New border collie pup worries

[mumnosbest]

We've had our pup just 4 days and I'm already just like a new mum, worrying about her. We searched for ages but prices have sky-rocketed so ended up going with a local man not a registered breeder. I'm now worried about how little I actually know about where she has come from.

She's 9 weeks old but seems so tiny. My kitchen scales say she's just under 3oz (not sure if they're very accurate). I have her vets card. She's had both sets of jabs and been wormed and flead according to her card. The first 2 days she was fine, very sleepy but playful in between. Yesterday she had very loose poos and brought up bile but I put it down to her pinching the cat's food (I've moved it now) and eating grass. Today she had diarrhea again and been sick. She has slept most of the day. She has been awake for short intervals but has mostly just wanted to cuddle rather than play. She has barely eaten since she arrived but is drinking and weeing plenty.

I am calling the vets first thing to get her checked over. Does this all sound normal and just stress related? Or should I be really worried?
Thanks!

3oz?! 85g? That cannot be correct.

She needs to go to the vet. I would be concerned about parvovirus. I won't beat you up about buying from a random man, but it could have consequences for the dog.

Sorry 3lb not iz

Oz

Op I really hope she's ok but it might be worth contacting the emergency vets very soon. A puppy of that size cannot survive without food for long at all. I'm actually really worried about her. Please seek help.

She has eaten a little and I don't know if I'm overestimating what she should be eating. I'd say she's eaten about a cupful of dry food since she arrived Thursday afternoon.

Please call the emergency vet. My DSis got her little Westie puppy in the summer and the first day she got her she was sick and very lethargic. My DSis just put it down to her being unsettled from leaving her mum and the car journey. Luckily she slept with her that evening and in the early hours her puppy got worse. They rushed her to the vet and she had to have emergency surgery as she had an obstruction in her tummy.

I do hope your puppy is ok but better safe than sorry - they can go downhill so quickly

If the puppy ate cat food and grass, stands to reason they have an upset tummy today. Drinking and peeing is great. Good that you're going to the vets tomorrow, hopefully they will give you some good advice to get her built up. Was she the smallest in the litter?

Our puppy was such a greedy guts but when she got ill due to eating things she shouldn't (poo when out and about- she was dreadful for it!!) she would completely refuse food until she felt better- she also would sleep it off. (She's so much better now she knows the 'leave it' command)

Both sets of jabs?... what do you mean by that? She’s only old enough to have had the first set...

3lb is really really small - like about half average weight.

And honestly, sleepy, not active and upset stomach doesn’t sound great.

I’d be looking for a vet.

She was the smallest, scruffiest pup. she is still happy to walk outside and climb up and over the doorstep for a wee. She's walking fine so not that lethargic. Maybe she was just over excited the first two days and has calmed down.

She hasn't been sick for a few hours now. She has quite a big tummy but it's soft and she doesn't mind you touching it. I can feel her ribs though. Is that normal?

Did you meet her mum and the rest of the litter?

Is she showing any other signs of dehydration?: www.vets-now.com/pet-care-advice/dehydration-in-dogs/

Are her gums pink?

Call the emergency vet. Any sickness is a concern in a pup that old. Loss of fluids can be an issue, even if she is drinking.

Hi OP, that does sound worrying, I’m not surprised you’re feeling anxious. She sounds very tiny for 9 weeks, are you sure that’s her correct weight? Also when you say both sets of jabs, do you mean she’s had the full puppy vaccination course? I didn’t think it was possible to have this done by 9 weeks. I think you need to speak to a vet asap. My pup was off her food for a couple of days when we first bought her home and I hand fed her most meals which seemed to work better. I hope you’re both ok

Shes too young for her second jabs. If this is what this man has told you then I'd be questioning everything he has said. Including the age of the pup.

Maybe she has worms. Have you spotted any in her poop?
Are you feeding the same food she was on before she came to you? Usually the breeder would provide enough food so that you could use it to wean over onto food of your choice so to not upset the pups tummy.

I hope pup is okay!

Thanks and yes she's had her puppy vacs or so I'm told and her card says but I'll check that too. I'll check her gums in a minute. Yes saw mum and 2 other pups. She does eat more from my hand so maybe that's the way to go for now.

This all sounds super shifty op. Hope you're pup is ok x

You are going to get a lot of grief because of where you got her from, but what’s done is done, so ignore it.

At 9weeks old she can’t have had both sets of jabs, check the card again for the dates.
If they’ve falsely said she had both sets it’s likely the vets will want to start again.
I would also question if they are telling the truth about being wormed.
Call the vets on the card and get the correct information.

She may have a stomach bug, or giardia which can be cleared up with some meds.
An invisibly bloated tummy is probably worms.

Otherwise, moving house is a big ordeal for a puppy and they often have a runny tummy from the stress.

I would book her in for a vet appointment anyway as it’s always good to have them checked over.

Puppies do sleep a lot, and they ‘fast breathe’ when asleep too, so don’t be alarmed by that.

The main thing is to make sure she is eating and drinking, and not lethargic.

If she chipped?

Hi, border collie owner here. Pup should have had first set of vaccinations but definitely not the second yet. Your pup is very small, as in half the weight ours was at 8 weeks, so I definately think it's worth getting a vet check over.

Wet cat food will run right through my collie too, always has done, so from that side of things the loose stools is to be expected.

I would expect more energy than simply walking or getting over a step, we were having to get ours down from the back of the sofa and to stop trying to bounce onto the coffee table when he first came home. They are a breed with a LOT of energy, I've only seen ours lethargic when he was teething.

What did the breeder feed her? The upset tummy and unwillingness to eat could be a change of diet. Ours wasn't onto wet food when he came home, still on porridge, wheatabix or rice and little bits of chicken, so it's possible that the food is just not what she's used to.

Pm me if I can be of more help, my collie is still a pup, only 16 weeks, so I do know how nervous you are when they first come home, but your experience with the lack of energy sounds worlds away from what we've seen and for that alone I'd get her seen, collies love affection but at this age they're not really cuddlers, they're explorers, bouncers, want to see everything and be into everything.

*20 weeks. I've lost a month apparently. I blame lockdown.

Thanks for your advice so far. Her gums are nice and pink. Doctor Google has helped lots. It's involved me on all fours pretending to eat her food, which she thinks is a great game, but she's eaten a fair bit. She's also been awake for half an hour and played a bit. She's now zonked out.

Another collie owner.

I don’t like to say this OP, but she sounds both much younger than stated (3lbs is abnormally small, I’d expect an 8 weeker to be 6 at absolute minimum) and very ill, Parvovirus or Giardia would be my first thought though of course only a vet can confirm.

It is literally impossible for her to have both sets of vaccines.
They are given at 8 weeks and 12 weeks and believe me, at 12 weeks a collie puppy will be well over 3lbs.

This is her next to a pack of playing cards. Does she look about the right size for a 9 week old. My scales could be wrong. I've also attached a photo of her vets card.

Both the lots are the same on them stickers? So looks like they've put an extra sticker on? Every vaccine should have it's own lot number?

Hope she feels better soon. I'd take her to the vet first thing or sooner if she becomes more unwell.

Thanks Vikings and dragons. She's eating dry food. She was been given Bakers puppy nuggets but I was advised at our pet shop to mix in a little of a better brand and move her onto that. I'm hoping the vets will advise on food too. I didn't know they could eat weetabix and porridge. She's certainly more cuddles than bounce at the moment.

I'll stay with her and get her in the vets first thing. I feel happier knowing she's eaten something though.