Expert: Angela Donald - 6/13/2009

Question
My dam has just had her first liter they are 2 wks old one of the pups is vomitting a cottage cheese looking substance and has watery yellow diarrhea can u please give me some idea what could be happening to him please

Answer
Maria,
The symptoms you have described can be common among many many illnesses, so I can't give you a definite answer. But it could be from over eating if this puppy is strong and nursing well, watch him and see if he acts strong and sucks vigorously at the next feeding. If he doesn't I would seek vet assistance as soon as possible, there are just too many things that it could be, its better to be safe than sorry, as many illnesses can cause you to loose the whole litter. You can set an alarm for 2-3 hours from the last feeding and go check or just stay by the dam and wait. I personally would wait and watch all of the puppies to see if any others are doing this and to make sure everyone is actively fighting to nurse the dam. Any weak puppies I'd seek vet assistance for ASAP. Also start weighing each puppy daily to make sure they are gaining weight.Keep the puppies warm and if the dam starts ignoring this little fellow then you know there is  problem as the dam will usually not tend to a weak puppy or push it away, if this happens remove the pup and begin nursing him and keeping him warm yourself, feeding him a milk replacement supplement or goats milks every 2-3 hours and seek vet attention,good luck with your new litter.
Sincerely,
Angela Donald
Canine Behavior Consultant
Hi-Tower Boxers
http://www.hitowerboxers.com