Why is my German Shepherd puppy small, thin, and tilting his head?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Male | unneutered | 9 months and 27 days old | 25 lbs
Hi I was recently given a 9.5 month old German Shepherd from hi breeder. I was told he had been sold as a baby but returned a week later and his eyes and balance had gone funny. His eyes flicker from side to side certain ways he holds his head and he often tilts his head to the right. He has no problems running about. He is quite small and thin and still has his puppy fluff. Could u please give me ur opinion would be greatly appreciated
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on April 16th, 2017
I would have Dexter seen by a vet for his problems. If he's small and thin, he could be suffering from a medical condition such as a liver shunt. This is a congenital condition where the blood flow to and through the liver is absent or markedly reduced. It leads to poor growth rates, and would cause a nine month old puppy to be quite small for his age. It also sounds like he may be suffering from vestibular disease if his eyes flicker side to side and he has a head tilt. He has a myriad of problems that requires veterinary attention as soon as possible. I would take him into a vet right away.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on April 29th, 2017
Such a vision problem could only be checked by an ophthalmologist vet specialist. regarding the head tilt, i'v seen many German Shepherd who tend to have a what looks like a head tilt but where in fact perfectly in normal health, it seems to be a breed thing. nevertheless a head tilt can indicate an ear infection or a brain disease so you might want to get that checked by your vet.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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