Some observations and questions after day 5: He was 13 lbs (5.9 kg) Monday at the vet where unfortunately he was diagnosed with coccidiosis. He's on Albon for 9 days. I've read it's not so uncommon in pups but it may explain his light weight at 9.5 weeks. Vet says he's good on weight but when I look at the charts he should be closer to the 18-20 lb weight. His parents were 65-70 lbs. He took to the crate right away and last night slept from 10:30 PM till 6 AM when I must get up. No fuss, no muss. Hope that continues. He is incredibly active the first hour after he awakes. Food, water and the supervision required to see that he potties outside is tough when I've yet to get a cup of coffee in me. I'm working on my time management skills. About food. The breeder fed him only twice a day. Vet says three times. The little guy seems very hungry. Right now I'm giving him a cup of kibble each time. He no doubt could eat much more. Potty training is tough. We've had more poop accidents than pee maybe because I let him out every hour. He poops about every 4-5 hours and seems to be regular on that this first week, but maybe because of the coccidia he'll do it outside then come in and 5 minutes later poop again. He wants to eat everything outside -- leaves, rocks, sticks, and nuts. And yes the nuts! We've hickory and butternut trees in our yard so we're aplenty in nuts. I spend a lot of time prying stuff out of his mouth when we're outside for potty breaks, which concerns me that he might begin running away from me knowing that I'll remove this tasty morsel from him. Not sure how to approach this. So the last 4 days I've been taking him on walks in a wooded park with trails that borders our home area. Maybe 10-15 minutes each time. Mostly off leash, but will practice with the slip leash for part of the time. I took Pippa's advice about the off leash walks and she's right, Ajax does not stray a far. I keep walking, slap my leg when he gets to far behind and he comes bounding back to get in step. BUT, I then read --was it here?-- that I shouldn't be walking my lab until he's 5 or 6 months old. Say what? He doesn't object but now I'm concerned that physically or medically I may be doing him harm. Please inform on this point. Puppies bite and chew I know but wow I'm glad he likes the toys he does battle with. My wife asked me, so when will he stop all this chewing? Anybody? More to come I'm sure.
I'm sorry you've had to deal with the coccidiosis. Albon is a sulfa based medication. Sulfa meds are kind of old fashioned. I raise baby birds from time to time and they can get their own species-specific version of coccidiosis, which is a protozoan infecting the gut for those who haven't heard of it. People used to rely on sulfa meds for cocci in birds but for a long time now Bayer has had a much more effective medication for cocci in birds called Baycox. It is light years ahead of sulfa meds. I know they make versions for other species too (eg horses, cows, pigs), so maybe chat wth your vet about what Bayer produces for cocci in dogs, if it's not improving as fast as you'd hope. Aside from the cocci, don't worry about your pup's weight based on a comparison with other pups, even from the same breed or family group. They vary hugely Having said that, I'd definitely go for 3 meals a day, as your vet suggests. With the stick and stone eating - this is normal behaviour (exploring the world with his mouth and carrying stuff about). Try swapping the items for a bit of kibble. You may have to carry some kibble round in your pocket. He should outgrow this one, eventually. Walks - you're doing the right thing! Off lead ambles in a safe place are the way to go. Taking your pup out and about to new places is really important at this age too. You want to have lots of calm experiences in new places, where your pup is rewarded with treats for being calm around new people, places, sights, sounds, smells, surfaces.... In new places, hang out on the periphery till you can see that he's calm (did I mention the importance of calmness? ) and gradually build up to more colour, noise and movement, once you're sure he's going ok. Great that he has slept a full night! I'm sure you'll work out the coffee management routine - very important!
Oh and the chewing.... That will end, but you have a few weeks of it ahead of you... Ok, maybe more than a few weeks. Wear sturdy clothing, distract with toys, remove yourself briefly if it gets too much. Lots of people here will sympathise with you on the chewing front. They are terrors! But not forever.
Hi there and welcome! I think at 9.5 weeks he should still be fed four small meals a day - no wonder he's hungry! His little tummy can't hold enough to nourish him properly with just two meals a day. I seem to remember feeding Poppy four meals a day until around 12 weeks old. On the other hand, remember lab puppies are always hungry, so it's good to feed several small meals to prevent him getting fat.
Oberon -- Baycox is not available in the U.S. Hopefully the old fashioned sulfa based med will do the trick.
I wouldn't worry about the weight too much as they do vary alot. Juno was only a little over 5kg at 10.5 weeks and perfectly normal. Juno was on 3 meals a day until 4 months old then down to 2. There is alot of differing views on ages to reduce meals but certainly 2 meals a day isn't good for a young pup. Can't comment on the amount as it depends upon the recommendations of the kibble manufacturer. On the packaging there will be a chart for the quantity per day based upon age and weight. Then just split between the number of meals. Taking your puppy out is good but until fully vaccinated remember he is vulnerable to diseases like parvovirus which can be contracted from the ground. Personally I wouldn't be taking him out on wooded trails unless 100% certain there was no risk of disease. Oh and puppies chew, alot! Then they turn into adorable crocopups
I'll check with my vet today on this issue but he's already had 2 rounds of the 5-way vaccination. He'll have 2 more boosters each 3-4 weeks apart, then his rabbies at 5 months. My yard which borders the park is mostly woods with lots of wild critters -- squirrels, foxes, owls, etc. If I can't let him outside I'll go bonkers as will he.
You should check with your vet, definitely. Foxes carry parvovirus and it can live on the land that the infected animal goes on for up to a year. It is a disease that can kill puppies, so you need to make sure you're certain he's covered. Until then, he can go outside, it's just a case of carrying him everywhere. I carried Willow everywhere until she was 13 weeks!
There's also a "rule of thumb" which has no basis in science, but is a guideline, that you should only do formal exercise (walking) with your dog for five minutes per month of his life, up to two times a day until they are a year old. The reason is to protect their joints whilst they are still developing. This doesn't stop you doing lots of short (five-minute) training sessions throughout the day, which will tire him out far more effectively than any amount of walking will.
Yes, he's had 2 rounds of Parvo. He'll be fine. re: exercise I will the heed the advice on our trail walking trips and be less rigorous in our routine. The more I learn the more I understand this issue with labs but a year seems pretty far out. Many of our 2016 summer activities will be put on hold if I hold to the "rule of thumb". Knowing this pup has 5 generations of an excellent and normal OFA hip and elbow cert gives me confidence he'll be okay.
The exercise recommendation is mainly for lead walking, especially on harder surfaces, as generally dogs walk fast to keep up with us and can't stop when they want. I would often take Harley into the woods for about an hour at 7/8 months old as she was off lead, stopped a lot to sniff and was able to stop when she needed.
Very young puppies don't need a lot of exercise, but 15 mins or so ambling along off lead sounds fine. There is an often quoted guideline of "5 minutes a day per month of age". Which suggests that a month old puppy should have 15 minutes of exercise a day. The thing is, this 'guideline' is totally random - there is no science behind it, although most (sensible) people would say that moderating exercise for young puppies is wise. But because the "5 minutes per month of age" thing has taken hold, people interpret it all sorts of ways. Some say it's total exercise, some say it's only if the dog is on a lead, some say only if the dog is on pavement, some say playing with other dogs doesn't count.....but all this is just speculation, as is the original "5 minute" rule. I'd say be sensible, your dog is just a baby and shouldn't over do anything, everything in moderation etc. and all should be well.
I used the 5 minute rule as guidance for walks with Juno for the first year but she also went on training walk with our trainer once a week from 15 weeks old. These walks were once a week and about an hour long but I would not have walked her like that any more often - they are only puppies once and you get one chance to help them develop healthy joints. They have many years in which they can enjoy long walks with you. Until his vaccinations are complete he is at risk of diseases like parvo. The risk may be reduced but there is still risk. Healthy hip and elbow scores in parents, grandparents etc doesn't guarantee a pup with healthy hips and elbows. I have a dog with ED whose patents and lines give 0 scores but in reality all the scores mean is that there was no sign of abnormalities on the x-rays, not that the dog doesn't carry the genes. This is one of the reasons exercise and joints are carefully managed by many of us.
Poor socialisation (by which I mean exposure to the world at large) is a risk too... Everyone has to weigh up the socialisation side with the health risk side. If foxes come in the garden then there's no difference between the woods and the garden. And I doubt anyone would say not to put him down in your own garden for the next month.... Also, good joint development depends on using those joints - on a variety of (non slippery) surfaces and gentle gradients. Not over-using but definitely using. Slow meanders in a safe woodland environment would be perfect for that, IMO (stepping over sticks, negotiating the way round a small rock, weaving between plants, going up a mild incline...). Not an hour but 10-15 mins, no problem. Vets can advise on the current risk of parvo etc in any particular area.
Puppies need to play, romp, jump and charge around to strengthen their muscles. They don't need to be marched along on a lead for miles, nor should they run up and down steps, or jump off heights. Common sense rules...
Appreciate all the responses. Will try to find a balance in his exercise routine. Oberon, I smiled about your "calmness" comment. The paths, though peaceful, have lots of distractions -- unusual smells, noisy geese and ducks flying overhead, leaves that crunch beneath his paws, sticks that are in the way some to avoid others to try and carry. When off-leash I've found this any excellent opportunity to practice the "come" command we he falls behind and follow Pippa's routine. Hoping by the time he's 6 months I'll be rewarded with total recall. We'll see.
