New puppy is wobbly?

Question

I just bought "Pixie" less than about an hour ago from the pet store. She is a toy chihuahua. She was a little quiet when I went by earlier today but there was a bigger sibbling of hers in the same cage who was hyper so I thought she was just scared of him. Well, just the ride home she slept and now she doesn't want to walk. She wobbles or falls over to the side and just stays on her side for a few seconds before she tries to get up. Did the 15 minute ride make her dizzy? Is she just sleepy?
PLEASE HELP!

The lady at the pet store said she is 6 weeks old.
Is it okay to give her milk?

Answer 1

Most states have laws stating that pet stores can not sell a puppy under 8 weeks of age! Did they tell you how to feed this pup? It could be hypoglycemic. Some small breed pups should probably not be sold until almost 12 weeks of age. I would get the pup to a vet, contact the store and see if they have a vet that they use. You should have at least a 48 or 72 hour guarantee. This pup needs to be eating very soft food right now, moistened down dry small breed puppy food, and canned puppy food. You can even take some Karo syrup and mix a small amount in with some canned food for the pup to raise its blood sugar. Also you should probably pick up some nutri-cal to have on hand as well. Contact the store and tell them that you want the pup to be seen by a vet, check the guarantee that you were given as well. Also it is not alright to give a pup milk. Cows milk is not good for dogs. She can have cottage cheese or plain yogurt, small amounts.

Answer 2

Take it back now. I know it's a living thing and all, but you basically bought a product from a retailer and you got screwed.

Someone else mentioned this, but there is no such thing as a "Toy Chihuahua" - what you are being sold is actually a runt. It is pretty likely that it will be unhealthy and unhappy. The fact that the dog is trying to get up, but can't, is seriously alarming.

Take the dog back, get your money back, call the humane society to inspect that place, and then start doing some research. If you are the kind of person who has to ask if this behavior is abnormal, then you have not done enough research and you are not ready to own a dog. It's like buying a car... you need to know something about it or you are going to be taken advantage of, and that's what happened here. You took home a sick dog because you didn't recognize the signs, and now it's obvious that he's ill and you feel bad for him and want to help. That is admirable.

You might consider calling someone from the animal shelter to come look at your dog... then tell them where it came from. If the pet store sold it anyway and it's clearly sick, then they are in violation of the law in most states. "First day home" is extremely traumatic for puppies and they can do some odd things, but your dog is clearly ill.

They are described as "graceful, alert, swift-moving little dogs with saucy expression, compact, and with terrier-like qualities of temperament." This is clearly not what you got.

Answer 3

First off what time zone are you in? Take her to a vet right now if you can!! Second off...for later reference, NEVER ever purchase a dog from a pet store, only purchase then from a reputable breeder who is working on improving the breed, not out to take your money. Many petstore animals (especially from PetLand) come from puppy mills, in which a breeding ***** is breed as soon as she goes into her first heat, and impregnated over and over again, never stepping foot on real grass her whole life. This leads not only to an unhealthy mother, but unhealthy puppies as well, seeing as the mother has lost many of the nutrients and minerals that she should have had when she was breeding.

Did the puppy come with a warranty, contact the pet store, and report that the animal may or may not be sick and that you will be taking her into the vets asap. Other then that, make sure she is in a comfortable crate for the evening, and make sure she has plenty of water available!!

I sincerely hope that it really is just car sickness, and wish you the best of luck!! God Bless you and your newest family member!!

Answer 4

Unfortunately, your mistake was buying from a pet store. Pet stores mostly get their dogs from shady breeders or puppy mills. There are so many health problems associated with pet store animals.

It appears to me that she has a problem with an area in her brain, or she may have some form of vertigo. If she is painful, it may be a disc problem. Of course, I cannot by any means diagnose her from a few words on a computer. It may not even be something serious.

What you need to do is bring the dog and any papers the pet store gave you to the nearest veterinarian as soon as possible. Because it could be something that needs immediate attention.

Good luck, I hope everything turns out alright.

Answer 5

ok first of all u made two critical mistakes. one: u bought a dog from a pet store pet store dogs r from puppy mills 75 percent of the time and if u dont know what a puppy mill is here is a link http://www.prisonersofgreed.org/index.html
second: u bought a "toy" chiaua a toy chiaua is like a "teacup yorkie" a dog bred with the unhealthy runts of litters to produce smaller dogs that people can sell for higher prices and the dogs dont live nearly as long and r very sick and fraile. my advice take that dog back while u still have a chance. check ur local shelter and find something that is healthy and stable. never buy from a pet store

Answer 6

Puppies are generally wobbly and clumsy. Call your vet and ask he or she if milk would be ok at this early age. In the meantime though, they do make a great puppy formula called ESBILAC for newborns-6 weeks old and they also make a formula for puppies 6 weeks and older. Try one of those 1st. maybe before introducing milk. These formulas maybe purchased at your larger pet stores like PETS MART and PETCO. Best of Luck with your sweet "Pixie"! Suzanne

Answer 7

I would call a Veterinarian as soon as possible, because this tiny little dog could have hypoglycemia, which can be serious. Small dogs, and especially puppies, are prone to getting this condition. Tiny dogs need to be fed frequently, because of a tendency to get hypoglycemea, but I strongly suggets that you talk to a Veterinarian, because it might be something even more serious. There are special foods and ways to treat the condition. I wouldn't wait, because your puppy could be very sick. I am not a Vet, but I have 4 Chihuahuas.

Answer 8

that's young! puppies sleep often so she's probably fine ...also puppies are pretty wobbly ..just keep a close eye on her if conditions worsen call a vet ( it is probably good just to be safe to call a vet right now) pet stores aren't the most reliable places to get a dog next time, go to a breeder. Dog's from petstores usually come from puppy mills ( very bad places where they keep too many dogs) and they usually don't monitor them too carefully... the breeder i got my dog from was very nice and helpful

Answer 9

You maybe made the wrong chioce on the you chose. ALWAYS get the dog that isn't afraid to bark at soemone, they will be the best pets. A quiet pup will grow up to be aggressive, "Pixie" might not seem agressive but she will be. If it's too late to return take her to a dog behaviorist weekly, so you can teach her how to act correctly. And with the walking, she is still getting used to walking, give her a little break. But if it continues to happen, tell you're vet to see if she has any problems. To kind of "teach" her how to walk correctly, try taking the dry food that you feed her and throw a piece farther and farther constantly, she will be coming back to you to get more, wait for her to come to you before you throw the next piece.

Answer 10

This is NOT normal. How old is this puppy? If it is under 8 weeks old, it may not have developed enough yet to walk yet and is way too young to be away from its mother. It may also be sick. Take it to a vet or back to the store and get your money back.

Pet stores often sell puppy mill puppies which are often sick and weak.