3 Week Old Pup

[Gimbo]

We got a new member of the familly last week. He was only 11 days when we got him, as his mom did not have anymore milk for her litter. So we took one of them. He was pretty weak when he arrived, but we found some powdered puppy milk that you mix with hot water and cool to luke warm, and he has been thriving on that. so now he is bouncing around and getting into trouble as puppies should.

I grew up with a dog in the house. The usual "pleeeeeeeaseee dad, can we have a puppy!, then promises made to walk the dog every day, etc... well, my dad enjoyed walking that one for the next 14 years

Anyway since my puppy care knowledge is 30 years old, and I was seven years old then, I thought I ask some questions here. Hope someone with more resent knowledge can anser:

1. When do I start introducing solid foods? (got a big sack of pedigree puppy dry food)

2. When do I start introducing water? (he gets those needs covered by his milk now me thinks)

3. When can I start leash training him? (all the websites deal with puppies 8 weeks old as thats when you should take a puppy home)

4. When do I take him to the vet for his parvo shot, and when and what other vaccines should I give him here in Thailand?

Else his pedigree is highly questionable. A typical village dog. But they grow quite big around here. Most of them around here is allmost the size of a small labrador.

Ok, hope for answers :-)

[elfe]

hi

well you done a good job so far already! your pup will need the milk for the first 4 weeks exclusively. then you can start offering puppy dry food soaked in water so it is like mush, soak it in hot water then it will get soft quickly. as soon as you offer this you offer water as well, you can even try now already and see if pup wants to drink.

you can also offer cooked meat or fish cut very small once in a while. and still offer the puppy milk in a small bowl everyday, it is good for him.

first vaccines should be given at about 45-50 days age, but mind you, only if the pup is 100% healthy, ie no diarrhea, coughing, discharges from eyes or nose. the next vaccine booster two weeks later and then again at age 4 months. just take him to the vet at age about 6 weeks and he will know which vaccines to give.

for leash training should be around 8 weeks, before that you cannot take the baby for walks anyway, it is to young and has not enough power and needs to rest when it wants.

good luck and have fun

[elfe]

and don't forget to deworm the pup before vaccination, there is a deworming syrup for puppies you can obtain at the vet.

[Gimbo]

Thanks, thats exactly the answers I needed.

When we got him he was so weak he could not stand up. He had diorreah as the people who had him had tried feeding him cow milk, and he could not open one eye as it was clogged up with puss. And was crying a lot.

Now a week later he is quite plump like a puppy that age should be. And it's a delight so see him run around the yard, with the occational mixing up his legs, and taking a tumble. And you can litterally see him grow and get stronger by the day. But it's quite a challenge to keep him stimulated when he is active. But now that he is so young it's not long before he gets tired and retreats to his little house.

The wife does not want him inside, as he is of course not house trained (and never will becouse of that), but I made a small house for him with some leftover plywood, and made a flip door with mosquito netting so thats where he sleeps at night. He has allready hous trained himself in there, as he cries in the vening he wants to take dump or a piss. Smart dog!

Okayenough wooshy cooshy stuff.

[Nienke]

Hi Gimbo,

Congrats with you new addition and the work you've done till now.

Elfe has answered already most answers, I only want to add, that:

* In The States top veterinary immunologists have advised against repeating the vaccine after two weeks. The danger exists that the second vaccine can make the first one ineffective, leaving the pup unprotected. It is way much better to have one month in between each vaccination. In Thailand it is still common to vaccinate with two weeks in between.

*Only healthy individuals should be vaccinated.

Vaccinating animals when not optimally healthy is a contraindication written on many vaccine pack instructions. Dogs and cats should not be vaccinated if suffering from any of the following conditions. Bacterial, viral or parasitic infection, chronic allergy, arthritis, spondylosis, chronic colitis, recurrent pancreatitis, KCS, AIHA, IMT, liver/kidney/heart/repiratory disease, on immune suppressive drugs, cancer, or if pregnant, if under anaesthetic, or if recently had an accident, surgery or emotionally traumatic event. In summary, the animal needs to be healthy at vaccination time.

*Monovalent (single) vaccination is preferable to polyvalent (multiple)vaccination.

Polyvalent vaccination containing vaccine for non - life threatening or non - endemic diseases may render immunity to the endemic, life-threatening diseases less potent. The body is equipped to only respond to one infectious disease at a time in nature. For example, in an area where parvovirus is the only dangerous local disease, vaccinating puppies for kennel cough and hepatitis and distemper may render the parvoviral fraction of the vaccine less effective, thus increasing the danger of parvoviral infection of the pup. A monovalent vaccination of parvovirus only may well protect the pup more fully to parvovirus.

* Core vaccines in Thailand are definitely: parvo, canine distemper, hepetitis and rabies. Normally leptospirosis is in the combned vaccine with canine distemper.

* Lead training starts with having the pup get used to a collar around its neck or a harnass around its body. And yes, you can start lead training already. Although, I wouldn't call it 'training', but rather having the pup get used to some light pressure on the collar or harnass.

Nienke

P.S. I saw the most wonderful red boxer pup at the petshop, yesterday. About 2 months old, female and super naughty. Quite a little character. Similar black and white mask as my former boxer. Adorable dog. My heart melted. Still didn't bring her home. Still, in super doubt, though ...

Gosh, how I hate the dilemma.

[Gimbo]

Okay, to thank you two for the good advice....here is his charmness himself!

[elfe]

pretty!!!

looks a bit like balou, one of my handraised puppies