i have a 4 week old pup that wont drink water or milk?

Question

i have raised several very young pups and have never run in to this problem dose any one have a sugestion

Answer 1

put some pieces of bacon in there

Answer 2

Well for starters stop offering milk (I assume it's cow milk?) Dairy (or lactose) is very dangerous to a dog's stomach and you could do more harm than good by offering it. Invest in some puppy formula and, if that's not available, use goat milk. But do not offer any formula with dairy.

If worse comes to worse, offer him room temperature bottled water. If he refuses to lap it up, you may need to put his face near the water. You want to touch his mouth to the water but be very careful you don't actually get his nose in the water or he could get water in his nose. That's painful for him. You can also try offering him water in a dropper. Let it watch you as you put water from the dish into the dropper so he understands where you got this water from.

At 4 weeks he's still pretty little. Give him a week (always having water available) and he'll eventually learn to go to it and lap it up.

EDIT: Some people are suggesting Parvo. FYI a 4 week old puppy is too young for parvo. Hypoglycemia is possible, but unlikely. A little Karo Syrup (the clear stuff, NOT the dark) won't hurt him any (even if he's not hypoglycemic). Do not however, under any circustances give him honey. That is toxic to dogs at this age and you'll kill him. Worms, however, are very likely and could be the cause of this IF indeed it's medical. At 4 weeks old he should have been dewormed 3 times by now. If you haven't done it, purchase some Nemex 2 and follow the dosing directions (it'll probably be 3 cc's that he'll need). You need to deworm the entire litter, not just this puppy too. Do it now or they could end up dieing on you.

Answer 3

In a puppy that young my first suspicion would be hypoglycemia.
get Nuta Cal, 5 or 6 globs down him, and pedialyte to wash it down.
Here is a good site >>http://cyndy55304.tripod.com/hypoglycemia.html
When a pup becomes hypoglycemic at that age, he looses body heat, and any desire to eat, so nutrition needs to be force fed.
However, he won't metabolize his food unless he is warm. He is warm enough if his ears are warm...If his ears feel cold to the touch, he is too cold.
So, It is also important to keep him very warm.

If you don't have Nutra Cal on hand, give him Karo syrup or honey with warm pedialyte or warm water
Edit: One way to tell if it is indeed low blood sugar, is to check his gums. If they are more pale than his litermates, it is a sign of hypoglycemia...If the gums are white your pup needs quick attention to avoid a hypoglycemic coma
If this happens frequently to the same puppy, he needs to see the vet, to determine the underlying cause.

Answer 4

You can try calling a nearby vet office for advice. I helped raise a kitten, and stuff online did say to force it if it didn't drink for a day. Your vet tech will probably tell you over the phone, and it's better advice than you'd get here.

Answer 5

Hmmmm...Maybe it should still be with the mother. If thats not possible anymore, have you tried bottle feeding? And it's not a good idea to give the pup milk unless it's made for puppies.

Answer 6

Is the mother still nursing this puppy, or has she rejected it? if she has rejected it, you will hve to give him milk with an eye dropper. If that doesn't work then ask your Vet.

Answer 7

Well for the dogs well being take it to the vet. It will not take long for it to dehydrate. Do not wait.

Answer 8

I agree with pcjthirdgirl take your dog to the doctor this could be parvo, and if it is it is very contagious and give it to your other dogs, take fast action please. I really hope it isn't parvo, best wishes and hope your dog gets better:)

Answer 9

at 4 weeks he is to young to wean from his mom.

Answer 10

Take it to the vet to see if there is something wrong.
Good luck!