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Why are my 5-week-old puppies suddenly weak, shaking, and can't stand?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Fox Hound | Male | unneutered | 1lb

Hello, I have got a litter of hound puppies that will be 5 weeks old this coming Friday. All of them are experiencing this issue; some worse than others, but they are having trouble standing up and are shaking and very weak acting. They still eat and wag their tails but are having difficulty standing up and lifting their heads. It’s like they go in and out of it too. Sometimes it’s worse than others and sometimes they seem normal. This just started this weekend. What could it be?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on October 28th, 2018

If they are all experiencing this, I would be concerned it could be something contagious such as distemper or they may have gotten into something toxic. I think this is a medical emergency, and I feel they should all go to a vet immediately. Please take them into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. Best of luck.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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