Nervous about my brand new baby

[Monty's Mama]

Hi everyone,
My husband and I just got our first doxie this saturday, it's our first pet ever and we love him ever so much. We're very worried because since we got him home, he hasn't eaten very much and he seems to have a little wheezing sound. He sleeps a lot and wants to be held instead of playing when we take him out of the crate (not that we mind holding him, we just want him to be playful for his own health). His first vet appointment is in 3 days and I just want someone to tell me he's okay. Am I being a nervous first time mother or is there anything I should be concerned about? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You.

[Owen's Mom]

We're here to help!! You need to tell us some more stuff first... Like, How old is he? Did you buy him from a breeder of a petshop. If you bought him from a breeder, call your breeder and ask them all these questions and voice your concerns. If you're still nervous, don't hesitate to take him to the Vet earlier.

As he's just a baby, be sure not to take him out in public to walk on grass that isn't yours and meet other dogs, he needs to have his shots first, he's still at risk of picking up Parvo, so do be careful.

Keep up posted!! We want to hear how the baby is doing!!
~~Amy~~

[Monty's Mama]

Thanks Amy, he is 7 weeks old. His breeder is also a dog groomer, she had all the AKC papers for the dam, which is her own dog. I have a call into her, but she said she would be in and out all day today. She gave us the standard 2-week guarentee regarding his health and she seemed very concerned about her dogs. He didn't have the wheezing noise the first night, it really started when we got him into our house around 4 pm yesterday. It was a terrible, raw, rainy day yesterday, of course we got him in and out of the car as soon as possible but could he have caught a cold so soon? He has his first puppy shots, I know that much, the canine distemper and the coranavirus vaccine. She said he had his first worming too.
Is it normal for him to just want to sleep on your lap when he's out of the crate? My husband is home with him today and said he still hasn't eaten anything other than the few bits of kibble he ate for me at 6 am.
Help!

[Owen's Mom]

Well, let's see what we can do to help now that we know what's up.

First of all, a good breeder gives more than a 2 week guarantee, but that's neither here nor there at this point.

Yes, he'll probably sleep ALOT, he's just a baby and he's probably a little upset at being separated from his momma and littermates. I'd get some puppy formula from Petco/Petsmart and soak your Monty's kibble in it, it will make it an easier transition to hard food. He's JUST been weened from his momma and would probably have suckled another week ontop of transitioning to dog food (technically, a puppy shouldn't be sold until it's a full 8 weeks old, but that's dependant on the breeder really. 7 weeks isn't bad on the whole).

I'd also start feeding him in his crate, so that he associates it as a place where he gets good things. Crate training will make potty training easier too, in the long run. I have to admit, Owen was a full 10 months old when I got him (rescue) and he was well past the little baby stage. If he continues to wheeze, I'd get him into the Vet ASAP though.

Tell us more, is he smooth, long hair, wire haired? Red, black and tan, dapple... We want to know all about your new cutie!

~~Amy~~

[Mickamack]

When we first got Mickey, he too seemed a bit sluggish and he wasn't too interested in food. My vet told me that he might be a little extra sluggish because his blood sugar was down, with him not eating regularly. He gave me a tube of a dietary supplement. It was very sweet, almost like a very thick syrup. I would put a little on my finger tip and Mickey would lick it off. It helped to raise his blood sugar, making him a little more lively. And it helped to increase his appetite, to the point where he was eating more on his own.

But puppies do sleep a lot...no doubt about that! Even at 2yrs old, if Mickey does not get his 18 hours of beauty rest, he gets cranky! http://dachsie.org/ubb/wink.gif

Hope this helps! Let us know how you make out!

[Mandy]

My advice would be to go ahead and take him to the vet. Jakey acted just as your puppy did when we first brought him home. He didn't want to play much (although he did some) and he wanted to sleep a lot of the time. He would cry to be away from us. We took him to the vet immediately and found out that he had a slight eye infection. This caused him to want to keep his eyes closed and to sleep so much. Also, since he wasn't feeling 100%, he didn't want to play much. The vet gave us some antibacterial eye drops and they really cleaed the problem up...so much so that at first we wished he would sleep more...he wanted to make up for all of his lost play time! Since you haven't had a new puppy before, it may just feel strange that he sleeps a lot (they are babies). But, why take a chance? Go ahead and take him in to rule out the possibility that he is sick.

I agree with Amy about the two weeks issue....Jakey's breeder gives a one year warantee (that sounds so impersonal for a living creature). Many defects will not show up in two weeks but may show up in a year (not that you would be able to give up a sweet pup after loving him).

[Penny's Aunt]

I agree that you should have him checked out by your vet. Since this is your first dog, if there IS anything wrong, the vet would probably be likely to see it. Keep the pup away from other animals & people. They can look, but they can't touch.

I would also take a FRESH (preferably less that 2 hrs old) poop specimen in with you & have it checked for worms. A lot of people who raise dogs use the stuff from K-Mart, without really knowing WHICH worms they're treating. This specimen will let your vet know EXACTLY. Worms are extremely common, & can drag a young pup down faster than you would probably believe.

For a puppy that young, you might want to start out on a high-quality canned food, like Science Diet Puppy Food. It is very attractive to puppies.

Someone here suggested milk supplement, which could be an excellent idea. Add it to the canned puppy food & mash it all together with a fork. His weaning could have been a little rushed, & he may still want some milk. Once he's eating well, you can gradually decrease the amount of milk & eliminate it. Feeding him 4 times a day is not unreasonable.

IF THE MILK SUBSTITUTE CAUSES DIARRHEA, STOP IT IMMEDIATELY. Most pups do very well on it & I do recommend it, but once in a while there's a pup that it doesn't agree with. Diarrhea can dehydrate a puppy in a matter of hours.

So, are your lives already revolving around your little new addition? Have fun!

[Wienergal]

Monty's Mama, we're glad you found this board, and I know we all wish you well with your new puppy! As you will soon find out, dachshunds are the absolute BEST dogs! http://dachsie.org/ubb/smile.gif

I agree with all the good advice posted so far, but would just add that, because of the wheezing, I would take him to the vet right away. No, he didn't catch a cold from being transferred from the car to the house, but he could have a little respiratory infection or any of a zillion other little things that puppies get. But because he's so young, you will want to find out what, if anything, is wrong and get it taken care of F A S T!! So call your vet, explain about the wheezing and lassitude, and ask to see him/her right away.

Good luck and PLEASE keep us informed!!!

[Lisa H.]

I know just how you feel! We got our mini dachsie at 8 weeks, and she seemed so fragile! As others have suggested, I wouldn't wait to take her to the vet, since it's so hard to tell what's wrong. It's good to have the reassurance. Somebody had a good suggestion about the possibility of low blood sugar; especially with a little dog, if it doesn't eat enough it get sluggish, and then it sleeps all the time and doesn't eat enough...it's a vicious circle. He may be missing his littermates. Good luck with him!