My puppy scoots, has tear stains, and paws his face. Is he healthy?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Scooting can be a sign of a few things. The first would be tapeworms. I know the stool check was negative but these parasites are hard to pick up during that test. When they try to come out of the colon they can be itchy and cause the pup to scoot. The second problem is full or impacted anal glands. Not common in puppies, but the sacs inside the rectum will fill and it express normally when the puppy defecates. The last possibility is just using the scoot as a means to wipe the but if it's dirty after defecating. For all of these I would recommend a dewormer from the vet for tapeworms, have the vet check the anal glands for issues, and have a groomer trim the hairs around the rectum if the pup has long fur. As for hiccups, all puppies have hiccups and as long as there are no medical problems, it is not concerning and will go away when Oliver gets older. The retching is not normal. An empty stomach could cause this. But it could also eat too fast, be sensitive to the dog food, have an esophagus problem, or have a foreign body. For now I would feed Oliver 3 times a day. If the retching continues, I recommend an X-ray of his chest and abdomen to rule out esophagus or GI problems. I hope this clarifies things! Good luck and kisses to Oliver!

Hello. I would not say that weepy eyes are normal for any puppy. It is a little difficult to say from the photo, but I get the impression that there is a little inflammation in the skin around the eyes, & maybe even a little hair loss. In puppies, this could just be a mild infection, or even the presence of demodectic mange. A simple skin scrape can determine if this is mange, & it is generally pretty easy to clear up. If this is the puppy you have your heart set on, then have the breeder take him to their veterinarian with the stipulation that all clinical notes are sent to your veterinarian. If this is not possible, then I would make some arrangement to take your new puppy to your veterinarian within a day or so of you obtaining him. You can discuss if anything is found, how much the breeder might compensate you for the cost of the puppy, if you like. Otherwise, he is a beautiful puppy! Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Congrats on your new addition. Intestinal parasites (worms) are common in puppies. They can get them from other pups, the environment or even directly from mom. Since he is new to you, have Archie physically examined by your veterinarian within 72 hours of arriving home to confirm good health or to diagnose and treat any pre-existing conditions. Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites. He may need to be dewormed now and in 2 weeks. A third deworming in 4 weeks may completely clear any infection. Once he is feeling better, he can begin or resume his vaccinations.

He looks pretty cute! It's hard to guess a puppy's breed from a couple pictures. It does look like he needs some care. His big belly may be caused by intestinal parasites, and he may have an infection or mange on his face (I can't see clearly). His coat is a little dull, but I am sure that would be a glossy brown after a few weeks of a good puppy food and a bath. I would recommend that you take him to the vet for a good checkup. They can test him for intestinal parasites and check for mange. They can also get him started on proper vaccinations to protect him against common puppy diseases.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. At 11 weeks of age, and already having these issues, I strongly suggest you take Ares to your vet for an exam. He should be due for a round of vaccines about this time (11-12 weeks of age) so you you should be taking him to the vet anyway. Have them check the ears. He could have ear mites, he could have an ear infection or he could have allergies. I suggest you try to figure this out before it gets out of hand. As for the worms, do you what kind they are? Not every dewormer treats for every type of worm so again, he should see the vet. They need do a fecal test to see what types of worms are actually present so Ares can get the appropriate treatment. Usually you don't even see the worms (only the worm eggs which are microscopic are in the feces). If you are seeing the actual worms then he must have a heavy worm burden. Leaving worms untreated (or treated incorrectly) can lead to an deadly worm impaction (blockage) in the intestines and worms can also lead to a life-threatening anemia as they are blood suckers. Really, it is best to get him checked out by your vet. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

It sounds like your puppy is quite sick with worms and ectoparasites. This alone can make it sad, thin and ill, and can even kill it if not treated. Your vet will advise you on flea control (ask about it!) and will deworm your puppy. Apparently the breeder did not do a good job raising this puppy.

The staining under the eye indicates either that there is a mild eye condition (i.e. infection), or that the tears are not draining properly. In order to find out what it is and correct it, a vet would need to evaluate Shiva and see what the problem is. It's definitely possible that this can be cleared-up once the proper diagnosis is made. The hair coat does not appear especially scraggly to me, but if it is rough or sparse appearing, then it could indicate a nutritional deficiency or possibly some other condition affecting another organ system. As long as you are feeding formulated puppy food, the nutrition should be adequate. Otherwise, you would need to take her to the vet for an exam, so they can help identify the problem. I hope that helps and Shiva gets better soon.