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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

Shit, I have somehow acquired a puppy...

377 replies

Theoneandonlyitchymcitch · 25/03/2016 23:59

Help!! She is a teeny tiny baby shitzu crossed with something equally obscure. She is slightly larger than my foot. I have zero experience with puppies. What do j need to do? I've made her up a bed with towels and puppy food in a dish near her. I got her a baby bottle to try and get her to drink milk (kitten milk!) from that. She is ignoring all my efforts and is snoring on my foot...

OP posts:
Thread gallery
22
sooperdooper · 26/03/2016 00:11

Where has she come from? Is she yours permently or are you looking after her overnight??

Original poster
Theoneandonlyitchymcitch · 26/03/2016 00:17

She appears to be mine... Oh good god, this is worse than having a child. She is tiny and is whimpering. I made her a nest but she has broken free...she is currently making a bed in a discarded bag... She is going to poo everywhere isn't she?

OP posts:
Anomaly · 26/03/2016 00:17

I would say no milk unless the people you've acquired her from were feeding it. If she's old enough to be away from Mum she should be weaned. If she isn't old enough to be away from Mum then you need help from someone who knows exactly what to do. Our rescue puppy that we got from a not very professionally run rescue really ended up being very hard work and I'm sure it all stemmed from being taken away from mum and siblings far too young.

Anomaly · 26/03/2016 00:19

Get used to it Shih tzus are not the greatest at toilet training. How old is she?

IloveAntbuthateDec · 26/03/2016 00:21

How did you come to acquire the puppy? How old I it?

Queenbean · 26/03/2016 00:21

How have you aquired her? maybe move to the doghouse as you'll get lots of advice (and probably a telling off)

BeastofCraggyIsland · 26/03/2016 00:46

How old is she? It's really important that you know this so that you can feed her appropriately and time her worming, vaccinations etc. If she is under 8 weeks she should not be away from her mother and siblings yet. As well as being too young in the physical sense to be separated, the period between 6 and 8 weeks is extremely important for their development in the behavioural sense and learning appropriate interactions, bite inhibition etc. I am a vet and would strongly recommend you get her seen by a vet who can advise on diet, worming etc. Do not give her kitten milk or cow's milk. Be very careful if attempting to bottle feed, it is very easy for them to inhale milk and end up with aspiration pneumonia, especially a flat-faced breed like a Shih-Tzu. If you are doing this use a proper puppy bottle or a premature baby one and get some Welpi or Lactol bitch milk substitute from the vet or pet shop. If she is over 3 weeks - which I sincerely hope she is - she is old enough for weaning with a good-quality puppy food (not Pedigree/Bakers etc.) which will need to be soaked and mashed down to a porridge-like consistency with boiling water or the milk substitute (obviously then let it cool) and she can be encouraged to lap it up from a shallow dish or saucer. She will need to be fed at least 4 times a day. She will need a proper worming schedule with Panacur paste or suspension - not pet-shop worming tablets. Please do seek some professional advice and get her checked over tomorrow.

NoncommittalToSparkleMotion · 26/03/2016 00:50

Umm...do you want to keep her? This seems quite overwhelming.

BeastofCraggyIsland · 26/03/2016 00:50

if you have a Pets at Home near you Barking Heads Puppy Days is a very good-quality puppy food and is suitable for weaning. Royal Canin Mini Starter is another suitable one, although the ingredients in RC aren't as good as the Barking Heads.

BrandNewAndImproved · 26/03/2016 00:53

You are going to be flamed

kormachameleon · 26/03/2016 00:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BeastofCraggyIsland · 26/03/2016 01:05

I hope you don't get flamed as you need proper advice on this and you need to act on it. If anyone gets a flaming it should be whoever bred this puppy in the first place and then gave her away so young.

ilovesooty · 26/03/2016 01:09

How did you get her?

GooseberryRoolz · 26/03/2016 01:12

Acquired?

GooseberryRoolz · 26/03/2016 01:13

How old is the puppy?

ExtraHotLatteToGo · 26/03/2016 01:17

Why on earth would anyone, with any sense, flame someone when we have absolutely NO idea how they ended up in this position, when the tiny puppy arrived or anything else. She's doing her best and she is here to get HELP. How on earth would flaming help the OP or the puppy??

Itchy you've had some good advice from BFCI. So at least you know what you need to do tomorrow 😊 Long term...are you really in a position to have a dog? Do you know just how much & what they need? I think you really should post in the Doghouse and find out exactly what's involved with looking after a dog and this particular breed before you commit to keeping it.

GooseberryRoolz · 26/03/2016 01:17

You could let someone who knows what they're doing take her.

You sound ambivalent and unprepared.

Alasalas2 · 26/03/2016 01:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GinIsIn · 26/03/2016 01:24

Ok, we have a ship tzu we've had since she was a puppy. I've had dogs all my life, so perhaps I can help.

Very important - how old is the puppy, and where did it come from?

It's going to be terrified and, with the best will in the world, you don't sound prepared. Get a box. In the box, put a cushion. Wrap a hot water bottle in a blanket and snuggle that in the box with it. (It reminds them of their mother/rest of litter). Put the box on newspaper by your bed.

Secondly, you mustn't feed it cows milk - dogs are not good at digesting lactose. If it's weaned, it should be on puppy food. If it's so young it shouldn't be away from its mother, you can use lactose free baby formula at a pinch but you need to see the vet asap.

Please make sure there's a source of fresh water available and accessible to it at all times - puppies get dehydrated very easily.

MattDillonsPants · 26/03/2016 01:27

Oh dear OP. Stop giving it milk and go to the vet with it ASAP. It's vital that you know how old it is and if it's been innoculated etc. It needs a check up.

Alisvolatpropiis · 26/03/2016 01:30

How old is the puppy?

How have you come to be caring for her?

Tate15 · 26/03/2016 04:13

I got my now oldest dog at just under six weeks as his doggy mum stopped feeding all of her puppies as she rejected them. Homes had to be found quickly.

I gave him this www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/puppy/puppy/puppy-treats---milk/lactol-puppy-milk-1kg

As well as puppy food.

To keep him warm I made coats from cutting off the sleeves of pyjama tops!

He slept in my bed so he could be next to my heartbeat and warm.

Shit, I have somehow acquired a puppy...
Duckdeamon · 26/03/2016 05:00

Weird OP.

Lunar1 · 26/03/2016 06:43

You sound like a 7 year old shrieking at a new toy rather than an adult who got a dog. Did you find her somewhere?

Take her to the vets and have a think about if you are cut out for everything that comes with owning a dog.

Greyhorses · 26/03/2016 06:47

I would seriously consider finding someone to help you or take the puppy on if you don't have a clue.

Hand reared puppies (if it is that young) need experienced and confident handlers that know how to raise them into sociable pets. I would never reccomend the average owner gets a puppy that is under 8 weeks, preferably 10. I speak from experience with this and hand reared or too young pups are well known with vets and behaviouralists for having major issues.

You need to take it to the vets, find out how old it is and go from there.

Good luck!