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  #1  
Old November 14th, 2005, 09:49 AM
ccarter48818 ccarter48818 is offline
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6-week old toy poodle with tummy problems

Hi,
Thanks goodness for the Internet and forums like this. I have a new 6-week-old toy poodle as of Thursday night. We have been feeding him Purina Puppy Chow and he started vomiting and having diarreha yesterday afternoon.
He was also appearing weak and much less active so I called and made an emergency visit to the vet last night.

Puppy was slightly dehydrated, no fever and the vet says it's probably what he's eating. He believes the weakness and lethargy are due to puppy's blood sugar being too low. He gave him an injection and some meds in syringes to give every 24 hours for the next 4 or 5 days.

Puppy vomited in his cage several times during the night so he's still not doing the best.

I called a local pet supply store and they have the Wellness brand Super5Mix for Puppies in a 15 lb bag. Would this be a good choice to switch him to?
I called the breeder and she had been feeding our puppy and the rest of the litter Old Roy puppy food from WalMart and she said her other puppies were not ill.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. We want to do the best for this baby as we can. I had no idea how bad most of the commercial brands of dog food are. We also have an 11-year-old cocker spaniel and I'd like to switch his food to something better. Would he need a senior type food; he's still a pretty acitve dog. What brand would be good for him?
Thanks so much for any help.
Carla
Crystal, MI
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  #2  
Old November 14th, 2005, 11:20 AM
angie79 angie79 is offline
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i am so sorry about you pup... what does the vet recommend??
if its a sugar prob will the dog be diabetic?

i am surprized that the breeder has not offered to take the pup back... it is not right that she keep the money when a pup of hers may be ill...
and she should also offer to cover the vet bills...
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  #3  
Old November 14th, 2005, 11:24 AM
Lucky Rescue Lucky Rescue is offline
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6 weeks! Oh boy....the best thing you could do is take this puppy back to his mother for another 3 weeks, since he is WAY too young to be in a new home.

Quote:
I called the breeder and she had been feeding our puppy and the rest of the litter Old Roy puppy food from WalMart and she said her other puppies were not ill.
Purina is very crappy food, but Ol' Roy is absolutely the worst, cheapest and crappiest food on the market. This is not a good breeder in any sense of the word since they wont' even buy halfway decent food that might cut into their profits. Shame on them. On second thought, better not take the puppy back there.

Wellness is excellent food, but this puppy is so tiny and young you'll need to feed at least 5 times a day. Make sure you soak the food so it's soft, and that way the puppy will get water too. Be very careful of dehydration. Puppies this small can crash and die very quickly.

Change the food over gradually, so you don't make the puppy any sicker than it already is. Stay with the Wellness, and don't feed anything else or switch again.

Let us know how this baby does, and also spread the word for people to not buy puppies from disreputable backyard breeders.
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  #4  
Old November 14th, 2005, 01:06 PM
Prin Prin is offline
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Poor doggy! Like Lucky said, 6 weeks is so young. Not only will it affect him now, but later on he might end up with a bunch of sociability issues... Is it at all possible to bring him back for at least another couple of weeks?

Wellness is good, but might be hard on his belly if he's so young. If you have Merrick dog food in your area, I would look into getting the canned food for a bit, just until he gets stronger.

Merrick Puppy Plate canned
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  #5  
Old November 14th, 2005, 02:13 PM
Lucky Rescue Lucky Rescue is offline
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True, Prin. Canned might be better, and if this person has only 1 tiny dog, she can afford to feed it this!

Sorry to off topic, but I was at my brother's on the weekend for dinner and realized I had forgotten Chloe's food.

My SIL went out and came back with a can of Merrick chicken stew. OMG - Chloe thought she had died and gone to heaven. That stuff smells so good I could eat it myself. Way too pricey to feed a big dog, but great for a little one!
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  #6  
Old November 14th, 2005, 02:29 PM
Prin Prin is offline
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Quote:
My SIL went out and came back with a can of Merrick chicken stew. OMG - Chloe thought she had died and gone to heaven. That stuff smells so good I could eat it myself. Way too pricey to feed a big dog, but great for a little one!
If I could be stuck on a desert island with only dog food, I'd hope to heck it was merrick...
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  #7  
Old November 14th, 2005, 08:14 PM
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BMDLuver BMDLuver is offline
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If I could make a suggestion... this pup is struggling with food as he is so young. I would suggest getting a gastro formula from the vet, mushing it up with some warm water and letting him try that.

I presently have some Dane X pups in and one was doing awful when it arrived... I didn't have gastro so went with Merrick Puppy Plate wet and some dry with a bit of water, let it sit to get mushy slightly, gave it a good stir and they gobbled it down. They also had beautiful poops the next day which they did not have when coming in. Human Grade Hollistic food generally doesn't disturb little tummies either.

As for the "breeder" this is not breeder, the pups should not have left until at least 10 weeks of age in the toy breeds. Shame shame on the "breeder".
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Old November 14th, 2005, 08:15 PM
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BMDLuver BMDLuver is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Prin
If I could be stuck on a desert island with only dog food, I'd hope to heck it was merrick...
lol Prin, that's what I tell everyone... if I had to eat dogfood it would be Merrick, the Grammy's Pot Pie smells delicious.
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Old November 14th, 2005, 10:28 PM
Lucky Rescue Lucky Rescue is offline
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I had never seen this Merrick food before, and when I opened the can it made my mouth water.

Poor Chloe was so disappointed the next day when she had to eat her "same old"....
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  #10  
Old November 14th, 2005, 10:37 PM
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BMDLuver BMDLuver is offline
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I open a tin at my place and all the noses start sniffing the air and lining up.. the pups just gobble it up. I don't normally get excited about dog food but this one is truly well worth it.
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Old November 14th, 2005, 10:41 PM
Prin Prin is offline
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Even the Working Dog Stew, which is beef tripe smells awesome. My favorites to smell are the Cowboy Cookout and the Venison Holiday Stew... Boo can't eat chicken, so I'll never know what the Granny pot Pie tastes.. uhh, smells like. Heh heh.
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  #12  
Old November 14th, 2005, 11:36 PM
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I have never had to deal with a "bottle" puppy - only bottle kittens whose mama either died or had rejected them or other reasons - so I wonder if there are any foods similar to what we use for baby kittens? Mushy food, human baby food even?

And while I would suggest returning the puppy so it can learn all the socialization and other critical issues it requires, I am hesitant to suggest that given how horrible this so called breeder sounds. What kind of person sells a 6 week old puppy?? (other than puppy mills of course) Our poodle was 10 or 12 weeks when he arrived (I do not recall exactly - and the breeder one who was very active in showing her champion poodles, a friend of my grandmother's who gave me the dog as a gift when I was ill (I had to take a year off university when I had orthopedic surgery and was immobile in a body cast - in bed essentially - and he was to be company (I think she realized I would not be able to take him for walks or other things) but he was indeed great company and never left my side unless it was to do outside to do his biz or for a walk. I had to learn to walk again and it was very theraputic to have a poodle to help me along, lol )

But that's off topic - I doubt this breeders shows her dogs. If she does, she would not be so cavalier in her treatment of them - makes me sudder for the other dogs she has. I would contact her tho to let her know and ask if othe puppies are ill - if she will tell the truth, sigh
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Old November 15th, 2005, 02:24 AM
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LavenderRott LavenderRott is offline
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I was recently given a young (4 month old) pom puppy and with all good intentions, went to the pet store to buy a small bag of puppy chow to mix with the Canidae that I knew I wanted my new pup to eat. One look at the ingredients list on the puppy chow however and I knew there was no way that bag of food was going to make it in my front door. There is entirely too much JUNK in it! If memory serves, corn is the first ingredient and the only meat listed in the first 5 ingredients was a by-product.

Judging from the original post, I am betting that none of the genetic tests that should have been done on the parents were done and I would also be worried about future health issues that the pup might have since mom had such great dog food to eat while she was pregnant.

My best advice to the OP would be to return this pup to the breeder and get your money back. Some research into the breed standard, checking some National Poodle clubs to see what is required of an ETHICAL breeder and I am sure she could find a very nicely bred pup for a comparable price. (Bearing in mind that paying a little extra for a pup that comes from parents who are tested for genetic issues usually saves money in the form of MAJOR vet bills later.)
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Old November 18th, 2005, 10:23 AM
ccarter48818 ccarter48818 is offline
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I Lost My Sweet Pup

Thank you for everyone's responses. After I originally posted about my sick puppy we lost our internet service for several days so I wasn't able to read or post back.

I am so sad; we lost our little pup sometime during the night. After the initial treatment I took him for on Sunday night he wasn't improving so I took him back to the vet on Wednesday evening and they kept him. They started him on an IV and gave him antibiotics. I called several times yesterday and he was not showing any improvement. I asked what they thought it was and they are almost certain it was parvo; though the test for it wasn't run.

I have kept in telephone touch with the breeder and none of her other pups are ill. From what I've read it is very possible for just a single pup to not get the protective antibodies from the mother and get the disease before the first vaccination is even given. Since he showed signs of being ill less than 3 days after I got him I'm certain he already had the virus.

Now I have to go and get my poor puppy and pay the vet bill. I'm not complaining about the vet bill; they are very very reasonable and genuinely care about taking care of your pet and not gouging you in charges.

The breeder will give me another pup; she has 2 females left from the litter and they are both thriving and healthy. I asked the vet if I could safely get another one and she said yes, but to have the breeder keep the pup for awhile yet until it gets another vaccination, which I think is due in another couple of weeks.

I know that I have to go through my house and clean everything in bleach. My pup had one accident on the living room carpet; will the virus live there too? What do you think about getting another pup and when would it be reasonably safe? We are having freezing temperatures here in Michigan will the virus be killed on the ground outside or will it still be alive to hurt other dogs?

From what I have read this disease happens to even well-cared for dogs and I don't want to blame the breeder, but I do expect to get a healthy pup when I pay for one; not to mention the fact that I am heart-broken by the loss of this pup.

I would again appreciate you advice and experience with this horrible situation.

I sure wanted that pup to pull through.
Thank You,
Carla Carter
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Old November 18th, 2005, 10:29 AM
Rottielover Rottielover is offline
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if your vet does indeed believe it was parvo, there is no way another pup should be walking in that door for the next 6 months....You need to make sure that everything is wiped out, or you can go through the heart ache again. The breeder should know this, if she is trying to give you the puppy now, I reccomend you walk away from that unethical breeder. and when all is clear at your home, then do proper searching on a COE breeder.

Last edited by Rottielover; November 18th, 2005 at 10:35 AM.
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  #16  
Old November 18th, 2005, 10:37 AM
Rottielover Rottielover is offline
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The breeder is at fault she let the puppy go before 8 or 9 weeks old. That poor puppy did not stand a chance at fighting it off. For all you know that puppy might have picked it up outside your house.
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  #17  
Old November 18th, 2005, 10:44 AM
Lucky Rescue Lucky Rescue is offline
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I am so sorry to hear this. I know just how upsetting this is to you.

Quote:
Since he showed signs of being ill less than 3 days after I got him I'm certain he already had the virus.
This could very well be the reason she hustled the puppy off to you at a too-young age.

This breeder should not only give you your money back, but also pay your vet bills, although you may need to take her to court to get this money. I know money is not your main concern, but people like this breeder need to be taught a lesson and sadly the only thing most of them care about IS money.

You need to get a report from the vet, saying how long the puppy was sick, in his estimation.
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  #18  
Old November 18th, 2005, 10:59 AM
ccarter48818 ccarter48818 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rottielover
The breeder is at fault she let the puppy go before 8 or 9 weeks old. That poor puppy did not stand a chance at fighting it off. For all you know that puppy might have picked it up outside your house.
I asked our vet if she thought the pup was too young to have been put in a new home and she said 6 weeks was typical. From reading here and on toy poodle sites these breeders say they don't place them in new homes until they are at least 9 or 10 weeks. We lost our 14-year-old cocker spaniel just this past April and I got him at 6-weeks old and he was very healthy all his life.

I sincerely doubt that our pup picked it up here. We live in the country and there are no other dogs around here and definitely not in our yard. This pup was sick in less than 3 days after we got him; so I'm fairly certain he was already infected before we got him.
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Old November 18th, 2005, 11:07 AM
ccarter48818 ccarter48818 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Deb's Lucky Rescue
I am so sorry to hear this. I know just how upsetting this is to you.



This could very well be the reason she hustled the puppy off to you at a too-young age.

This breeder should not only give you your money back, but also pay your vet bills, although you may need to take her to court to get this money. I know money is not your main concern, but people like this breeder need to be taught a lesson and sadly the only thing most of them care about IS money.

You need to get a report from the vet, saying how long the puppy was sick, in his estimation.
I honestly don't think the breeder intentionally gave me a sick puppy. She says she has been raising poodles all her adult life and she genuinely appears to adore them. She had two beautiful adult dogs in her house that by all appearances were healthy and happy. This woman is elderly; probably in her early 70s but while the puppies she has were kept clean and next to a heater for warmth her home and property are in poor repair. A lot of junk in the yard and her house was very cluttered and dirty. I should have known better, but I've never had any experience with parvo or much of any illness in either of our 2 cockers. I honestly had no idea about the prevalence of parvo as our dogs had always had their vaccinations.

I've learned a hard lesson because my gut feeling is that she will never give me my money back let alone pay for the vet bill.
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  #20  
Old November 18th, 2005, 11:20 AM
Lucky Rescue Lucky Rescue is offline
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Quote:
I asked our vet if she thought the pup was too young to have been put in a new home and she said 6 weeks was typical.
Yes, typical of disreputable backyard breeders and puppymills, but not right. In fact in many places it's illegal.

Loving and adoring her dogs doesn't mean a thing if they are being bred to create pets and make money and parents are not titled or health tested.

You've already spent so much and been left with nothing but pain. A few more dollars for a lawyer's letter might be worth it, if for no other reason than to let this woman know what she did is wrong.

Did you get a contract with any health guarantees? Even the crappiest breeders will usually give at least 72 hours.
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