6 day old puppy is lathargic and not moving much.

by julie
(port orchard, wa)

The puppy was whining like the others occasionally do but it went on for about 1-2 hours. I finally went to see why it was whining and noticed it was not nursing at all.

I tried to make him nurse but he only cried. I finally fed him with a dropper. He is not whining as much not now but still lethargic and weak. What should I do, I can't afford a vet.



Hi Julie
It's impossible for me to tell what is wrong with your puppy I'm afraid, very young pups like this are very vulnerable and can get very sick, very fast.

If he's crying and lethargic and not nursing, then this little guy is in serious trouble. I know that veterinary care is expensive, but you need a professional opinion here.

You can try to bottle feed pups who won't nurse, but if he's weak and lethargic chances are he won't be able to suck strongly enough. He also needs to be kept warm, as if he gets chilled it will make the whole situation worse.

Check out my New Born Puppies page for general tips and advice on taking care of orphaned or rejected pups, but you need to have this puppy seen by a veterinarian just as soon as possible.

Best of luck, I hope he makes it.