orphaned puppy needs your advice!!
 

I am a new employee at a local kennel that breeds and trains German Shepherds. One of the bitches gave birth to 9 puppies 5 days ago. Problem is, she only has 8 nipples. We found an obvious runt in the litter the day after birth and he was cold and on his 'death bed', I brought him in the office and warmed him up and got fluids down. You would think that with 20 years of experience this kennel and its owner and employees would be more educated when it comes to dealing with this type of thing...well, they aren't. Before I came they would just let 'nature take its course' and in this circumstance they would have put the puppy back with his mother and if that would have happened, he would have died. I don't think anything is wrong with this little guy besides the fact that he's half the size of his siblings and is unable to nurse due to a shortage of nipples. Under normal circumstances I realize that I could rotate the puppies on the nipple so he gets his turn, but I'm not at work 24 hours a day in order to do so. I took this little guy home and I've been feeding him high quality puppy formula about every 1-2 hours. Basically any chance I get while he is awake. I took him to the vet a couple of days ago and the vet said he's still dehydrated and he told me to feed him more. My response was that I was feeding him as often as I possibly could including throughout the night(seems to be every hour at night!) No other advice was given. He is still scrawny and dehydrated in spite of my efforts. He will only drink a few ml's during feeding. Does anyone else have ANY advice as to what can be done to help this puppy thrive? I just want to make sure I'm giving him the best possible chance to live and that I'm doing everything for him...any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Sorry I don't have much advice for you. Unfortunately sometimes some puppies just don't make it :sad: . Have you tried force feeding him (slowly) with a syringe?

[QUOTE=TeriM;341343]Sorry I don't have much advice for you. Unfortunately sometimes some puppies just don't make it :sad: . [/QUOTE]

I agree. Sometimes the runts are [I]too[/I] weak.:grouphug:

Force feeding at that young an age can very easily cause aspiration. Tube feeding and subQ rehydration are what's needed but it's also the runt of the litter and natures way of being selective.

I agree with the others and I admittedly have more expetrience caring for human and feline babies who fail to thrive. SubQ is definitely indicated as BMD suggested- have you talked to your vet? My only advice and this is based on nothing scinetific (which to me means take it for what it's worth_ and on my experience with humans and feline babies who were at death's door but made it - is to keep him with you at all times, keep him warm and feed him. I don't know enough about "orphan puppies" in the way that I do about cats - as to what you can do to help mama. Do baby pups need to helped to eliminate for ex in the same way as kits? I would call a vet for sure and get an opinion but sadly, I know from some experiened credible breeders that sometimes, puppies will fade, esp the tiny ones in spite of heroic measures by the vet and the humans involved.

A cat breeder in NB (birmans) saved a kitten the size of a grape once but that falls in the category of a miracle and they do happen but I don't know enuf about dogs. Call your vet - the woman I know in NB had her vet on speed dial and he did not think the kitten would make it and she did.

Here is the cat story - maybe you can find a vet who will help you like Betty did in NB??? (and in any case, it is a Christmas kind of story)

[url]http://members.tripod.com/carraigbirmans/miracle.html[/url]

would it help while your at work to give him a mothers nipple and rotate the others around. i know during the first few days they prob spend more time nursing than anything else. Im not sure but wouldnt the keenel have been able to find out prior to birth there were alot of puppies (too many for a mother to nourish properly) and could have termanated 1 or two for the sake of the whole litter???? but i dont know i hope the puppy makes it. :fingerscr thank you so much for all of your help.

Try getting some puppy formula and getting a syrnage with out a needle place it in its mouth and squirt a tiny bit in if he takes to it let him suck on it and slowly drip it in their mouth meanwhile rotate the puppies it worked for my papillions and weok is thriving now shes 5 so she fared well

Is there any other lactating females? you could try and introduce the puppy to them