My puppy doesn't look purebred. Why is she bloated and eating so much?

Hello. It could actually be a combination of all those things. It would be better to feed a large breed puppy food, but on the other hand, keeping a dog like a Golden a little underweight is better for overall growth & long term health. Slim dogs live quite a bit longer than heavy or obese dogs. If Lucy has plenty of energy, normal bowel movements & is steadily gaining weight, then I would not be too concerned. She will probably fill out as she matures, so just continue to feed her what she seems to like & do not worry that it is not a puppy labeled food. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Star is very cute. he appears to be a mixed breed. Please know that looks alone are not accurate. Purely as a guess, Star looks like there could be Beagle and some sort of Spaniel in his heritage. His belly could be large for many reasons but worms are very common in puppies. Make sure to have him checked for parasites and routinely dewormed. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I wouldn't be surprised if a canine DNA test showed some Beagle or Dachshund in there somewhere. You will likely never truly know, but she is adorable. You can get a basic DNA test online or at the local Petco. A simple cheek swab submitted for analysis may provide at least an idea of what Lucy is. Good on you for adopting her!

Mucus generally means inflammation and this can come from parasites (like worms and giardia), a diet not right for Lucy's body or bacterial over growth. A bland diet for 3 days can help and then a slow, gradual introduction to the normal food can be done. A bland diet can consist of 25% boiled white meat chicken and 75% boiled white rice. This should all be plain. A probiotic may also be beneficial. I recommend Purina FortiFlora if you can find it. A good diet in general is Royal Canin. It is low residue and highly digestible. Lastly, if the mucus continues after 2 weeks, have Lucy checked for worms and giardia by her veterinarian. I hope this helps.

Hello. Genetics can be pretty tricky to interpret in dogs, especially if each parent was a combination of breeds. As long as Bella is eating & drinking well, active & engaged with all around her, I would not be too concerned about how she looks when compared to her litter mates. Is she up to date on her vaccines, wormed on a regular basis & on heartworm preventative? If she is well cared for, eats a name brand food & does not seem overly hungry, then changing her food will not probably change much. She is still young, & truthfully, staying a little thinner is actually healthier than being overweight. If you are concerned, a good evaluation by your veterinarian would confirm if there are any issues to be dealt with. But, all sounds pretty normal. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor girl. Rosy likely has intestinal parasites in her belly, causing her to not gain weigh. Intestinal parasites can also give a bloated belly appearance. Rosy needs to have her feces tested at your local veterinarian practice or humane society and get dewormed for parasites. Even when puppies are negative, they are still dewormed regularly at this age with a broad spectrum dewormer (i.e. pyrantel palmoate). Also make sure that Rosy is on a high quality dog food that will be more filling, such as Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Evo, Merrick, Iams, etc.

Hi Sofia! Congrats on your new puppy! Given that Luna is six months old, she will need to be given a puppy formulated food. Puppies require higher amounts of protein, calories, and calcium than adult dogs, and a puppy formulated food will provide that for her. Brands I recommend include Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, and Iams. Once she is 12 months old, she can be transitioned to an adult dog food. As for her breed, unfortunately without seeing a picture of her, I can't say what breed I think she might be. I do recommend a check up with the vet to discuss vaccines, deworming treatments, flea treatments, and spaying her. While there, the vet can help you identify her breed. I'd make an appointment for her this week. Good luck, I hope this helps!