Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 12/16/2010

Question
Hello Dr. I have a 9 month old doberman  she is 23 inches in height but only 45 pounds her mother is 80 pounds and so is her father. She is being fed high quality food and is healthy my question is she growing slow because she was the runt of the litter and I would like to know about how much more pounds will she gain and when will she stop growing. I got her as a companion and to guard the house that's why I'm a little curious thank you.

Answer
Has her stool been checked for intestinal parasites?  Some worms, like whipworms will prevent weight gain. So it is important to deworm unthrifty puppies even though worm eggs may not be identified. Also, poor digestion, even on a high quality food, may be the problem.  A digestive enzyme supplement may help her utilize the food better resulting in increased weight gain.