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Why is my 11-week puppy not eating, losing weight, and has fleas?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | 3 months and 12 days old

Its been 2 weeks since my 11 weeks old puppy stopped eating any food and he is losing weight very much. I try to feed him but after taking a bite he stops eating. I sometimes try to give him milk forcefully but that also doesnt help him. He also has fleas and I put medicated collar but that even doesnt help him much. Can you pls tell me z reason for his loss of appetite and how can I remove z fleas. Can I give him a bath at this age? Many thanks for ur help!

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Julie Settlage, DVM, DACVS-LA, CVA

Veterinarian, Board-Certified Veterinary Surgeon (large animal), Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on September 15th, 2017

I am so sorry that Leo is not doing well! I bet he has lost a lot of weight by not eating these past few weeks. Puppies need lots of calories to grow and develop properly. This alone makes me strongly recommend that you see a veterinarian to help figure out why Leo is not eating. He could have an infection or parasites or even a problem with his liver or kidneys. A veterinarian will do a full physical exam and likely want to do some diagnostics to find out what is wrong. Also,fleas on puppies can be tricky to treat safely and effectively with flea products that are available over the counter. The fleas may also be contributing to Leo's symptoms. To help ensure that Leo gets better, please see a veterinarian soon! Thank you for using pet coach.

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    Answered By Vanessa Yeager DVM MPH

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Hi and thanks for your post. Decreased eating in a puppy if all else is normal can indicate a dental problem or discomfort while teething. You can try adding a little water or plain yogurt to his dry food to help soften it up a little and make it easier for him to eat. If he still doesn't eat after wetting food down, I would see your veterinarian for an exam to help determine what the cause of the not eating could be. The fleas can be treated with a dawn dish soap bath and then using an effective flea preventative after that like revolution or comfortis which are available at your veterinarian. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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