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Small pets

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Original poster

Runt of the litter…

3 replies

OhSoAsd · 11/07/2025 04:43

So a small back story! We rehomed a beautiful female pug aged 3! We were informed she’d already had a litter :( our boy was due to be neutered a weeks time. However we couldn’t wait to get her or she would have been sent to a rescue. they said her last season was 2/3 months prior.
this was not the case and found them tied together on day 2. Commence nappy wearing and separated as much as possible. She did fall pregnant from the one tie.

fast forward 9 weeks and here we are.
first puppy born safe and well. 2nd and 3rd with help of injections….then to emergency surgery. 9 puppies in total!!! Sadly 3 didn’t make it past surgery due to deformation.

the 6 we returned with are happy and feeding. Apart from the small runt. I have tried to help him latch but he’s not interested. I have tried to bottle feed and he doesn’t suckle. He doesn’t appear cold and is moving around with the others to sleep.
im worried he will go downhill quickly.

i know i need to keep him warm, and try get him to latch/bottle feed.
is there anything else I need to do to help him survive? He’s half the size of the largest!

OP posts:
ForTheNightOrTheRestOfTime · 11/07/2025 04:57

Poor boy. I would call your vet for advice.

A cat we rescued who we were told was spayed turned out to not be and got pregnant. We called the vet who said they could spay within a week and they would terminate if she was pregnant which she sadly was. I’m just putting that here as I wasn’t aware the vet could/would do that but it’s worth people bearing in mind and taking advantage of if an unwanted pregnancy occurs.

Hope you get some good advice and all the pups (and mum) are ok.

Original poster
OhSoAsd · 11/07/2025 05:01

ForTheNightOrTheRestOfTime · 11/07/2025 04:57

Poor boy. I would call your vet for advice.

A cat we rescued who we were told was spayed turned out to not be and got pregnant. We called the vet who said they could spay within a week and they would terminate if she was pregnant which she sadly was. I’m just putting that here as I wasn’t aware the vet could/would do that but it’s worth people bearing in mind and taking advantage of if an unwanted pregnancy occurs.

Hope you get some good advice and all the pups (and mum) are ok.

We will call them but simply cannot afford another out of hours charge. We just paid over £3000 for the emergency surgery and it’s crippled us!
I wish people would tell the truth when rehoming their pets! If we had even a slight incline that she was in or near heat we could have acted immediately. I’m just so glad she is okay. I said to the vet it’s her over the puppies without a doubt

OP posts:
ForTheNightOrTheRestOfTime · 11/07/2025 05:16

OhSoAsd · 11/07/2025 05:01

We will call them but simply cannot afford another out of hours charge. We just paid over £3000 for the emergency surgery and it’s crippled us!
I wish people would tell the truth when rehoming their pets! If we had even a slight incline that she was in or near heat we could have acted immediately. I’m just so glad she is okay. I said to the vet it’s her over the puppies without a doubt

Show quote history

I feel for you. Our cat was actually from a large reputable rescue. They told us she was neutered but she most definitely wasn’t. When we contacted them to tell them, they ignored us. 😡

As you have already paid so much, the vet may be willing to give you some general advice over the phone without charge. If you know any good breeders, (oxymoron I know), they may be able to offer some advice too. There are also some videos on YouTube offering advice so take a look. Best of luck.

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