Quote:
Originally Posted by MauiGirl  In most states it is illegal to sell a pup that young, but since you have found yourself in the situation you might need some advice that was given to another person who was getting a pup too young recently. I copied this from post #41 (not my words) of the thread http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/tra...ld-yorkie.html Quote:I think getting the puppy at six weeks is the biggest mistake you can make, but.......if you are going to go ahead with it here are some things you must do.
1.) Find someone to watch the puppy at least the first 4 weeks of it's life while you work. It CAN NOT stay home alone, period. Either check with your boss about bringing it to work with you or aggessively seek someone to care for it during the day for you.
2.) When you get home, plan to stay home with you puppy every minute that you can. That means no going out, no shopping, no anything where you must leave the puppy unattended. Yorkies that young can and will die from low blood sugar.
3.) Purchase Puppycal/Nutrical now. You will need it to give you puppy to help prevent low blood sugar. Also purchase a can of replacement puppy formula to add to the softened food in the event that your puppy is having trouble adjusting to the food.
4.) Plan on and be prepared to hand feed your puppy every bite of food it eats. Be prepared to monitor the amount of food it gets at each meal and be prepared to feed it at least every 2-3 hours. You will likely also have to teach it to drink water. For me this involved putting my fingers in the water bowl and allowing the puppy to drink off of my fingers until she got the hang of drinking water.
5.) Purchase a heating pad. Your puppy is unable to maintain its body temperature at that age and will have to be given a warming source to cuddle on to keep warm.
6.) Be prepared to isolate it from ALL visitors. Its immune system will be weakened by leaving it's mother so young. Many diseases can be transmitted to your puppy on the clothes and shoes of visitors.
7.) Set your alarm clock every 2-3 hours during the night to feed and check on your puppy. Hypoglycemia can kill a puppy that young in a very, very short period of time.
8.)Have enough money set aside to pay for emergency vet visits. A minimum of $500. Most problems occur after regular vets are closed and ER vets are very expensive. They will not see you dog no matter how sick it is unless you are able to pay for the visit up front. Plan on weekly visit's the the vet to ensure that the puppy is gaining weight appropriately.
9.) Be prepared to clean up after your puppy frequently. Most often puppies that young are learning how to use the bathroom correctly from Mom. You will have to make sure it is using the bathroom and clean them often as they are unable to clean themselves. Keep baby wet wipes handy for this. Potty training will be a LONG process. Potty training most puppies takes a minimum of 6 months and sometimes as long as a year. My 5 month old Davinci is only half way there and he is being raised with his mother to help train him.
10.) Good luck with your puppy. I pray with all my heart that things turn out well for you and it. |
Great post!!
I just want to mention real quick, nutrical does come in handy when your pup isn't eating well or seems lethargic. However it should not be given on a regular basis as this will cause more problems and can actually mess up the blood sugar.
Again it is great to use when you need to but do not use it every day!!
Oh and just a quick fyi, at 8 weeks old the puppy will need his first set of shots. No sooner as it will be ineffective. Don't let your vet vaccinate until he is 8 weeks old.
You've got a long road ahead of you. This pup will need more socializing and training than most once old enough (fully vaccinated) as pups learn all these important things from being with their momma and their litter mates.
For now you've a lot of great advice to start with and you should be fine if you stick to it.
Good luck and give that sweet puppy a kiss for me!!