Puppy & Kitten Weight Chart
In the first four weeks of life, weight is the single most reliable indicator of a newborn's health. Puppies and kittens should gain 5-10% of their body weight every day — a plateau of even 12 hours is a genuine emergency. This tracker logs every weigh-in (grams, not ounces — accuracy matters at this stage), plots gain since the previous session, and flags any stagnation. Reference ranges are conservative averages; small toy breeds and giant breeds will fall well outside typical numbers, so trend matters more than absolute weight.
- Day 1: 200–600 g
- Day 7: 400–1000 g
- Day 14: 700–1600 g
- Day 21: 1000–2500 g
- Day 28: 1400–3500 g
How it works
Neonatal Growth Velocity, Caloric Conversion, and Failure-to-Thrive Triage
Tracking daily weight gain is the single most sensitive diagnostic indicator of neonatal vitality and survival in newborn companion animals. Newborn puppies and kittens have minimal fat reserves and immature hepatic glycogen storage. A newborn that fails to gain weight for 24 consecutive hours is in critical physiological failure (Fading Puppy/Kitten Syndrome).
Under neonatal medicine protocols established by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) and the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program:
Neonatal Daily Weight Gain Benchmarks: - Newborn Puppies: Must gain 5% to 10% of their birth weight DAILY (Doubles birth weight by Day 7–10) (e.g., A 10 oz puppy must gain 0.5 to 1.0 oz every 24 hours) - Newborn Kittens: Must gain 10 to 15 grams DAILY (approx. 100 grams per week of life) (e.g., Week 1: 100g -> Week 2: 200g -> Week 3: 300g -> Week 4: 400g) Weight Tracking Protocol: Weigh twice daily (morning & evening) on a digital gram scale
The Triage Protocol for Weight Loss & Hypoglycemia
If a newborn loses weight or fails to gain over 12 hours:
- Check Body Temperature: Hypothermic newborns cannot digest milk (ileus). Never feed a cold newborn (<96°F / 35.5°C); warm them slowly against your skin or on a heating pad first.
- Administer Dextrose: Rub 1 drop of 50% dextrose or warm Karo syrup on the gums to correct fatal hypoglycemia.
- Supplemental Tube Feeding: If the weak newborn cannot latch, administer species-specific commercial milk replacer (Esbilac or KMR) via calibrated feeding tube.
Plan neonatal milestones with Newborn Care Timeline, structure feeding transitions via Weaning Schedule, prepare birth supplies using Whelping & Kittening Checklist, and review shelter medicine at UC Davis.
Examples
- Lab puppy day 1: 450gWithin range · target 500g by day 3
- Persian kitten day 7: 180gOn track · continue 4-hour feeds
- Puppy day 3: same as day 2🚨 Stagnation — vet immediately