Syringe Feeding a Weakened Puppy
Sometimes we need to resort to syringe feeding extremely tiny pups, or pups that have been weakened by severe or repeated hypoglycemic episodes.
Your vet will probably send home a prescription canned food variety with you. That is perfectly fine - see if your pup will eat it!
In an emergency, if you do not have anything available at home or cannot get to a vet - go to the next grocery store buy the following:
Local honey that has not been over processed is the best, don't buy the national brand names [most of the good stuff in honey is out-processed in those] unless that is all you can find!
You can skip the honey if you have Dyne or Nutrical, though I like having it on hand for severe cases - it seems to do better with very weak babies in helping them pop back from low blood sugar episodes, and honey is filled with loads of good stuff!!!
If you do not have any Dyne or Nutrical on hand, either find a store that carries it, or order it online. You will need this for the next few days or weeks and should keep it on hand!!! More about High Calorie Supplements and a place to order online here.
Your vet will probably send home a prescription canned food variety with you. That is perfectly fine - see if your pup will eat it!
In an emergency, if you do not have anything available at home or cannot get to a vet - go to the next grocery store buy the following:
- 3 jars of meat baby food [chicken, lamb, ham or turkey]
- 1 cup of organic yoghurt [non-pasteurized if you can get it]
- 1 jar or bottle of honey
- 3-5 3 cc syringes [if you don't have any, visit a pharmacy or your local feed store]
Local honey that has not been over processed is the best, don't buy the national brand names [most of the good stuff in honey is out-processed in those] unless that is all you can find!
You can skip the honey if you have Dyne or Nutrical, though I like having it on hand for severe cases - it seems to do better with very weak babies in helping them pop back from low blood sugar episodes, and honey is filled with loads of good stuff!!!
If you do not have any Dyne or Nutrical on hand, either find a store that carries it, or order it online. You will need this for the next few days or weeks and should keep it on hand!!! More about High Calorie Supplements and a place to order online here.
Feeding Directions, Amounts + Frequency
Get 2 clean shot glasses or small jars and spoon 1/4-1/3 of a jar of baby food into one, and 2 table spoons of yoghurt into the other one.
Add 1 tablespoon of dyne to the meat, and 1 tablespoon of honey to the yoghurt.
If you only have one or the other, add one spoon to both - we are really not concerned about flavor at this time. Stir each mixture until it is well mixed.
Have 2 clean syringes on hand and fill a third one with Nutrical, Dyne or Honey - whatever you have on hand - in the order as listed. You will also need some drinking water for the pup in its drinking bowl, and a clean syringe for that too.
Refrigerate your unused mixtures and warm them back up to luke warm temps in a waterbath - in time for the next feeding. Don't it feed cold straight out of the fridge, and don't warm up each mixture more than twice [which is why you are not using or feeding straight out of the cups or jars]! You can feed it room temperature during the hot summer months, but it needs to be warmer during the colder months!
After an intermediate to severe hypoglycemic episode, when your puppy cannot or is not interested in eating on its own, you must feed it once every hour during the first 6-8 hours.
Each hour faithfully do your best to give it at least one syringe of meat, 1 of yoghurt and 2 ccs of straight Nutrical [Dyne or Honey] - subject to the actual size of the puppy. It will be messy, and it may not eat or swallow well, so take your time and don't hurry the pup. When it is done with this, offer a clean syringe or two of filtered water. You must make sure it drinks - dehydration is just as dangerous as not eating!
In a severe case, it may not have control over its bowels, so wrap it up in a towel and be prepared to use a few of these over the next day or two! Don't scold it for having an accident - it is not its fault! Do not bathe the pup or get it wet, soaked and cold - it has no extra energy to spare for regulating body heat right now!
Your weakened puppy should not be allowed to get up, walk around, or play should it feel well enough for it. It should remain in the playpen, in a quiet part of the house, set up draft free and with a heat pad or heated blanket if possible, especially during the cooler months or if you live up north [you don't want to overheat it during the summer months, just keep comfortable]. If it sleeps for extremely long periods of time, be sure to wake it up for its feedings!
If needs be, wrap a blanket around the playpen to create a quiet, serene and peaceful oasis. Nobody handles the pup but you. No visitors, the kids can't play or touch, other pets stay out of the room. Lots of quiet and rest is absolutely necessary for its recovery. You may hold it and cuddle it, but don't move it about too much and make sure it can sleep on you when you hold it. Its life may depend on how you treat it right now!
Add 1 tablespoon of dyne to the meat, and 1 tablespoon of honey to the yoghurt.
If you only have one or the other, add one spoon to both - we are really not concerned about flavor at this time. Stir each mixture until it is well mixed.
Have 2 clean syringes on hand and fill a third one with Nutrical, Dyne or Honey - whatever you have on hand - in the order as listed. You will also need some drinking water for the pup in its drinking bowl, and a clean syringe for that too.
Refrigerate your unused mixtures and warm them back up to luke warm temps in a waterbath - in time for the next feeding. Don't it feed cold straight out of the fridge, and don't warm up each mixture more than twice [which is why you are not using or feeding straight out of the cups or jars]! You can feed it room temperature during the hot summer months, but it needs to be warmer during the colder months!
After an intermediate to severe hypoglycemic episode, when your puppy cannot or is not interested in eating on its own, you must feed it once every hour during the first 6-8 hours.
Each hour faithfully do your best to give it at least one syringe of meat, 1 of yoghurt and 2 ccs of straight Nutrical [Dyne or Honey] - subject to the actual size of the puppy. It will be messy, and it may not eat or swallow well, so take your time and don't hurry the pup. When it is done with this, offer a clean syringe or two of filtered water. You must make sure it drinks - dehydration is just as dangerous as not eating!
In a severe case, it may not have control over its bowels, so wrap it up in a towel and be prepared to use a few of these over the next day or two! Don't scold it for having an accident - it is not its fault! Do not bathe the pup or get it wet, soaked and cold - it has no extra energy to spare for regulating body heat right now!
Your weakened puppy should not be allowed to get up, walk around, or play should it feel well enough for it. It should remain in the playpen, in a quiet part of the house, set up draft free and with a heat pad or heated blanket if possible, especially during the cooler months or if you live up north [you don't want to overheat it during the summer months, just keep comfortable]. If it sleeps for extremely long periods of time, be sure to wake it up for its feedings!
If needs be, wrap a blanket around the playpen to create a quiet, serene and peaceful oasis. Nobody handles the pup but you. No visitors, the kids can't play or touch, other pets stay out of the room. Lots of quiet and rest is absolutely necessary for its recovery. You may hold it and cuddle it, but don't move it about too much and make sure it can sleep on you when you hold it. Its life may depend on how you treat it right now!
The First 24 Hours
If your pup is improving over the next 6-8 hours - wake + alert, tail wagging or trying to, wanting to get up and asking for picker-uppers and cuddling, it may make a full recovery without additional veterinary interaction [if you have been to the vet already and they have scheduled a follow up, be sure to go!].
Up your feedings to 2-3 syringes of meat per feeding, 1 syringe of yoghurt, and stick with the 2cc of straight Nutrical, but now you can space them out to every 2-2.5 hours.
Make sure it drinks water - provide it with a food dish with filtered water and see if it will drink on its own. Prepare a small dish with the meat and yoghurt for the playpen - just a spoonful of each mixture - and also keep a separate dish with its normal dry food with a bit of normal canned food available for it to eat.
First night: Be sure to give a late feeding around 11-12 pm and up the Nutrical to a full syringe. Set your timer for an early feeding between 4-5am - do not go more than 4-5 hours at the most between these two feedings, or you may be looking at a relapse in the morning.
If your hypoglycemic episode happened during the evening hours - I am sorry for your nightsleep - but you must continue to feed every hour for the first 6-8 hours!!!
Second Day: Keep up the syringe feeding throughout the second day - even if the pup is starting to eat its regular dry and canned food on its own again.
If it is still weak and not offering to eat, you must continue to feed it every 2 hrs or so. If you are working and cannot take the puppy with you, you need to either take off for the day, or need to make arrangements for someone else to come and sit with the pup and feed it. It should not be alone or unsupervised for more than 2-3 hrs at the most during this phase, especially not if it is not yet eating on its own.
Refresh your memory and read the following pages here on the website: Playpen, Nutrition, Feeding Schedule, Puppy Stress, Preventing Hypoglycemia, Harmful Stress + Activity Levels, and Living a Sheltered Life.
Up your feedings to 2-3 syringes of meat per feeding, 1 syringe of yoghurt, and stick with the 2cc of straight Nutrical, but now you can space them out to every 2-2.5 hours.
Make sure it drinks water - provide it with a food dish with filtered water and see if it will drink on its own. Prepare a small dish with the meat and yoghurt for the playpen - just a spoonful of each mixture - and also keep a separate dish with its normal dry food with a bit of normal canned food available for it to eat.
First night: Be sure to give a late feeding around 11-12 pm and up the Nutrical to a full syringe. Set your timer for an early feeding between 4-5am - do not go more than 4-5 hours at the most between these two feedings, or you may be looking at a relapse in the morning.
If your hypoglycemic episode happened during the evening hours - I am sorry for your nightsleep - but you must continue to feed every hour for the first 6-8 hours!!!
Second Day: Keep up the syringe feeding throughout the second day - even if the pup is starting to eat its regular dry and canned food on its own again.
If it is still weak and not offering to eat, you must continue to feed it every 2 hrs or so. If you are working and cannot take the puppy with you, you need to either take off for the day, or need to make arrangements for someone else to come and sit with the pup and feed it. It should not be alone or unsupervised for more than 2-3 hrs at the most during this phase, especially not if it is not yet eating on its own.
Refresh your memory and read the following pages here on the website: Playpen, Nutrition, Feeding Schedule, Puppy Stress, Preventing Hypoglycemia, Harmful Stress + Activity Levels, and Living a Sheltered Life.
The Third Day and Beyond...
The third day - if it again comes through the second night without a repeat hypoglycemic episode - things should definitely be looking up. The pup should still be on "bed rest" and in the playpen only! No walking about the house, playing with the kids or other dogs for the next 2-3 days, certainly not going outside or leaving the house unless absolutely necessary. You may have all the cuddling and smooching sessions you care for, and it can play in the playpen by itself with its stuffed toys and stuff, but calm and sedate are the key words for the next few days.
It should eat well again by itself by now, but continue to offer a meat and a yoghurt syringe 4-5 times throughout the day anyways, and don't spare the Nutrical. Offer it frequently, especially after nap times, and before the long night sleep and first thing in the morning too. Make sure it drinks a lot of water as well...
For days 3-5 continue to keep the pup on a reduced activity level and seriously give some thought about how much restrictions this little darling needs. You do not want a repeat of this week, and you may have to change to rules of interaction with your other family members [kids and pets] for the next few weeks or months. On the bright side - when brought up properly, most teacups are past the worst care requirements by the time they are in the 4-5 month age range, and most of the activity restrictions are usually forgotten by the time they are 7-8 months of age.
It should eat well again by itself by now, but continue to offer a meat and a yoghurt syringe 4-5 times throughout the day anyways, and don't spare the Nutrical. Offer it frequently, especially after nap times, and before the long night sleep and first thing in the morning too. Make sure it drinks a lot of water as well...
For days 3-5 continue to keep the pup on a reduced activity level and seriously give some thought about how much restrictions this little darling needs. You do not want a repeat of this week, and you may have to change to rules of interaction with your other family members [kids and pets] for the next few weeks or months. On the bright side - when brought up properly, most teacups are past the worst care requirements by the time they are in the 4-5 month age range, and most of the activity restrictions are usually forgotten by the time they are 7-8 months of age.
Afterword...
Quite frankly - in my opinion if your pup had a relapse over the first night, or is still not up + about or back to eating on its own the next morning - and especially if you have not yet been to a vet the day before - you should really make it a priority to be seen asap.
Chances are your puppy needs internal fluids, antibiotics and more that only a veterinarian can provide you with. Please keep in mind - repeated or severe hypoglycemic episodes can cause brain damage as well as internal organ damage and failure and may weaken a puppy for months before it makes a full recovery. This is not something to take lightly or play around and experiment with! Be prepared for a huge vet bill as well - in my early learning years I have had my share of vet bills that exceeded the purchase price of the puppy. The longer you wait, the lesser are the chances of recovery, the more likely your pup may not survive - and you will still have that huge vet bill to pay!
Also note - most Puppy Sales Contracts exclude death or injury from hypoglycemic episodes - it is in your best interest, that you learn as much as you can about this before bringing a puppy home, and doing your best in preventing them!
Chances are your puppy needs internal fluids, antibiotics and more that only a veterinarian can provide you with. Please keep in mind - repeated or severe hypoglycemic episodes can cause brain damage as well as internal organ damage and failure and may weaken a puppy for months before it makes a full recovery. This is not something to take lightly or play around and experiment with! Be prepared for a huge vet bill as well - in my early learning years I have had my share of vet bills that exceeded the purchase price of the puppy. The longer you wait, the lesser are the chances of recovery, the more likely your pup may not survive - and you will still have that huge vet bill to pay!
Also note - most Puppy Sales Contracts exclude death or injury from hypoglycemic episodes - it is in your best interest, that you learn as much as you can about this before bringing a puppy home, and doing your best in preventing them!