My rescued pug isn't gaining weight. Could it be fleas or worms?

You should treat him for intestinal worms to start with as this condition can prevent him from gaining any weight, if this doesn't help try feeding him 3 times a day with a high quality food such as Acana for example.

It could be Lady is suffering from intestinal worms causing her to have diarrhea and not put on weight. They can be common in puppies. I would have her checked out by a vet today or tomorrow, and bring in a sample of her feces with you for the vet to examine under a microscope. If she does have worms, the vet can give her a deworming treatment. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Dre is so cute! Yes, he should definitely be dewormed, young puppies need it monthly because worms are very common. In this case, give him a deworming treatment now and another in two weeks to kill any worms he may have. Then deworm him monthly until he is six months old, after which he should be dewormed every three months. Deworming medications I recommend include Panacur and Drontal. I hope this helps!

Poor guy. Check his stools and make sure he doesn't still have worms. If he does then he will need a second treatment. In most situations puppies need two deworming treatments anyway, done 2 weeks apart. If he doesn't have worms and the stool is abnormally loose or soft, then talk to the vet about checking for bacteria and other parasites. In most cases of puppy weight loss it is a parasite issue. Some other uncommon causes are a malabsorption problem, endocrine disorder or pancreas problem. These disease processes would require bloodwork to be done on your pet to properly diagnose and treat. Also make sure you puppy is on a high quality dog food such as Royal Canin, Hill's science diet, Evo, Merrill, etc. And keep in mind that a few ounces difference day to day may be abnormal fluctuation for your puppy, especially after recovering from a worm infestation.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear Scruffy isn't gaining weight as you would expect. Has he had a fecal sample tested for exposure to intestinal parasites? If he hasn't, I would recommend having one evaluated. If his stool sample is negative, I would recommend having him evaluated by his regular veterinarian to have a thorough physical, and have a conversation about changing his diet, as it may not be working as well for him as we would hope. Good luck!

Tapeworms or other parasites are definitely a possibility if your pup eats a lot and doesn't gain weight. However, there are other causes that may also cause failure to gain weight such as metabolic illnesses or other underlying conditions. Signs of parasites may include issues such as diarrhea, visible worms in the stool (tapeworms will look like grains of rice, while roundworms will look like spaghetti), vomiting, etc in addition. If you're unsure if Mika has worms, it is best to bring in a sample of her stool to your local vet. They can check it for parasites, let you know if any/which type are there and provide medication to treat it with. If no parasites are found, a complete exam with your vet to rule out any other issues is also a good idea.

I would recommend to continue to supplemental feeding. Its possible that there is a congenital problem that is causing her to be so small compared to her littermates. I would recommend a vet visit to see if anything can be determined on physical exam. I would also recommend deworming the whole litter and mom to make sure parasites aren't a problem. The doctor may recommend bloodwork to check for any signs of liver problems. I hope this helps!