Sickly new puppy

by Christy
(Tennessee)

I got a new "Doxie-Poo" for mothers day. She is @ 6 weeks old today. I took her for her first shots, but she had worms and they wouldn't give her the shots until she recovered from the worms.

She's now finished the 5 day round of worm med's but is not "acting" any better. She's lethargic, unbalanced (falls every time she tries to walk and loses her balance just sitting and drinking water out of her bowl), no appetite, whiny, has moments when she sits and "shivers" or "jerks", and simply wants to be held (she sits at my feet and paws at my leg until I pick her up and the immediately goes to sleep), she also carries this strong odor about her (no matter how much bathing or cleaning we do to her).

I loved her instantly the first time I saw her... I am beside myself in desire to help her and get her well. What could this be? (I do have an appointment with the vet for later today... in the mean time I am just so worried about her I was hoping to find some reassurance from somewhere)


Hi Christy
I'm sorry to hear your puppy is having problems! She is very young and must have left her momma way too early, which could be part of the problem. Puppies are barely weaned by 5 weeks of age (if at all) and need to stay in their canine family until they're at least 8 weeks old.

That's probably one of the reasons your puppy is so whiny and needy. She's an infant who is craving the warmth and closeness of her mom and siblings. She falls asleep in your lap because it's the only place she feels secure.

The majority of puppies have worms, and are de-wormed routinely from the age of about 3 weeks old. This medicine can occasionally have side effects and leave a pup feeling a bit unwell, but untreated worms are much more dangerous to your pups health so it's important to follow the program.

I'm not sure about the balance problem, if she's not eating properly, it's possible that she's having periods of low blood sugar levels, these are not uncommon in small breeds. It can make a puppy weak, and cause them to stagger and lose balance, even have seizures if it's severe. Feeding little and often, and rubbing a little Karo syrup on their gums if problems arise, can keep this under control.

I can't be certain about the odor either I'm afraid. All puppies have a certain 'puppy smell' which some people love, and others hate! I'm not sure if it's just this, or something more. Puppies with worms sometimes seem to smell more than others. Excessive odor could also be a symptom of a fungal infection or thyroid problems.

I'm glad you have an appointment with the vet today as I think only they can really tell you what's going on with your puppy. Tell them everything that you notice about her behavior so that they can make an accurate assessment of her health. I really don't think this is anything major to be really concerned about, but it's important for her to have a thorough check-up so that any problems can be taken care of.

Best of luck with her!