Oh, wow! You've taken on a lot with this pup. This pup is not a baby dog but an INFANT dog. She has only had her feet under her for a little more than a week and is nowhere near ready to be placed in anyone's home.
Good thing she's eating well so far. Since toy breeds typically nurse for 7 to 8 weeks, I'd suggest using goat's milk instead of water to soften the food. You can find it in most grocery stores alongside the evaporated milk. It comes in a can and should be diluted with equal parts water. Serve at room temp or you can warm it to about body temp (which I would do). A little karo added in would be helpful. She should be fed 5 times daily at regular intervals at this age. That doesn't mean putting the food down, but making sure she actually eats.
Needless to say, this baby cannot be left alone at this time. She should be kept in a confined area, such as an x-pen, and not left to run the whole house. When she is out, she should not be allowed to play hard for more than a few minutes at a time. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) can happen if the baby plays too hard or doesn't eat enough or any combination of those things and can be deadly in a very short amount of time.
So much more for you to know, but keeping this baby safe and ensuring its survival are your top priorities for now. She is an infant...I can't stress that enough. Make sure she eats regularly, absolutely limit her playtime and don't give her run of the house. Also, she has not been vaccinated yet so no going outside at all. Viruses can be both in the ground and airborne. She has no defenses for this so must be kept inside until her 2nd round of shots (usually at 12 weeks...first round at 8 weeks). Even then only take her out into your own yard and wait until she has been fully vaccinated to take her away from the house.
This is by no means a complete list of things, but should help you to at least keep her going for right now. Watch her like a hawk...especially for signs of lethargy, spaciness, wobbly on her feet, drooling or head bobbing. These are all signs of hypoglycemia, which is probably your most immediate worry. Get a tube of Nutri-Cal to keep on hand for this, but karo syrup will do if need be. Of course, if you see any signs of this, get her in to a vet right away. They can go downhill hill extremely fast. The Nutri-Cal or syrup could be given before you leave for the vet's. It will help at least somewhat until you get there. The best thing is to not have this happen, though, and the best prevention is making sure she eats right and limit playtime.
I know I'm repeating myself, but it is to stress just how important these things are at this time. It will be a little while yet before you can enjoy her as the pup you likely expected.
It may be difficult with the holiday weekend to see your vet until Tuesday. Just keep her warm, safe and fed until then and take her in for a wellness check. Don't hesitate to use an emergency vet if the need arises before then.
Best of luck. |