My puppy goes from thin to fat, and back, within minutes!

by Jaizlyn
(Wheeling Illinois USA )

My puppy constantly keeps going from super skinny to super fat in just hours. Why?

It happens sometimes after she eats

Also one second she's perfect size and then next second she looks like a bloated fish or bone thin and I feed her correctly and she eats and drinks

Why Is this happening???






Hi Jaizlyn
I'm wondering how old your puppy is and how long since she's been weaned.

Very young puppies, especially if they're fairly recently weaned, can get VERY fat and bloated when they eat. That's because they tend to guzzle down their food very fast and swallow a lot of air at the same time. If they then drink a lot of water right afterwards it makes it even worse!

Generally it just looks bad and really doesn't do them any harm. But in extreme cases they can actually cause some internal problems if they overdo it to a dangerous degree.

I'd recommend that you feed your pup in a very shallow bowl (even a shallow baking tray will work) as they eat more slowly if they have to chase the kibble around a flat surface. That will also help her to swallow less air.

Don't overfeed her either, split her daily food ration into at least 3 meals so that she's not eating too much in one sitting. Don't give her a lot of water right after she eats either.. just a few laps, and then pick it up and offer it to her about 20 - 30 minutes later.

A bloated belly can also be a sign of puppy worms although in that case usually the belly is distended all the time, although it will get worse at mealtimes.

If you're still worried about your pup or she seems sick in any way, have your veterinarian examine her to make sure that everything is as it should be.

Hope this helps, and puts your mind at rest a bit. Best of luck with your puppy.