Hi all! I'm brand new to having a dog and so far I am loving our 11 week old yellow lab Sybil. Even with the midnight potty breaks and puddles of wee on my kitchen floor. Last week she was a bundle of energy and it was all I could do to keep up with her running around the yard. But the past 2 days she has been so lethargic! She barely spends 5 minutes chewing on a chew toy before she collapses back onto her bed and falls asleep. Do puppies go through growth spurts? She has been eating fine--3 times a day and a very energetic eater. Peeing and pooping just fine. I just want her to be okay! I would be thrilled if she was growing a little bit. She was the 2nd smallest in a litter of 12. This morning (@11 weeks) she weighed 6 pounds. Tiny! One of her parents was a British lab and I guess those tend to be smaller than American labs? She was at the vet last week for some shots and the vet didn't seem too concerned about her weight. She has gained a pound or 2 in the week and a half since we got her. Did anyone else have such a small pup? And should I be concerned about her lethargy? Thanks!!
Re: 11 week old pup change in behavior--growth spurt?? Hi there, welcome to the forum! I am sorry you are worried about your girl. If she is eating and poop/peeing well then that's a good sign, but it does seem a little odd if she has lost interest in playing. If you are worried and this is continuing, you might feel better checking in at your vet. I wondered if it could be related to a recent vaccination or worming meds, but that is just guesswork. Better to get her checked maybe. As for small pups? We have quite a few labs on here of around 20kg (44lbs) or even a little less that are pretty much grown, so I wouldn't worry as long as she is actually gaining weight and not losing it. We also have some 35-40kg ( 80+lbs) ;D jac
Re: 11 week old pup change in behavior--growth spurt?? hi nothing to add, would just like to welcome you, from me and my black boy jasper, 20 month old, one of the heavy boys at 33 kilo
Re: 11 week old pup change in behavior--growth spurt?? Hi and welcome If her lethargy continues tomorrow, I would give the vet a call. Better to be safe. Let us know how she is
Re: 11 week old pup change in behavior--growth spurt?? Hi and a warm welcome from me Helen, Hattie 6 years and our rescue Charlie 3 years. Nothing to add from me either as Jac has covered it so well. Enjoy the forum xx
Re: 11 week old pup change in behavior--growth spurt?? Around that age Lola had a few bouncy days and then one really lazy day. Keep a close eye and if she doesn't perk up definitely take a trip to the vet. Lola is a big girl, second biggest from the litter and at 8 months bigger than her mum and her dad ;D Hope she is back to herself soon
Re: 11 week old pup change in behavior--growth spurt?? Thank you all for your warm welcome and advice! I will see how she is tomorrow and if she's not bouncing around, I will call the vet. Better to be safe than sorry. It's so wonderful to have the support of people around the world. Makes this first time mama feel a little bit better. If I could figure out how to include a picture, I'd post one for you all to see. Thanks again, Anne
Re: 11 week old pup change in behavior--growth spurt?? We would LOVE to see a picture Anne. Check out the technical and help section. you need to have your photo in a photo host site such as Flickr, then simply copy the code at the right hand side, directly paste it into the post you are making, et voila! Hope you manage it
Re: 11 week old pup change in behavior--growth spurt?? Hello Anne and welcome from me and my two dogs , Pups do tend to sleep a lot , mad spurts of energy followed by an almost comotose sleep but yes , if you are worried, pop her to the Vets , peace of mind for you
Re: 11 week old pup change in behavior--growth spurt?? Hi and welcome from me and my girl Penny. Like your pup Penny was tiny when we brought her home - she was about 2.5kg which I think roughly translates as about 6 or 7lbs?? She is still tiny as an adult - one of the smallest labs on here at 19kg (roughly 40lbs I think). She's perfectly in proportion but she is a working line Labrador (I think what you would call an English lab) and they are built a lot smaller and leaner. It's also possible your pup is small because it was a large litter - makes sense that the larger the litter the smaller the pups. If your pup is eating, drinking, pooping and weeing as normal I wouldn't be overly concerned but if it goes on more than a couple of days I would probably give the vet a call to put my mind at rest - they can always speak to you over the phone and advise you whether they think you can just keep an eye on her for a few days or whether they think she should be seen.
Re: 11 week old pup change in behavior--growth spurt?? Hey everyone! Just wanted to give you a quick update. By Monday morning she was still very lethargic and had no interest in her toys or playing with us. I called the vet and they suggested to bring her in. It turns out that she had a very high fever and was battling some sort of infection. The vet did blood work and an x-ray but couldn't determine where the infection was. But after an IV with fluids and some antibiotics, she is doing much better this morning. Back to about 80% of normal, I'd say. She's so small and it was terrifying to see her so sick! Thanks for all your advice and well-wishes. Anne DSC_3261 by ortmeiera, on Flickr
Re: 11 week old pup change in behavior--growth spurt?? Aw bless, glad she seems to be doing better! It's scary when they're so little but hopefully she will make a quick recovery.
Re: 11 week old pup change in behavior--growth spurt?? So glad she is doing better. Please give her tummy rubs from me and Harley sends her get well licks
Re: 11 week old pup change in behavior--growth spurt?? So glad you got her to the vet & pleased she's getting better. The photos of Sybil are very sweet.
Re: 11 week old pup change in behavior--growth spurt?? Bless her. It is crazy to think Lola was once that small!!
Re: 11 week old pup change in behavior--growth spurt?? Poor wee soul. Well done for spotting something was wrong. I bet you are relieved she has picked up a bit with treatment.
Re: 11 week old pup change in behavior--growth spurt?? Poor wee mite! Glad she is getting the right treatment and hopefully she will be fully back to bouncy puppiness soon
Re: 11 week old pup change in behavior--growth spurt?? thank the lord you picked up on it x ...good to hear she as got treatment xxx
Re: 11 week old pup change in behavior--growth spurt?? Well done for getting her to the vet. Pheweee she will be back full of beans soon