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Weak pup with questionable palate issue.... Litter was born this am, 4 in the litter ranging from 3-4 ounces and one is 2 ounces. This little girl is not latching on at all that I can tell. I have tried to look at the palate but being so small it almost impossible to see in there. She has a strong cry and gets right up with the other 3. I put her on the nipple and push it in gently and she attempts to nurse but no suction at all. While trying to nurse she cries and pushes with her nose. So I have been tube feeding her today and will overnight. I will take her to the vet in the am. My question is for the experienced breeders. If she has cleft palate would you attempt to save this pup? Or would it be more humane to put her down? I have had 3 cleft pups in 10 years and 1 survived but has issues with drinking water and it needs to be thickened the other 2 got pneumonia and died at 5 days or so. Worse part is this one has a very strong will to nurse and mom is very attentive to her....:( |
What was the outcome at the vet? 3 clefts in 10 yrs is not enough information...how many pups are we talking about that have been born to your bitches? |
Just returned from the vet..no cleft no problems at all that the vet can detect. So what now? |
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So now that it is not a cleft why else would a pup not latch on... I use the whelping nest so the pup is nice and toasty warm but she is half the size of the other pups. Mom is 6.2 pounds and Dad is 4 pounds. Grandparents are all in the 5-7 pound range. |
Here is an interesting article that may help some. I have used the glucose recipe listed in paragraph 10 on several occasions when I have had very small pups but the pups were able to latch on their own. Your pups could have something else going on. Sometimes if the pup has a very small hole in the back of it's mouth it is hard to see. Will the pup nurse from a bottle? http://www.showpapillons.com/formula.htm Have you tried putting a little corn syrup on the moms nipple? Are the moms nipples too large for the pup to latch on to? I hope the little one starts to latch on and do well. Please keep us posted. |
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Once she plumps out a little and gets some vigor, she may be able to nurse. Best of luck. |
Glad the vet found no cleft.. When you have a cleft in a litter, it does not mean you can never breed the sire or dam, again..I would not breed them to each other..many defects never occur again when anotehr stud or dam is use..but I understand your actions. I would handfeed or tube the puppy until she is able to feed on her own...time will tell if she is healthy. I have had it go both ways... |
I am indeed using the goats milk (canned) mixed with Karo and water. She has maintained her weight actually gained a half an ounce...but her 3 sibs are growing like weeds. I just feel there is something wrong with her and cannot put a finger on it. Her face and top of her head just look different. I tried to explain this to the vet but she does not see lots of yorkie pups on a frequent basis. I have tube fed for years also. I am a vet tech and a nurse so I am quite comfortable with it thank goodness. I just do not want to see this tiny thing suffer. I hope I have the heart to take her and put her down if she starts down that slippery slope. I am already getting attached...:( |
Does she have a open fontanel? If her head is misshaped it is possible she could have water on the brain. Hopefully she just needs more time and will be just fine. It sounds like you are doing all you can for now. |
The fact that she's gaining is a positive sign. I would just take it a day at a time. There's just so little you can be sure of with a newborn. I've had little ones before that I've hand fed. Sometimes the progress is slow and they can look like little aliens compared to their littermates. It sounds like the others are thriving and your little one is being left behind , but sometimes they are just slow to take root and develop. Another thought is that she could be from an egg that was fertilized late and she could be a bit of a preemie compared to the others. There are just so many unknowns that all I would do is deal with what is presented to me and hope for the best. If there is something truly wrong, it will become apparent in time. Again, best of luck with her. It is beyond exhausting to provide the around-the-clock care such a baby needs but it sounds like you're doing a great job. |
She is still doing fine with the tube feeding and she attempts to nurse often. Momma is cleaning her so she has stayed with the bunch of em. The vet did not feel an open font...her face looks triangular is the best way to describe it. With her forehead and upper skull looking almost flat. I guess time will tell. It is a full time job and then some to feed around the clock for sure. I am exhausted and it has only been a few days. Like being a new mom with a newborn except I do not have to change the diapers...lol |
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I will always put my all in to saving any baby I bring into this world. Hope your baby is thriving and doing well !!! |
I am for sure putting my all into her:D. She is thriving and even gained more weight. She is now a whopping 3 ounces. Her littermates are 5-7 ounces but she is holding her own for now. I am keeping all my fingers and toes crossed for her. ;) |
:thumbup: |
Well so far so good. She is gaining slowly and is thriving quite well. She shoves her way right up to the nipples and attempts to nurse readily but just does not latch on. She "chews" on the nipple and even pushes with her paws and bobs her head like her littermates but without latching. Weirdest thing I have ever seen. So when I go in to tube feed her I let her attempt to nurse before and after feeding her. She is 3.8 ounces and is 1 week old today. Her littermates are all in the 6-9 ounce range. I plan on another visit to my vet next week after her eyes open if all goes well. Maybe at that point I will get some better clues on this little one. |
Time will tell...I had a boy literally forget how to nurse..after sucking well for 2 wks, he started licking it, making gestures to nurse, but kept falling off and then he would cry. I fed him for another 3 or 4 wks...he lived for 14 yrs...never figured out Julian's early problem. |
That is a great story and that is almost what I think with this little one. It is like she does not know to suck instead of chew. I push the nipple in and it feels like she is suckling but then falls right off. I will keep on feeding her and watching her grow. I just know I am getting quite attached;) |
Puppy update: Well little tiny Tia;) (aka puppy) is still thriving with tube feedings. Now at a little over 3 weeks she is taking steps, albeit tumbling over often and not quite steady. She is now 6 ounces and her eyes are open. I do not feel an open font on her but I do think she has a cleft in her soft tissue in the back. I tried a bottle and she was able to suck a little but the milk came out her nose. I took her to the vet and still we were unable to see a cleft... Now from the milk issue she has the beginnings of Pneumonia. She is on Clavamox and in my incubator with oxygen running for 3 days and is doing better. I have hopes that this little girl will make it. If she does, I will be looking for an awesome adoptive mom for her. I already have a special needs pup from a year ago litter and feel this little one needs a mom full time also...hoping I have the heart to adopt her out when the time comes also:( |
Thanks for the update. I'm glad she is doing better. I wish your little one the best and I'm sure you will find her an awesome home where she will be someone's little 'princess'. |
Please post a pic..been some time since I have seen one so wee at 3 wks. Best wishes... |
1 Attachment(s) Hope this works...not very picture savvy K it works.. This is her after tube feeding because she still needs to suck...just sucks the air and gets it in her belly if I dont let her suck on a fingers... One more pic coming.... |
2 Attachment(s) She looks like a little bear when she is sleeping.. |
She needs a Binky! Adorable! |
So tiny..bless her heart... |
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I have tried using the nipple from a bottle (tiny kitten one) but she just gets frustrated. I am trying to put up a video of her walking very shaky it is so cute. |
What a doll she is and I pray she thrives for you! I raised a cleft baby in 2006 and her cleft was in her soft palet as well. I was able to bottle feed her and was blessed that she never got ill. She still thrives today at 4 years old and I didn't have her repaired. She is a spit fire! her jounney is here on YT, as I actually found YT when I was looking for help for her. Altho she is a Chi. MANY MANY ups and downs and MANY steps backwards (as well as many tears) but we pulled through. Best wishes to you and your little one! |
Thank you!:D I am sure sleepy all the time, just like when I had my 4 skinkids all in 3 years:eek:. She is doing great this am. She is roaming all around and sounds just like a newborn kitten. :) |
Final Update: I took Tia into the vet on the 2nd. She had been slowly gaining weight and had started on puppy mush 3 days prior. She was hungry all the time, had most of her teeth and had made it to 7 weeks so I figured she could start the mush. She inhaled it and kept sucking like she was trying to nurse. Long story short she ended up with pneumonia. I had her in the incubator and the vet had started her on antibiotics. But she was too tiny and the pneumonia had taken a strong hold. She was struggling to breathe and it broke my heart. So we went back to the vet and she suggested to put her to sleep. She agreed that she was so tiny and was suffering at that point. She also pointed out that her head was an odd shape (I have said that a few times that she looked like a squirrel in the face) and that there may be other issues underlaying. So Tia went over the Rainbow Bridge and is living life as a "BIG" dog now. I still wake up each night and panic that I missed the alarm to feed her. She is missed by the whole family but I know that she is at least not suffering anymore:( |
I am so sorry you lost your little girl. I know you did all you could to save her but sometimes it is just not meant to be. |
I\'m so sorry you lost your little puppy girl. RIP sweet baby. |
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