar added from the beet is an unnecessary ingredient.

I would also like to add I work for a vet, not a pet food company and have no vested interest in which product you use other than helping animals.

[joanne 1986]

Thank you for that I'll look around for a different type of food,the vet told me to give her science plan as it was the best they said.guess you can't always believe what your told.oh and I think the yellow stuff on the neck could have been a deflea liquid.

Once again thanks for your advise