concerns with 3 week old boxer pup

[hopeandted]

I have a 3 week old boxer puppy that I have been bottle feeding since she was about 1 week old. She was not gaining weight, dehydrated and very weak. Her mother had 10 puppies and this one was the runt. She was always left in the corner of the pen uncared for and unable to fight the other pups for a nipple to nurse on. Things did not look good for her at first. She has impoved 100 percent and appears to be thriving now, but I have a few concerns. She constantly opens her mouth as if she is has to yawn, but she kinda half yawns and gags. Also she only appears to be comfortable when she has her neck hyperexteded or at least propped up on top of something. She also has some discharge in her eyes that is getting much better with cleaning and warm compresses. Her overall apearance and behavior appear to be doing great. Does this sound like normal puppy behavior or is it cause for concern.

[Trace]

Have they had their well puppy check yet?

[GretaJack]

Vet check is definitely in order. The sad thing about a runt is that their survival rates are less. And they are usually runts for a reason--health issues. I hope everything works out well for this girl. After all the hard work!

[hopeandted]

Yes all the pups have been to vet. They had their tails and ears done when they were about 1 week old and they were wormed this week. The runt had some diarea and was on antibiotics until a few days ago. Her diarea has subsided. The vets says as long she is gaining weight and is not crying obsessively then she is probably ok. The vet is due to see them all again in a few weeks for their shots. I am using this board as another means of opinion. I am hoping to find someone who has had hands on experience hand rearing boxer pups who may have had these same symptoms. I have went to my vet for about 15 years and I do trust him, but sometimes experience speaks louder then expertise!
Thanks for you input.

[GretaJack]

I know that tails are done early, but I never knew that ears were done that early. Learn something new everyday. I am a lab owner so I can't help you there. How I would judge is, as far as the neck needing to be hypertended , are the other puppies doing this? Or have they ever done this, being that she is probably slow in development due to her start. If not, I would not consider it normal and will seek professional consultation. As far as the discharge from the eyes, I would think that the antibiotics would have helped that because that sound most likely an eye infection of some sort.

Sgour has and breeds boxers, but I haven't see her on her in a long time. You might want to try to PM her and she if you get a response.

[eXile]

How did you get a hold of a 1 week puppy? thats WAY to young to have a pup. But i was assuming there was a problem with something, somewhere.

Like all posts, get a vet checked. I dont think anything is wrong but i would get it checked considering none of us here are vets cept for lou3.

[GretaJack]

eXile- I believe she is the owner of the female with the litter

[erdog3]

Definately cause for concern, as stated, the pup that stays in the corner and fails to suckle normally has something wrong with them and is there for a reason.

Many good intentions can come from us humans trying to save the poor blighters, but only to have them die at around 3 weeks, it is sometimes referred to fading puppy syndrome.

Sounds like you got some milk on the lungs, when the keep opening and closing their mouths it's to get oxygen. Sorry to say, but this pup will probably die.
No I wouldn't bother with the vets, just let nature take it's course, which was supposed to be in the first place.

Quite often these pups even though you may get them to survive, have problems after, bad hearts etc.

[RiverKayleesMuM]

Well we have had one litter of dashchund puppies and one wouldnt eat on her own so we had to put her on the nipple but she turned out fine though. We have also fostered a couple of litters from 1 and 3 weeks old before and the 1 weeks old litter had a coule that would get to much milk at one time so we had to turn him upside down and kinda pat his back until it got out of his lungs. We have never had any that did that before so I can only pray for you and the puppy that he lives. All of ours did and got great homes so I can only hope for the best for you!

[erdog3]

Yep, that is fine, so long as they get the nipple within the first couple of days, but if after a week they still haven't caught on, you go in and everytime you see it on it's own in the corner, you are fighting a losing battle.
I have tried it many times, trust me, then it goes to bottle feeding, then you get milk on the lungs, then it gets phnuemonia. You can try turning it upside down and swing it between your legs, but you are taking a chance even with that now. (brain damage)

Sounds like it is too late, you probably got the milk on the lungs a few days ago now, if there is no milk coming out the nose, then the damage has already been done.

I have seen what you describe, heaps and heaps of times, I know exactly what you are talking about. They lay there, mouth opens and closes.
Has this pup got it's eyes open like the rest? Is it walking yet? Does it seem the same as the others (development)??