Why is my newborn puppy limp, dehydrated, not eating, diarrhea?

Hi there! Sorry to hear that Felicia is not feeling well. The clinical signs you describe are concerning when they occur in a puppy as they can be seen with serious gastrointestinal infections such as Parvovirus. Other possibilities include intestinal worms and dietary indiscretion, among other possibilities. The sooner these conditions are treated the better the outcome tends to be. For this reason, I recommend that you have Felicia evaluated by your veterinarian to check for these possibilities and to start therapy based on findings. I would proceed with an evaluation as soon as possible as I am afraid that she is getting weaker. At the very least they can address dehydration if present and start her on anti-diarrhea medications. Good luck! Keeping my fingers crossed for your girl!

It always concerns me when young puppies get lethargic. Puppies are more susceptible to the effects of dehydration and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) than adult dogs, so diarrhea is more serious for Wallace than it would be for an adult dog. If he's back to acting normally, eating, drinking, and doesn't have further diarrhea or vomiting, it's perfectly fine to continue monitoring him at home. However, if he remains lethargic, has more mucousy diarrhea, begins to vomit, or refuses to eat or drink normal amounts, then you should have him examined by his vet. Your vet will need to do a physical exam. Depending on their suspicions based on their exam findings, they may recommend some diagnostic testing or may opt to start him on some medications. Possible causes of this type of issue include stomach upset from a virus, intestinal parasites, among many other issues. If your vet finds that Wallace is dehydrated, they'll also be able to give him some fluids. I hope that he feels better soon!

Unfortunately, this is not normal behavior for a young puppy and is pretty concerning. At less than two months old, your puppy needs to eat regularly or he risks having low blood sugar, which can cause serious health problems. Vomiting is not typically caused by stress and all these signs make me worry about a more serious illness. Please have him seen by a veterinarian right away because his lack of appetite and vomiting are very serious.

I recommend getting him in to see your vet as soon as possible about the loss of appetite and diarrhea. Puppies that young can dehydrate easily and their blood sugar can drop quickly to life-threatening levels. The diarrhea could be caused by parasites, a bacterial or viral infection, or possibly swallowing something he shouldn't have, irritating the GI tract or, more seriously, getting stuck and causing an obstruction. The skin I'm less worried about, though that can be addressed at the same visit. Many puppies develop what is called puppy pyoderma, which is roughly equivalent to acne in humans. Most outgrow it and it rarely gets bad enough to require medication, but sometimes antibiotics and therapeutic bathing is needed to help them heal more quickly.

This sounds serious and I would recommend trying to see another veterinarian if possible. Once neonatal puppies start to decline for whatever reason things can progress rapidly, and often there is not much to do other than offer aggressive supportive care. I would be a little surprised if the umbilical cord incident was related, unless she has an infection that has led to sepsis. This puppy might need to be tube fed, and her blood sugar could be low.

Get some honey and smear it on his lips and gums and get him to a vet immediately. Small breed puppies can get low blood sugar very easily and if he does not have low blood sugar it won't hurt anything. Keep him warm and dry and get him to your vet now. He may need diagnostics and supportive care to help him recover.

Hi there! Sorry to hear that Gumbo is not feeling well. The clinical signs you describe are concerning when they occur in a puppy as they can be seen with serious gastrointestinal infections such as Parvovirus. Other possibilities include intestinal worms and dietary indiscretion, among other possibilities. The sooner these conditions are treated the better the outcome tends to be. For this reason, I recommend that you have Gumbo evaluated by your veterinarian to check for these possibilities and to start therapy based on findings. At the very least they can address dehydration if present and start him on medications to make him feel better. Good luck! Keeping my fingers crossed for your boy!