Important Puppy Info

    Important Feeding Instructions   

It is my desire to stress to you the importance of the care that your puppy needs.  Small puppies can die quickly from not eating properly.  If you cannot meet the needs of this puppy due to your work schedule or any other reason or if you cannot have someone else watch over it while you are away, you should not purchase this puppy.

If you have already purchased a puppy, you have already invested a considerable amount of money in it.  Please take it immediately to your vet for a check-up.  Your vet should be able to tell you specific information about your puppy to help keep it healthy.  Please don't delay this vet check-up as it is required in the warranty that you receive from me.

Very tiny puppies cannot be left alone all day without someone making sure that they are eating enough.  Your puppy has been eating Diamond Naturals Small Breed Puppy Food.  However, after the stress of moving to a new home and new owners and leaving their litter mates, your puppy may not have much of a desire to eat its food alone.  Please do not attempt to change your puppy's food for the first couple of weeks. After that time, if you decide to change to a new brand of food, please do so slowly by mixing a little of the new food into the old food and then increasing the new food a little more every 3 days until you have made the change 100%. You should leave dry food and water available at all times.  After the first few weeks, you will want to schedule feedings to help with the potty training.  Even though your puppy has been eating dry food, if he or she seems finicky and does not eat enough dry food, you should mix hot water in a small amount of dry kibble and let it soak and cool.  Offer this and see if the puppy will eat it.  If not, you can try adding a small amount of the Diamond Naturals canned food to it.  If this still doesn't get the puppy to eat, you can mix about a teaspoon of the Diamond Naturals canned food with a tablespoon dry food and see if they like that better.  The important thing is that the puppy eat something on a regular basis. You should do this every  3 or 4 hours.  Once you see how much your puppy is eating at each feeding, you will be able to adjust the amount that you are preparing. After the first couple of weeks, once your puppy has adjusted to its new home, new people and new schedule he or she should be a better eater.  Please watch your puppy carefully and don't take any chances with underfeeding.  The extra precaution will be worth it when you have a happy, healthy puppy.

For very tiny puppies, you may need to mix a little clear corn syrup in their drinking water.  Don't mix so much that it makes the water nasty, but just enough so that your puppy is getting a little sugar each time it drinks.

Please buy a tube of Nutrical or Nutristat and keep on hand at all times. (Most veterinarians carry this. Petsmart carries a similar brand, It is called  GNC High Calorie Booster. ) It has protein, vitamins and sugar in it to help keep finicky eaters nourished and their blood sugar level if they are not eating well or if they are stressed.  When following the feeding schedule above, anytime your puppy isn’t eating enough, please squeeze about an inch of this gel on your finger and give to the puppy. Repeat this about every 3 – 4 hours until puppy is eating plenty of food.  Even while giving the nutrical, please continue to work with the puppy to entice him or her to eat. I have also replaced their drinking water with unflavored Pedialyte (or a generic brand) during times when they are not eating well.  It helps to put the electrolytes into their system.  Also, if the puppy will be home alone for a few hours, you may want to give some nutrical before you leave so that he or she will be ready to eat when you get home.

It is also important to keep your small puppy warm enough in cool weather.  They are very small and cannot handle the cold temperatures as we can.  Please keep your puppy warm and away from constant drafts.  You can buy puppy sweaters at most pet stores and a sweater may help keep your puppy warm. In summer, don't leave your puppy exposed to the heat for too long.  It is dangerous to leave your pet in the car in summer.  Even with the windows rolled down a bit, the temperature in the car can climb to dangerous levels quickly.

                                    Vaccinations

A word about your puppy’s vaccinations: Your puppy has been vaccinated every 2 – 3 weeks starting at 6 weeks of age.  However, no puppy is safe from puppy diseases until it has completed the full series of puppy vaccinations. You should not take your puppy to areas where other dogs have been.  We do not recommend putting them on the ground in public areas until they are fully vaccinated.  If you take your puppy to the vet, pet store, park, etc, you should carry them in your arms so that they don’t come in contact with other dog waste or where other dogs have walked.  Even though your puppy has had 2 or more shots before leaving our home, you are not guaranteed immunity until all vaccinations have been given.  They get immunity from Mom while nursing as a newborn and we give the shots at 2 – 3 week intervals to catch the time when Mom’s immunity wears off and puppy can build its own immunity.

Until your dog is fully protected by vaccination, your puppy should:

• not be allowed to mix with dogs of unknown vaccination status
• not be taken to parks or walked in other areas that other dogs have fouled
• be taken out as much as possible in non-doggy areas, and can be carried if necessary to avoid unwanted contact from other dogs or soiled areas

2 weeks after your puppy has completed the full series of puppy vaccines, it should be protected against disease and it should be safe to take them with you everywhere you go.  You can always ask your vet for his opinion of when your puppy is safe from disease.

                                                              Other Warnings

I would like to warn you about some dangerous situations for small dogs.  These warnings come from my own experience and the experience of others who have called me heartbroken.  

1. When in the car, please don't let your dog ride with his head hanging out of the window.  Even if it is in your lap, your dog could fall, jump, or be sucked out of the window by the air current when passing another vehicle.  
   
2. Please be very careful about having your puppy or small dog around large breed dogs.  Some may be vicious and attack the smaller dog, but also they can hurt them unintentionally while playing.  My vet sees small dogs that have been harmed or killed by large dogs often.  
   
3. Please only allow your dog off of the leash while in a safe fenced area.  Many small dogs are hit and killed by cars.  It could even happen in your own driveway.  
4. Never allow your small puppy the run of the whole house until they are at least 5 or 6 months old.  They tire easily and may lose track of where their food is.  This could lead to hypoglycemia or death.

Your puppy is like a newborn baby.  You should allow it to sleep whenever it needs to.   Some small puppies need 20 out of 24 hours to rest. Don't ever wake your puppy up to play.  It will wake up when it has had enough rest.  When you do play with your puppy, limit the amount of time because your puppy will play until it is too tired to eat.  It is your responsibility to be sure that your puppy gets enough to eat and enough time to sleep and rest just as you would need to care for a baby.

The toy breed puppy is frequently a high maintenance project. This is not a living stuffed animal; this is a live creature with a handicap. You may need to feed this animal 4-6 times daily. Soft puppy foods are often needed as these puppies may not be able to eat hard food. They need extra warmth and it is important that you hook up with your veterinarian for a “well-baby” check up promptly.

Puppies of this size do not tolerate fleas. They are simply too small to have any blood to give away to blood sucking parasites. They need to be adequately dewormed and checked over for any signs of infectious disease. Diarrhea is common for puppies but a very tiny puppy cannot withstand the dehydration that accompanies diarrhea.

A toy breed puppy is a project more so than any other type of puppy. If this is more than you bargained for, you may want to get an adult toy breed dog or older puppy or even another type of dog.

PREVENTING PROBLEMS

Remember how sensitive to problems these puppies are so if your puppy is coughing, has diarrhea, is vomiting, appetite loss (especially appetite loss!) or seems listless waste no time in seeing the vet.

Be sure your puppy is eating well. If possible, look in your puppy’s mouth and see if there are teeth present. In particular look for the molars and premolars along the sides of the mouth. These are teeth needed for chewing and they may come in late. This will not stop your puppy from lapping up soft food. Be sure the food you are using is soft enough and that your puppy will reliably eat it.

Nutrical:  This product is frequently recommended by both veterinarians and breeders for use in toy breed puppies. It consists basically of a malt-flavored paste with protein, sugar and vitamins. Some puppies will readily lap it off fingers and others will only take it if it is smeared on the roof of the mouth. If a puppy seems listless, the first thing to do is attempt feeding. If the puppy will not eat, a finger tip of Nutrical may make all the difference.

                      **HYPOGLYCEMIA**

Information About Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar) In Toy Breeds

Transient Juvenile Hypoglycemia, which is brought on by fasting, is common in Toy Breeds and usually seen in puppies 5 to 16 weeks of age. Stress, low body temperature, poor nutrition, sudden change in feed, water and schedule patterns and infections may precipitate the onset of hypoglycemia. Some puppies, bred exclusively for tiny size are even more predisposed to Transient Juvenile Hypoglycemia since insufficient muscle mass may make it difficult for the body to store the glucose and keep its blood sugar properly regulated.

Potentially, hypoglycemia is an emergency. The puppy may appear lethargic, depressed, listless, drowsy,  disoriented and uncoordinated. In an extreme case, the puppy will become cold, will lose consciousness and begin to have seizures. 

Frequent feeding of a high-energy, protein-rich diet to puppies may prevent toy-breed puppies from developing hypoglycemia and may help them to overcome periods with a decreased intake of energy. 

Puppies and dogs can develop severe hypoglycemia after consuming sugar-free gum sweetened with the sugar-alcohol xylitol. In humans, xylitol has little to no effect on plasma insulin or glucose levels, but in dogs xylitol is a strong promoter of insulin release and can cause severe hypoglycemia with collapse and seizures. With the increased appearance of xylitol-sweetened products in the US, xylitol toxicosis in dogs may become more common. Sometimes, a dog will outgrow this condition.

These are general guidelines for treating hypoglycemia. Ask your vet for information that is specific to your pet.

• Mild hypoglycemia: Dogs in the initial stages of hypoglycemia suffer from extreme lethargy and a lack of energy because of the shortage of energy-producing sugars in the body. Shivering and trembling often follows the sluggishness, as the body attempts to heat itself and avoid going into shock. You can often treat it by immediately feeding the pet some of its regular food. The blood glucose raising effects of the food may be enough to counteract the hypoglycemia. If your pet refuses its regular food, give it some nutrical and then try offering a food it really enjoys or some treats. Any food is probably ok in this situation. Your main concern is to get the blood glucose up and to eliminate the signs of hypoglycemia. You need to observe your pet for several hours to make sure the hypoglycemia does not happen again.
• Moderate hypoglycemia:   If your dog's glucose levels continue to drop, its pupils may become dilated and it may have trouble with its vision, appearing suddenly blind. Hypoglycemic dogs often have difficulty moving, show poor coordination and may begin to stagger and walk in circles. Your dog can become disoriented and restless (acting "drunk"), and demonstrate strange head and neck movements. Some affected animals begin urgently barking due to anxiety.  Nutrical or corn syrup should be given, either alone, or combined with food. Syrup can be mixed in with wet food or drizzled over dry food. The syrup will help bring the blood glucose up quickly, and the food will help keep the blood glucose elevated for a longer period of time. Small dogs should be given about 1-2 tablespoons, or larger dogs should get 0.25-0.5 mL per pound of body weight. You need to observe your pet for several hours to make sure the hypoglycemia does not happen again. The blood glucose raising effects of the syrup will last only for a short time. If the hypoglycemia is severe, the effects of the syrup will wear off and the the hypoglycemia may come back. Continue observing your pet, and give syrup or syrup and food as needed.
• Severe hypoglycemia:    If left untreated, uncontrolled hypoglycemia causes animals to convulse and "seize" due to lack of glucose in the brain. Your dog may lapse into a coma and begin to have difficulty breathing. Lowered heart rate and organ failure will lead to death without immediate veterinary intervention. If your pet is severely hypoglycemic, especially if it is having seizures or unconscious, you must give nutrical or corn syrup immediately. Carefully rub small amounts of syrup on the cheeks and gums. Do not put a lot of liquid in the pet's mouth, and be sure the pet does not choke. The pet does not have to swallow the syrup, but it will absorb through the gums. Do not stick your fingers inside the teeth of a seizuring pet, you may get bitten. Once you've done this, call the vet. If you can not contact your vet, call any vet and get additional instructions. Your pet will probably have to go to the vet immediately.

In the hospital, the puppy will be warmed and blood sugar level checked. If intravenous access is possible, dextrose will be infused directly into the blood stream.  Response is generally rapid once sugar  is supplied in this way and a sugar drip or regular sugar injections will be continued.  But the puppy has to reliably eat before it can go home. Anticipate the need for 24 hour care and expect a few days of care.

When your puppy comes home again after a hypoglycemic episode, it is important to watch food intake and be aware of any changes in energy level. As the puppy gets bigger, risk factors diminish. Teeth get stronger, body fat stores develop, and the immune system matures. Eventually, hypoglycemia risks become minimal and the puppy can continue life as any other puppy, playing, chewing things up, and learning the behavior control necessary to be a good house pet.

           

                                          EXTRAS

Because so many people call back and ask, I wanted to include this info.  The wonderful scent on your puppy when you received it was Four Paws Pet Cologne in the black can. 
We purchase this at Chewy