new puppy not well.

[andydingdang]

Hi, my girlfriends parents have just got a old english sheep dog puppie, 8 weeks old. They have had it for a day and today it won't eat or drink anything....it has also been sick alot. Could this be down to being away from it's mother or could it be something else...?

[Roughquest]

Well, most puppies suffer from gastroenteritis which is quite common, has is also got diaorreah? Puppies tend to eat and chew anything they can get their teeth into, and through this they may swallow things that may not agree with their delicate digestive system, has he had its vaccinations yet? I suggest though you get him to the vet asap, puppies dehydrate very quickly....

[kita1]

I would ring the vet asap. Also might be an idea to phone the breeder and ask their advice. An 8 week old pup would not miss its mother and litter mates that much. They can go off food for a couple of days but should not be vomiting.

They definately need water and should be drinking.

As said previously puppies dehydrate very quickly and this can be life threatening.

[Illyria54]

Did they get the puppy from a breeder? ie. did they see the rest of the litter or were they just given the puppy to take home? If from a breeder then they need to ring them and tell them the problem and see if the rest of the litter have the same thing, if they got it from somewhere else then I would take it back or they could be in for a boatload of trouble and heartache not to mention the expense, a breeder will have given free insurance for the first few weeks, in either case the pup needs to get to a vet and double quick as they dehydrate very quickly and it could die within a very short time! I can't stress this strongly enough, it needs to be seen by an emergency vet now!!!

[lankeela]

Contact the breeder straight away who will probably tell them to contact their vet as well. Have they changed the food given to them or recommended by the breeder? They should have been given a diet sheet and a supply of what the puppy has been having. It is difficult to know for sure, but puppies need to get several small meals down them each day. A vet will give it a jab and will advise what to give it to get its digestive system back on track.

[spanner7853]

I would suggest that it is just the upheavel of living somewhere else. My kitted wouldnt eat for 2 days when it came to live with me and hid behind my sofa. If after a day it's still the same then contact a vet for advise.

[spanner7853]

sorry i meant kitten