I just got a 6 week old great dane puppy last saturday, so he's been with me for almost a week now. I understand now that he's pretty young to be taken away from his mother and littermates. I was misinformed by about 10 different people saying that it was ok and they had they're great dane puppies at around 5-6 weeks. Anyways all that being said, we've had crate training blunders over the past week which are slowly but surely starting to subside. I also have a 5 year old Golden Retriever who is finally starting to get used to him. Now the problem lies in the fact that he has diarrhea (which I attribute to his new food.) I had no way to get the food that his breeders were feeding him(Sam's club Complete Nutrition). Also he doesn't really eat very much. I feed him 3/4 cup of Eagle pack 3 times a day. He only eats about 1/4 cup of what I give him give or take. I don't force him of course but it seems like he's not really eating enough and he's only 9 pounds right now. Is he ok?
Yes, you need to get to the vet ASAP. Make sure it's not a more serious problem than upset tummy from going to a different food. If it is Parvo, it's very contagious. Hopefully your golden is up to date on shots.
Eagle Pack is an excellent food for him. Try putting a little bit of their transitional powder on top for a few days, it should help get him adjusted to it. Don't leave food out all the time, put his meal down, then pick up anything left over after 5-10 mins. Keep feeding him 3 x's per day to help prevent bloat.
My dane pup was 23 lbs at 7.5 weeks. Your being 9 lbs at 6 weeks is very worrisome. Get to the vet ASAP. Sounds like your breeder isn't very reputable, and so it wouldn't be surprising if the pup is sick.
Good luck!
PS- 6 weeks is way too young for any vaccinations. No dog should ever be vaccinated unless they're 100% healthy. Dane pups can have bad vaccine reactions. NEVER get a shot before 8 weeks, and ask the vet if you can get non-combo shots. Lepto shouldn't be given before 5 months, and rabies should be given at 6 months at the very earliest, later is better.
Check out www.greatdanelady.com, and Dr Jean Dodd's vaccine schedule for more info.
i would take him to the vet just to be sure
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Have you taken him to the vet at all yet? You **must** do that ASAP. Even without signs of illness, you *always* bring a new puppy straight to the vet's office, for a checkup and to set up a vaccination schedule. Keep the puppy hydrated and take him first thing in the morning. If he vomits at all or shows any other symptoms, get him to an emergency vet tonight.
This might not necessarily be an emergency (yet), his diarrhea and lack of appetite are probably symptomatic of nerves/anxiety that he is experiencing with the big change. Puppies can get dehydrated very easily (with diarrhea or vomitting), so if he's not into his water much either, break up some ice cubes into chips and have him munch on some of those. You can encourage him to eat by hand-feeding him, or softening his kibble with water. My puppy was on Eagle Pack and I found that the kibble was quite hard and difficult to break down, so that could be part of the problem.
Either way, please get him to a vet soon so that you can at least get him checked out and vaccinated.
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1/4 is a good amount ..
Sounds fine to me.
1/4 is the recommended amount for a 10pound dog (in most holistic foods)
You dog is having trouble with digestion .. dampen the food with water or broth .. (water is better) so that your dog has an easier time .. doesnt sound like he was properly weened.
***The most a vet will do is keep the dog overnight and tell you to dampen the food***
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Vet Asst.
I think that you need to take hime to the vet. There my be some other problems that need to be addressed.
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way small for a 6 wk. Dane puppy. i would get him to the vet. asap. he is a baby and can dehydrate very quickly. if it isn't the food he needs to be checked for Parvo. no he isn't ok so call the vet. good luck
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"The most a vet will do is say to dampen his food??" Not likely, not a good vet anyway.
It could be the change in food. It could be that he's unhealthy, has worms, has giardia, has parvo–any number of things. He needs to be checked by a vet right away. Even if it is the change in food, diarrhea can make a puppy dehydrate very quickly.
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have you taken him to the vet yet sounds like the rather common puppy problem called parvo. Time for a vet he needs to get started on shots anyway.
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He's pretty young so hes probably not eating very much right now and as he grows he will eat more, in the meantime if he doesn't eat it, pick it up and then put it down later on, he'll learn that he has to eat it when its given, rather than being a grazer, you control the food you control the poop. Has he been to the vets since you got him? He should have at least been seen by a vet for a health check to make sure that he doesn't have anything like worms etc. plus he needs his first round of shots.
Diarrhea can be dangerous in such a young puppy they can dehydrate fast and it can kill them. Take him to the vet, it might just be that you've changed his food too fast, I suggest feeding bland for a week to 10 days, white rice and a little boiled chicken to help balance out the bacteria in his stomach. If you can give him some non flavored pedialyte which will help settle his stomach. Check to make sure he's not dehydrated by pulling up on his skin at the scruff of his neck, if it snaps back rather quickly he's ok, if it goes down slowly then he's dehydrated.
In the meantime take to the vet so they can give him something to stop the diarrhea.
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A lot of practice with a Weimaraner that has a "very" sensitive stomach
He was weaned too young and the "breeders" were feeding him crappy food. Of course, if they're peddling puppies at 5-6 weeks old, they're only chasing the almighty dollar so will feed the cheapest crap they can find. The change in diet combined with being too young and being nervous is probably what's got his digestive tract screwed up.
Take your pup to the vet and get a veterinarian's opinion not only on his diarrhea (which can quickly be fatal to a young puppy), but also on what to feed him.
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Yes, you need to get to the vet ASAP. Make sure it's not a more serious problem than upset tummy from going to a different food. If it is Parvo, it's very contagious. Hopefully your golden is up to date on shots.
Eagle Pack is an excellent food for him. Try putting a little bit of their transitional powder on top for a few days, it should help get him adjusted to it. Don't leave food out all the time, put his meal down, then pick up anything left over after 5-10 mins. Keep feeding him 3 x's per day to help prevent bloat.
My dane pup was 23 lbs at 7.5 weeks. Your being 9 lbs at 6 weeks is very worrisome. Get to the vet ASAP. Sounds like your breeder isn't very reputable, and so it wouldn't be surprising if the pup is sick.
Good luck!
PS- 6 weeks is way too young for any vaccinations. No dog should ever be vaccinated unless they're 100% healthy. Dane pups can have bad vaccine reactions. NEVER get a shot before 8 weeks, and ask the vet if you can get non-combo shots. Lepto shouldn't be given before 5 months, and rabies should be given at 6 months at the very earliest, later is better.
Check out http://www.greatdanelady.com, and Dr Jean Dodd's vaccine schedule for more info.
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