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Expert: - 6/4/2010


Question
I hope you can help me a little. I have a 3 day old puppy with a bad tummy ache. My dog had a litter of 13 puppies with 11 survivors. The runt is the puppy with the tummy ache. I got him to go #2 and he did a good job but is still crying. I've tried giving him a little tummy rub, some vibration, even tried to get him to go #2 again. I know nature takes its course but this is killing me. Him and the whole litter go to the vet tomorrow but do you have any suggestions until we get there?

Answer
What is the mom eating? If she is getting scraps and such he might have a gut ache from something in her milk- but that is pretty unlikely.

You have to just keep gently stroking his tummy with a warm, wet cotton ball to see if he is gassy. Gas will make him cry as it hurts in that little area.

Sometimes laying them on your lap on a towel and very gently 'burping' him might also help. Has the mother been licking him? He might also constipated even if you got some stool out of him.
Keep him warm and keep stroking him until he goes again or settles down.
I don't know of any home remedy that is safe for a puppy so young.
Try and get mom to lick him and stimulate him. That is what he needs the most right now.

Ask the vet tomorrow what they give for this so you can have some on hand. We used to put a greased (with vaseline) thermometer in the rectum just a tad which sometimes would help move the stool or break down the gas. Just be careful if you have one that breaks! A digital one works well for this and is more flexible.

Don't go in far, maybe 1/4 inch. I don't know how big these puppies are or what breed they are, so you your judgment based on that.

I hope he feels better soon!

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

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Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

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Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

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Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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