Will the puppy die?
by William
ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
Hi, I'm planning to buy a puppy Maltese and have been to a breeder recently. However, the puppy is undersized and his 2 siblings in the same litter had died during birth. The puppy seemed weak and tired when I saw it. But the breeder has claimed that the tiredness is due to travelling too long in car and advice me to go back to see it on another day. I've heard from friends that undersized puppies tend to be sickly and short-lived. Is this true? I've saw the puppy's half sister(same mother)and she looks very active and intelligent. Then is it likely that the puppy will grow up to be like it's half sister?
DISCUSSION:
William! William! William! "travelling too long in car" - what the he-- does that mean??? Hope it doesnt mean stacked in a crate in the weekly shipment from the mill!!!!! Start talking around about this "breeder". Talk to others who have adopted from there! Research!
BeeGee
William, start asking about 100 questions and don't accept anything that doesn't make sense to you from the breeder. And if you decide to purchase this puppy an immediate trip to the vet is in order. good luck!
Robin MC
William, I am in agreement with BeeGee... why would a puppy be traveling in too long in a car to begin with. Tuff is a bit over 4 months and she goes out on very minimal trips... a few miles at the most, nothing that would make a dog sick. Rethink this one!
Karen & TuffPuppy
William, I'd be hesitant to proceed further with a puppy from this breeder until I knew more about her practices. Puppies do get sleepy easily, but if these are young puppies, what are they doing going for "long car rides"? I would think that the breeder would keep the little ones home with their Mom, unless they went for a real quick vet check. Better yet, have the vet stop by the house. Was the puppy sleepy, or was it sickly? Maybe I'm just over-cautious, but I think I would talk to several breeders in your area, and see what their puppies are like. Get a list of breeders close to where you live. Remember that when you take a puppy home, it's a long-term commitment. Do research, ask a lot of questions, and do NOT try your luck at a petshop either. You WILL find the perfect little dog for you.... just take your time. When you find the right breeder, you will find the perfect dog for you.
Denise R
William - I got Baxter Jan 31st/98 and Bella first week August/98 - Baxter was born Nov 16 and Bella May 5th - We drove from Calgary to Phoenix, Arizona for Canadian Thanksgiving in October a 3 day drive - we took our time and didnt push it, Both dogs were contained - Baxter in his Kennel and Bella in her Sherpa bag. They did a lot of sleeping on the road and were always ready for pit stop - these dogs stretched and were ready for action as soon as you let them out. Bella is almost 10 months and weighs 3 pounds she was 2 when we got her. When they are tired they sleep and forget it you cant wake them up they just curl up and sleep but when they are awake they are active. Both my dogs have always slept in the car - we take them everywhere from quick stop to grocery store to 1 hour or so drive to the mountains - the only time Baxter was groggy was the day of his neuter surgery and you could tell by the eyes - they looked heavy and dull - very young puppies behave like newborn human babies - they sleep a lot but there is big difference between sleepy and sicky. Even after a long day of driving you would never have thought Bella was sick. Run as fast as you can from this breeder something smells fishy here.
Shirley
William, My husband had to drive Chloe around all day in his company truck the day he bought her for me. He picked her up early in the morning, finished his route as quickly as possible, but still didn't get home until around five o'clock. She had to endure bad country music(sorry country lovers, but his music is BAD,) the smell of Subway Italian subs, and frequent stops. She was in the truck for about ten hours and was still bouncy when she got out and ran around to explore her new home.Guess even if this guy had a viable excuse for having one of his puppies in a car for a long time, I wouldn't be so quick to believe it.
Anne
my puppy was the runt of the litter, and although his weight did end up getting up around normal (7lbs) he was always smaller than other dogs. (he made up for his size with stockiness, not fat, just solid)
he was the best dog i could ever imagine.
don't let the small size intimidate you, but if he's sickly, that's a whole different story...
juancarlos
William, you do not know enough about dogs to buy any puppy yet!
Puppies do get sleepy, but a breeder should be able to better control things so that the puppy has had its nap and is ready to play when you come! This is a toy breed and is supposed to be small. A twelve week old puppy that weighs two and a half pounds will be about five pounds when grown.. I hope you are not buying a puppy younger than twelve weeks. Puppies die during birth and this has no effect on surviving puppy health. A half sister or even a full sister may not look the same as the puppy you buy. Please do some more research before buying, and try to learn more about dogs from people who know, not just a friend down the street.
Andrea
| Please bear in mind when reading topics pertaining to health issues, that most of these questions were answered by helpful Maltese owners with no formal education in veterinary medicine. When in doubt seek a professionals advice. |
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