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The doghouse

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

Original poster

New border collie pup worries

237 replies

mumnosbest · 21/02/2021 21:36

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!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
TheChip · 21/02/2021 22:51

You could use some hot water to soften her biscuits. She might eat better if theyre a bit soggy.

Isadora2007 · 21/02/2021 22:52

bordercolliehealth.com/border-collie-size/

Deffo not the right size

New border collie pup worries
BigWolfLittleWolf · 21/02/2021 22:53

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
Agree, bakers is a terrible food.
I didn't know they could eat weetabix and porridge
Do not give her weetabix and porridge!
She is a dog, not a baby, she’s sick and highly likely to be younger than you think. She needs a good quality puppy food.
She's certainly more cuddles than bounce at the moment
She sounds very unwell and you really should take her to the vet first thing tomorrow, while puppies sleep a lot when awake a border should be into everything exploring.

puppychaos · 21/02/2021 22:57

Please get her to an emergency vet tonight OP. Something sounds really wrong and she doesn't look like a 9-week-old border collie at all Sad
Her weight is really worrying and there's no way she's had both sets of jabs already. Hope everything goes ok Thanks

Original poster
mumnosbest · 21/02/2021 22:58

Thanks everyone, lots of good advice and much appreciated.

OP posts:
currahee · 21/02/2021 23:09

From memory first vaccine can be given as early as 6 weeks but the second not before 10 weeks - do you have her date of birth and do the dates on the card correspond with it? Is the date of birth listed on her microchip details the same again or different?

Have Nobivac stickers changed recently? They used to have a little red tab in the corner for peeling them off the bottle.

Just speculation about her age and the veracity of the vaccination record; in any case she needs to see a vet ASAP and I’m relieved to see you’ll contact them first thing.

sonnysunshine · 21/02/2021 23:11

Take her to the vet now. Why aren't you? She may die if you don't sort her out quickly. You sound very inexperienced and naive. You have chosen to take on a pup she is now your responsibility so step up

sunflowersandbuttercups · 21/02/2021 23:12

She looks much younger than nine weeks old to me and it sadly sounds like she's very unwell - possibly giardia or parvovirus, both of which can be deadly in dogs.

There's also no way she's had all her jabs and I very much doubt she's ever stepped foot in the vets.

I'm sorry but I think you've been duped and this puppy could potentially cost you a small fortune in vets bills. Please get her seen to.

ArcherDog · 21/02/2021 23:14

As she doesn’t have diarrhoea or bloody poo, isn’t totally lethargic, and has eaten and drunk, I personally wouldn’t say she needs an out of hours vet tonight, but definitely one tomorrow.

And sadly, I think she is younger than 9 weeks old from that photo so that vaccinations are probably false too.

zenasfuck · 21/02/2021 23:15

She looks much younger than a 9 week old collie pup and at 3lbs, she weighs much much less than would be expected

She is also too young to have had a full vaccine course
I would be making an emergency vet visit because with a pup that small/young, they get very sick very quickly

I wonder if you are this inexperienced to have purchased a dodgy pup from a dodgy breeder how you are going to fare with a border collie - one of the most difficult breeds you could have chosen

BippityBoppityBop · 21/02/2021 23:23

Vets first thing.

That's a very small puppy for nine weeks old and I doubt it's had both vaccines so even if she is actually nine weeks old she's still to young to have had both jabs.

And once you've been to the vets I'd be contacting the vet on the card to see if they actually have given two lots of vaccines to a puppy that last too young to have them or I'd be contacting the breeder if it's him that's lied in case it's not actually been jabbed at all.

You might want to check your insurance too, they sometimes have a no claim within the first few days type clause.

BigWolfLittleWolf · 21/02/2021 23:30

I wonder if you are this inexperienced to have purchased a dodgy pup from a dodgy breeder how you are going to fare with a border collie - one of the most difficult breeds you could have chosen
Not the time Zena.
An eye watering proportion of puppies bought are from puppy farms.
It’s very, very easily done.
The poor pup is seriously ill and quite likely is young enough to not even be properly weaned.
The OP really doesn’t need a comment like that on top

TheChip · 21/02/2021 23:31

A lot of places do free puppy health checks for their first visit. She really should have been booked in already though. Im really curious about the microchip. If she is or isn't, because by law breeders are required to microchip pups before they're sent to their new homes.
I agree with PP about contacting the vet on the vaccine card to ask about it.

Branleuse · 21/02/2021 23:35

Could you give her some chicken or wet puppy food. I think she might still need milk.

SheldonesqueIsUnwell · 21/02/2021 23:40

Dr Google is not your friend when it comes to valid animal health concerns.

Vets are your friends. The sooner the better.

Maxiedog123 · 21/02/2021 23:52

She's gorgeous but doesn't look like 9 weeks.

itwillbehormones · 22/02/2021 00:20

Oh how worrying, she looks more 5-6 weeks so maybe ask the vets about milk as well.

I hope she's ok and the others went to such caring homes, what's done is done just wishing you luck for her.

14down · 22/02/2021 00:40

She's tiny please go to the vet tomorrow

VampireTheBuffetSlayer · 22/02/2021 01:31

Poor baby, I hope she's ok. Please let us know how she gets on at the vets tomorrow.

PurpleM · 22/02/2021 02:02

She looks tiny, much younger than 9wks.

As PP all the nobivac vacs stickers on my dogs cards do indeed have red tab on lower right corner for peeling off for vet to put in card, I also thought vaccinations came in single vial dose so wouldn't be same numbers for both stickers, i think its forged and pup probably hasn't seen a vet. I'd get her scanned for microchip while at the vets.

I hope its just worms & rich cat food rather than something worse but they can go downhill quickly when young.

JackieWeaverIsTheAuthority · 22/02/2021 02:17

Not going to lay into you for not doing your due diligence but whenever things are settled, either way, can you please tell everyone you know about the mistake you made and why it was a mistake. People only believe these warnings when they hear it from people they know that have been through it. They always think they know better and it won’t happen to them. You can tell them you didn’t and it did.

bluetongue · 22/02/2021 03:07

How worrying for you OP. She looks tiny. My whippet puppy was 8.5 pounds when I got him at 8 weeks so I imagine a border collie puppy should be bigger at a similar age.

AlternativePerspective · 22/02/2021 03:27

Sadly the increase in puppy prices has also led to the increase in puppy farmed puppies, because people settle for them rather than pay £££ for one from a breeder.

It sounds as if this puppy is nowhere near old enough to leave her mum yet, and is unlikely to have had any vaccinations.

Hope it’s nothing serious, but I’ve read all too many horror stories about people buying puppies in these kinds of conditions, and the state they’re in. Sad

Sparkle79 · 22/02/2021 07:16

@mumnosbest hope your pup is okay and the vet can help and put your mind at rest. Please don't beat yourself up about the way you bought your pup, and ignore the comment about being inexperienced and naive. Also try to take all the collie comments you're bound to get now with a pinch of salt (have a look at my recent positive collie thread!) You sound like you are a very careful and caring dog owner and how you got her is irrelevant now so just focus on enjoying her and getting her better.

Frazzled2207 · 22/02/2021 07:29

I hope the vet can help.
I unfortunately agree that she can’t yet be 9 weeks old.