Is my 8 week old baby underweight?

SteveSoto

Hello let me just start off by saying i love this website i am very glad i found you guys, this look like great team of Bull Terrier lovers! this is my first post i have just been doing my homework and reading what you guys have to say, so thank you for the information you guys have provided in the past.
  i just got my puppy 2 weeks ago, and i am in love with him (Shane)  he is 8 weeks old and weights 9.6 pounds he is my beautiful son, i would not trade him for anything in the world, well my concerns where that looks a bit skinny to me compared to other bull terrier puppies i have seen on here or across the net,by his age and by the way his ears are shaped do you guys think i wont need to tape them? i hope not... at what age if his ears are not up should i consider taping them before its too late? i was also was wondering if you guys could inform me about the little scar he has on his left elbow.i have also read on here that there is a scrawny stage some bullies go through could that be why he looks a bit skinny? i love him and want to provide the best. i have some pictures that i will post below, thanks a lot guys and please if you see anything wrong or can give me any advice on anything i would greatly appreciate it! sorry for being paranoid and asking a bunch of questions, and thanks again!

-Steve

philsergeant

I think she's about the perfect weight. All bullies are different, so there's no standard but our kids were 10 lbs (she) and 12lbs (he) at 8.5 weeks when we brought them home. By the looks of him, he's feisty I can tell, he'll be packing them on in no time and you'll be eating canned beans to pay for his fare... ( you know we joke a lot here, right?)... Thanks for posting the pictures, everyone here will be delighted... You have to give us virtual daily reports though, otherwise we cancel your membership ( there he goes again)!
Welcome... Enjoy your new love! And check out the strings on nutrition to make sure he's getting the right stuff

SteveSoto

lol , Thank you Phil i appreciate your help, i will definitely keep you updated!

Leslie

What a cutie, welcome and yes keep us updated!!!!

philsergeant

P.S. the breeder should have known better than to take him off mothers milk before 8 weeks. You'll need to compensate for that with excellent nutrition and as much socializing with other pups & dogs as is possible. I don't have any experience with " premature" pups, so perhaps those that do will chime in... You'll find lots on that issue on here too.

DianeWright

Our litter from last Spring weighed 10 to 13 lbs at 8 weeks.  We shipped our 4 boys.  They were all four chubby little guys.  I think the difference was once I weened them we used a quality puppy food soaked with goats milk.  If you are conserned look into what food you want to give him.   

SteveSoto

thank you guys! and @diane so hes just a little tall and lanky? cause i do notice he might be a little tall, he is weighing in at 9.6, and yes i just switched his food yesterday and now he seems to love this food the last food (natural balance with sweet potato and fish) he hated, now he is eating "ideal balance natural chicken and brown rice" and he is loving it,i would like to put him in a raw diet but i am still studying that inside out before i make the move,but yes he just keeps eating now, compared to how he was just snacking before on the other foood... and @phil thanks alot, and yeah He is very social! i love him, he is very good with other dogs and puppies, hes such a smart good boy thanks for caring! @leslie thank you! i will.

 thank you all for caring!
-Steve

Xtracho

Maya was just about 10 lbs and we got her at 9 weeks. Don't fret too much....from here on out with a good diet, and lots of lovin', he'll be putting the pounds on quickly. He's a handsome boy! Love the white socks! Study the pedigree. That will give you a good idea of where he should be after he's an adult at about 14 months or so. As far as raw is concerned. We use it in conjunction with quality kibble, vitamin supplements and Grizzly Salmon Oil. Maya is 7 months now and just over 35 lbs. I figure she's got another 10-15 lbs more to go and another 2-3" in height.

Phil was correct...sometimes I think they eat better than we do. Welcome to the forum and a great bunch of humans that are owned by bullies.

DianeWright

I miss my babies!

 

 

philsergeant

Dianne. ( I think u forgot the second "n") ... I feel for you, I know the tiles in that practice corner are wearing thin, but it's good that you persevere like a trooper... Luv your input!

philsergeant

@Xtracho... That's a great way of putting it... My mind's eye sees a Bullie holding a leash with a collar around our necks!

Stoeger

Welcome!!! Shane looks like he's got A LOT of fun planned for you in the future!

He's got legs like a Thoroughbred!! I hope you can keep up

When we were choosing our pup, I decided on our Stoeger because he was short. I'm a big guy, I gotta be able to keep up with my dog

How tall is your beautiful baby boy? Pics are deceiving, height at the withers and weight would give us better insight as to how "skinny" he is.

Here are some pics with age, height and weight for our little man.

We feed him a varied diet of grain-free kibble & raw.

10 weeks 10 1/8" Guessing 13lbs.(will get weight at vet in AM)
9 weeks 9 3/4" 10.5lbs.
8 weeks 9" 7lbs.
7 weeks ?" 6lbs.
6 weeks ?" 4lbs.

Xtracho

The Stoegster has sox too! Lizzie, my baby girl, wants our next bullie (companion for Maya) to be a brindle.

SteveSoto

Thanks alot guys,   Xtracho, Stoeger!, Diane,Phil, here is a pic i am not sure if this is a good pic or should i try to get him to stand up and hold his head up?

philsergeant

I think the Stoeger's have got their baby more documented, statisticized, and measured than the government has got on each of us ... NOT!... But close! Gotta luv it!

philsergeant

@stevesoto,
Easiest is to get a pencil and stand ( press) him up against a door jamb, and mark the door jamb and put a date... once a week, Watch him grow there, but it'll be more obvious on the scale, weigh him once a week, ( same day, same time).

Stoges_mom

Phil! You have no room to talk sir! Lol we havnt started graphs yet! Lol I like the pics with the txt, although graphs would be nice to see the progress.

philsergeant

The pics are great! I love your love!
@ Stoeger's ... That 9 week picture... You gotta add a balloon with the wording, " up yours humans!"

Leslie

@Xtracho I'm with Lizzie a brindle its gotta be!!

BulliesofNC

@SteveSoto - Welcome to the Forum! I guess I'm a bit late on responses but today was a busy day. Shane looks just fine. Chances are he wasn't weened with anything that was beneficial for his growth from 4 weeks old until 6 weeks of age when you received him. If he is now 8 weeks of age he is still very young and now you can devote into perfect nutrition that will pump him up fast. Read up on the Nutrition and Diet section for great threads that have been posted in the past.
I can't make out the scar you mentioned over his left eye that you mentioned in your initial post. It's a high probability that he got that battle wound from a grappling match with one of his siblings. It may look like a scar because the hair isn't present and all you see is the pale white skin but rest assured the hair will grow back and in due time you'll never remember there being a mark there.
Yes, I would be proactive about training his ears to stand. They may very well stand up on their own but if he's already 8 weeks of age and they aren't even working themselves up half way then I'd begin taping them. There are one or two threads on that subject as well. Just type in the search bar "taping ears."
Don't worry about his weight because I can guarantee the people within this forum will harp on the benefits of proper nutrition and if you listen to the advice and initiate the change to his diet with the recommended foods he will conform to proper build and structure expected within his genetics. Looking at his photos he doesn't look unhealthy or malnourished. Keep us updated on his progress and growth we all love seeing photos!

xchairity_casex

doesn't seem underweight or undersized to me!

My girl Chimera was a small pup, at her 12 week check up she weighed 11.6 pounds.

and at 16 weeks was only 13 pounds-bitty girl-but very healthy. she had a few growth spurts-though she is still small girl weighing in at around 40 pounds at 1 year.

Leslie

My Cleo is small to. She didn't start to widen till she hit 2yrs old so chimera still has plenty of time. Besides you exersise their butts off that keeps them thin and trim too... wanna borrow mine

Stoeger

Your boy looks like he might be all of 10" if he was standing on all fours and measured at the withers...

I don't see Ideal Balance Natural Chicken and Brown Rice on dogfoodadvisor.com but you should consider a grain-free kibble. I do see that Ideal Balance does offer a grain-free kibble but it's also untested on dog food advisor dot com.

BONC_Jacksonville

I think he looks fine.  Pupppies are like children and will grow at different speeds.  Will shoot up in height and be lanky and as long as his food if of good quality he will continue to fill out.  You need to be careful if he quits eating.  Another thing you must do is deworm him.  Puppies get into everything.  Even though he has had his 8 week shots his immune system is not like a full grown EBT. They should be wormed at 2-3 weeks of age and then every 2 weeks until 3 months old, then again at 6 and 12 months.  Strongid T is the best (I Think) which produces negative results for worms at any checkup. 

xchairity_casex

HAHA bring them to me Leslie! I will wear their butts out in no time!

Leslie

Cleo would think you were trying to kill her and Brutus would love you! !!!!

Soapskid

Weight will always be dependent on the parents genes. Spud came in around 15 lbs at his 11 week second set of shots. At his third he was 27 lbs 16 weeks and final with rabies shot 32 lbs 20 weeks.