should smaller breed puppies put on. I know large breed puppies should double their birth weight in the first week but what about smaller puppies? When should they double their birth weight.

My breed is 8-10kg when adult, all my pups (5 in litter) had doubled by 8 days, they were 200g-220g born (by C sect) and 410-450g at 8 days.
Angela

I have never had my medium size breed pups double weight in a week, except the smallest ones.

With the medium ones of my breed weighing about 12 - 16 ounces at birth I am happy with an ounce of gain a day.

Thanks, My breed is about the same size as yours. 2 puppies born saturday by Csection dog was 255g and the bitch 225g. They are gaining weight but only about 10-20g a day which didn't seem much. Certainly not enough to double their weight by day 8. They seem to be feeding well and as there is only 2 of them she ought to have enough milk I would have though?

My breed is smaller than yours  but is not gaining an ounce, more like 1/2 an ounce. Do you think this enough ?

Hi Rubysmum,
looked at my pup weight sheet, they all put on between 10-20gs for the first 4 days but went up to 30-40gs a day by day 5 (mums milk came in around then) I was happy if they appeared content (warm, settled, toileting and not crying) and gained some weight, the biggest pup (Lunar) that caused the c sect actually lost 10gs in her first 24hrs but had regained it by 48hrs.
If you are worried I'd give your vet a call.

Ive just noticed youre in Cheshire think we may have met at the eyetesting session at Hampton vets - I had the white cream German Spitz and you had a mal and boston? apologies if I'm mistaken.

Angela

Hi Angela,
yes that was me at the eye testing. Nice to "meet" you again. Thanks for the reassurance. The babies seem very well. I weigh them daily and they didn't lose any. I probably just worry too much
Sonja

I was told years ago by my mentors to not rely on the scales but on how the pups feel,a nd behave.  You want firm feeling pups who are content.  Trouble is when you bred your first few litters you don't know how the pups should look, feel and sound, so only have the scales, and end up worrying.  That said the scales are invaluable for helping to spot trouble early, so that you watch a particular pup, giving it extra space at the milk-bar etc.

I have to admit I weigh all my pups but it is amazing how much difference there is in weights of pups depending on how fast the bitches milk comes in, how many pups there are etc, yet by about 12 weeks all pups weigh about the same with boys a pound or two more.

Eventual adult size is not Dependant on how they did (unless of course a pup was malnourished) as babies.

My Lexi and her 3 litter mates put on huge amounts in their first weeks, yet she is no bigger or better boned than ones who gained a lot less.

I have a small terrier. They would all either double or almost double their birth weight by a week. Certainly 100% by 10 days old.  My terrier breed is roughly  6-8 oz per week till 8 weeks. At 8 weeks they roughly weight 3.5-4lbs.

I was told years ago by my mentors to not rely on the scales but on how the pups feel,a nd behave.  You want firm feeling pups who are content.

I'd go along with that for fairly large breeds, as there you can feel. But small breeds are a bit like kittens -kittens should gain around 10 g a day when newborn, at the very least 5, and there is no way on earth you can tell by feel if a kitten has gained 5 g or lost 5 g, and it can mean the difference between life or death to know which. Hence I don't weigh my Malinois pups, never have done, but always weigh kittens for the first 4 weeks. I lost the only Papillon litter I've had so far but would weigh them too as they are similar in size to kittens.

I weigh the big pups every day for the first week or two just to be sure they are gaining as I find they can be deceptive. Sometimes I think one has not gained and find it has and vice versa. Once they are too big to fit on the household scales I don't weigh them. Partly I do it because I find it so fascinating to measure exactly how much they grow, and I like the extra reassurance that they are doing Ok, and I am probably a little obsessive. But being used to the massive increase in weight of the big pups makes the 10-20 gram increase of the smaller litter look even smaller.

I'd agree, with you there Marianne, the scales are invaluable but should not make you panic.  I think as long as pups are gaining then the amount within reason is not the issue if all else is fine.

I was told years ago by my mentors to not rely on the scales but on how the pups feel,a nd behave.  You want firm feeling pups who are content.    You get tiny puppies that feel firm and fat enough that are not growing as they should be.

I don't focus on weight but use it combined with my eye. For me if they were small at 7-8 weeks they would tend to be small adults however that then would be discussing quality and size selection.

our last litter did at 10 days old ,our girl is large breed but she only had 4 ,and they wheir soooo greedy :) but the first few days before her milk came throuh ,they didnt put much on x