Switching Foods and Amounts...is she OK?

[Graciethelab]

Hey everyone. I am worried about Gracie. You see, when I got her she was a chubby puppy. It stayed like that until she was about 8 months, but then I thought she was getting a little too fat so I lessened her amount of food she gets everyday. After a month, you could see her ribcage, so I changed it back to what she used to eat and she is still really skinny, but she eats all of the food. I am very worried something is wrong. Is there or is she just going to stay that way?

[Amanda]

If Gracie has lost that much weight in a month, I would definitely take her to the vet. Even if you have changed her food and have given her less to eat, she shouldn't go from being "chubby" to being so skinny that her ribs are showing.

I also noticed that you posted another thread about Gracie's fleas, so I think a trip to the vet is certainly a good idea now. You can ask the vet about both of these problems. Jenny's suggestion is right on the mark that you have to clean her beddings to get rid of the fleas and their eggs. Also, any surface that Gracie has been on (couch, bed, chair, etc) should be washed thoroughly. Shampoos kill the fleas that are present on the dog when you give them a bath, but after a few days the effects of the shampoo wears off and that's when fleas will reinfest again. If she has contact with other dogs, they may have fleas and that's where she's getting them from. Also, fleas can live on other animals (cats roaming around outside, squirrels, etc) and drop on the ground. As soon as Gracie is outside, they will hop on to her.

If you have a bad flea problem (and it sounds like you do), getting "Advantage" or some other flea medication from the vet will be your best bet to get rid of them. Let me know what the vet says about Gracie's weight though because I'm really concerned about her rapid weight-loss.

[bobbie cox]

I believe Amanda has given you the best advice. Fleas can cause a lot of different medical problems. Is your dog spayed? I hope by the time you read this that you have taken your baby to the vet and have an answer to your worrisome question. Hopefully, since she is young, the problem can be easily cured.