Hi, OP. I raised a cleftie from day five, after his breeder was advised to put him down. I took him, and now, after nearly a year, he is healthy and strong, at over 6 pounds. It can be done, but it takes a LOT of work and determination. If I wasn't a stay-at-home Mom, I would never have succeeded. I was feeding every 1-3 hours, and almost lost him many times.
But hopefully, you aren't dealing with a cleft.
Try to make sure your pup gets time alone with mother. Also, weigh before and after each feeding. He could be filling up with air, so his belly will look and feel full, but his weight won't increase much.
A cleft won't always be visible, due to the small size of the mouth. Zaccheus' cleft was only a pin-hole size, and we were only guessing that was his problem, until he was older, and we could get a scope in his mouth to get a better look.
PM me if you have any questions.
__________________ Cricket  and Zaccheus' human |