| Howdy.....I live in Gaffney and would take Chloe IN A MINUTE!!!!!
When I first went to see Lil Bit she was 11 weeks old and only weighed 13 ounces. She felt really scrawny and boney....but was wildly active...very active, licking my face and all!
I am not sure of some of the feeding issues..the breeder just said she didn't seem to grow like the others. Over the next 2 weeks the breeder 'tweaked' her food and she gained a little bit of weight and I brought her home. At 3 months (when I got her) she only weighed 1 pound!!!
I am also a Peds nurse and agree with Gypsy Rose...there could be a defect with the esophagus.....it could not be a blind pouch defect because she would never have survived this long.....she is obviously getting something in her tummy. If she has "stenosis" ( a tight narrowing of a band in the esophagus) she would be vomiting frequently....and the vomiting gets worse and worse as time goes on....on infants I can 'feel' a small, firm knot in the upper abdomen....kind of like an olive.....usually by 6-8 weeks of age a simple surgery is done to loosen the band.
I do know when infants feed too fast they quickly throw up....just too much for their tummies to take all at once.....maybe you can try feeding small amounts and a 'burping' motion....or hold her upright to let the air come to the top of her tummy......and position is important! If she has her neck arched TOO far she may be causing herself to gag and/or choke a bit.
Another thing I do with 'spitters' is to "thicken" the formula....that is where the idea of having her lick the pureed baby food sounds like a great idea!
Aspiration will not necessarily kill the puppy immediately....but it can lead to pneumonia if bad enough...but I know infants can aspirate a small amount and a good coughing spell will clear their lungs....actually, preemie infants tend to 'choke' often and tend to deal with it on their own if in the proper position (which is why I struggle with the instructions to have infants sleep on their backs!!).
Lil Bit sounded really wet ....like a bad cold......for weeks after I got her.
Sorry if I have rambled on and on......she looks great from the photos and I may have to ride to Charlotte one day and visit with you all.....just a short ride up I-85......less than one hour!
If you re-consider letting her go...remember me!!!!!!
P.S. Lil Bit is soon to be 6 months old (5-2-05) and weighs 3 pounds 7 ounces when I weighed her yesterday...and still a big ball of furry energy!!! I can bring my infant scales and weigh them if ya want!!!! |