Puppy walking like she's drunk!

by Rebecca NSW

Hi, I purchased an 8 week old Pomeranian X Shiztu today. When we got her home after traveling in the car, she was walking like she was drunk! Her back legs seemed to not be working properly and her hips seemed out of place. She is very unbalanced and topples over every couple of minutes.

After an hour, she was still off-balanced.

Her mother died while giving birth and the owner had to raise the pups since they were first born. Our puppy was also harassed by her sister and was the "runt" of the litter.

I am just wondering whether this is due to traveling in the car? Is it because she was harassed by her sister, who has made her sick? Or is this an illness she has had since they day she was born?

Your most immediate response would be much appreciated! :)



Hi Rebecca
I would strongly suggest that you have your puppy examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible. You need to know what health issues you may be dealing with.

If the breeder you bought her from is a responsible one, he/she should have given you a full 'medical history' and, if there are any inherent problems, filled you in. No responsible breeder sells a sick puppy. Did your pup act this way when you observed her BEFORE taking her home?

If not, it's possible the stress of the car journey is at least partly responsible. Being harassed by siblings can't cause illness, but it can make a puppy very submissive and nervous (or sometimes the opposite).

You say she's the 'runt'. That isn't always significant as many times the smallest puppy grows to be larger than some of the ones who were bigger at birth. But sometimes, being the runt also means the puppy is overly weak and has health problems which cause growth and development issues. This is another possibility with your puppy.

Small and toy breed dogs also tend to suffer from hypoglycemia (where they can't regulate their blood sugars properly), and a drop in blood sugar can cause dizziness, disorientation and so on. If it's severe, or long lasting, seizures can result, possibly being fatal. Your pups 'drunk walking' style could maybe be related to this.

Giving your pup a little karo syrup in her water, or rubbed on her gums, raises blood sugar and may help.

However, I definitely wouldn't recommend home measures, or a 'wait and see' attitude with this puppy, she needs a veterinary evaluation right away.

Best of luck with her, hope your story has a happy ending.