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When you get your new puppy home, he/she should be at least 12 weeks old.
Your puppy
may be even older - depending of the size and the general health of the puppy.
Once in your home, you will need to give them access to
food at all time. A new puppy should always have dry food available
to them (I feed
Bil Jac puppy
and
Royal Canin , or
Iams Holistic puppy formula). I
prefer the Bil Jac puppy at first because it is very easy to make a
nice ‘wet mixture” with quickly. The Bil Jac pellets will crumble in
your hand easily and the puppies love them. I will also feed them a
wet mixture at least once a day. If the puppy is very tiny, I will
feed two wet mixtures a day. I have also found the Little Caeser
Puppy can food has become a favorite of my puppies and my adults who
are either nursing or pregnant. This is very easy to find, you can
locate Little Caesar's at your local grocery store or Walmart.
Little Ceasar's can also be mixed in with your puppy's dry food to get them to eat. Mix ½ can to ¼ cup
of dry kibble. The puppy will scarf this right up.
If you can not find any of these kibble, just make sure that the
kibble you get will provide a fully nutritious and well balanced
diet for your new puppy. The kibble size should be small
enough for
the puppy to eat. Also make sure that the brand you plan on feeding
has not been included in the widespread pet food recall. The most
current list of foods that have been recalled can be found
here
Typically, the affected food typically is no longer available on the
pet store shelves, but it never hurts to double check.
Just remember that leaving dry food down at all times will help keep
your dog from overeating. If you change your puppy's brand of food,
you will need to do so slowly. Continue to use the same kibble and gradually
make the change by mixing the new kibble with the
old kibble. This will prevent any digestive issues that may arise
(loose stool). Do not give your puppy large chunks of food as this
can cause choking. No table scraps, this could make your puppy a
picky eater. Do not give them milk, this can cause diarrhea. Do not
feed raw egg whites, grapes or chocolate.
HYPOGLYCEMIA
Small breed puppies are very active and they need to be monitored
closely to insure that they are getting enough to drink and eat and
plenty of rest.
Young toy breed puppies can develop a low blood sugar condition due
to overexcitement, overexertion, and/or injury and can very, very
quickly become unconscious and even die without immediate treatment.
If your young puppy misses a meal, offer a tasty meal quickly. If
the puppy does not eat because he/she is stressed by too much excitement, handling, or new
experiences, it may result in a hypoglycemic (low blood sugar)
attack. Prevention and treatment is the key.
TREATMENT: IMMEDIATELY give the puppy a small amount of honey, jam,
or corn syrup and place this on the roof the of the puppy’s mouth. A
high calorie supplement such as nutra-Cal or Nutra Stat can also be
given in as a preventative or in the early stages of hypoglycemia. In
addition, you can give some Pedialite into the side of the puppy’s
mouth by syringe very slowly. Once they seem to be recovering in
response to the treatment of honey or syrup, you can then give them
a mixture of soft food 2tbs Gerber Baby Rice Cereal, 2tsp Gerber
Strained Chicken Meat, 1 tsp of corn syrup, add water to make it
pudding consistency. Fill a large syringe or medicine dropper with
the mixture and give it to the puppy by squeezing the mixture either
on the tongue or between the cheek and gum. Give the puppy a chance
to swallow and then give them more. Give approximately 12 cc and
repeat every 4 hours. This will need to be done until they feel better
and start to eat on their own.
If the puppy has reached advanced stages of Hypoglycemia and has
gone into the staggering state, it is ABSOLUTELY necessary to take the
puppy to the veterinarian, even after it has been given sugar and
has recovered. The reason for this is that once a puppy has had a
serious drop in blood sugar, it can occur again with even less
stress and the veterinarian can help prevent this. Be very vigilant
while the puppy is still young (up to 6 months of age, depending upon
their size)!!!!
EARLY SIGNS OF HYPOGLYCEMIA
The early signs of hypoglycemia: Lethargy, sleepiness, and/or a dazed look.
Then, as it progresses, a staggering or “drunken” gait, drooling,
collapse and convulsions. If it is not treated, it continues into
coma and ultimately death.
· You must regulate the amount of activity your puppy gets. Young,
small breed puppies tire very easily and quickly, especially if they
are allowed to romp freely about the house or are handled
excessively. They need their rest just like an infant.
· A healthy puppy’s temperature is normally 100-102 degrees. Should
a puppy exhibit signs of illness such as vomiting, diarrhea, runny
eyes or nose, excessive panting or whining, dizziness, lethargy,
etc. take them to the veterinarian. DO NOT WAIT!!!! It does not take
long for a puppy to become dehydrated.
· Check daily for stuck stools as this can cause blockage making the
puppy unable to eliminate. Keep the hair trimmed around the rectum
to help this situation. This can cause serious problems and be very
painful for the puppy.
· Take them to the veterinarian until they have received the
complete series of puppy shots. Do not let the veterinarian give more
than one shot per visit. These toy dogs are given the same amount
of serum as the large breeds and too much at once can cause
problems. It is important for their health that they have the proper
protection. DO NOT put your puppy on the ground in public areas
until they have received their full series of puppy shots
The four (4) most important factors in raising your puppy are:
· IT MUST EAT
· IT MUST REST
· IT MUST BE KEPT WARM & DRY
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