Not drinking.

Hi- looking for any advice about Jax our 6 week old puppy not drinking water or puppy milk. He's weeing plenty and doesn't seem to be dehydrated (looked online for symptoms). I've given him 5 ml of water through a syringe today but other then that he's not bothered. I did put a little water into his food but he knew and wouldn't touch it lol.
Other then that he's a fab little puppy- sleeps quite good on a night and is eating fine. He loves his crate and is getting the hang of the pads although I'm having to put him on them more often then not. And surprisingly he's ok bout living in the living room upstairs and sleeping in the hallway downstairs (he sleeps in his crate in a cupboard under the stairs) i just make sure that when I'm downstairs cooking or cleaning I take him down so he gets to spend time downstairs and it's not a shock come night time. One vet who we spoke to about crates said it wasn't possible to raise a puppy in a 3 storey house as it will confuse him. So am quite happy that after months of reading up on that, my little Jax isn't confused and is happy.

Hi Lisa, I live in a 3-storey house too, and I must admit that it is more difficult to house-train a puppy than if in a normal 2 storey house.  However, many of our members live in flats, which has added and obvious difficulties regarding house-training, but they get there in the end and so will you!

Regarding the drinking issue - if Jax is weeing plenty he's obviously getting fluid from somewhere! The thing to look for in dehydration is to pluck his loose skin up along his back - if it stays up for any length of time then he's dehydrated; if it snaps back he's not.

How long have you had Jax?  6 weeks old is on the very young side to be leaving his mum - was she still feeding him when he came home with you?

6 weeks is a bit young to have left Mum, I wouldn't think puppy milk is necessary as he should have had the stable amount from Mum.
Try giving him some ice cubes that way at least he will be getting some fluid. If it continues I would pop him to the vets for a check.  

Thanks Lynda and inezmaria70.

I have pads upstairs in the living room and downstairs as well and so far he's doing really good. I told myself that there would be lots of accidents and mess so I was prepared but am really surprised how he's doing.

I read on the net (a trusted vets site) about dehydration and did the 'test' and his skin snapped straight back and he is weeing lots- i just thought he would be drinking a fair amount.
If I was to give him some ice cubes- how would I do it?

We was told he would be 8 weeks on the 8th nov which we originally had planned on getting him. We have never had a dog before so I did plenty of reading up and making sure we was all ready for a dog and I read that 8 weeks was the earliest.

We was meant to get him on the 8th nov when he would have been 8 weeks old but owners rang us last week and said we could take him a week earlier as mum wasn't bothering with pups anymore, they were on solid food and on Thursday Jax would be alone as all pups would be gone by then. It wasn't till we was driving home last sat with him that I worked out his dates (I asked for his birth date fleeing and worming details) i rang the vets and they said it was ok as he wasn't dependent on mum.
Will this upset him or cause any problems for him?

Thanks for all your advice.

Difficult to answer why the other pups were homed so early also, but they should have been kept together for interaction for at least 8 weeks, its how they learn.
If his skin on his neck is going back quickly then he probably isn't dehydrated, if you just give him an ice cube by holding it he will probably suck or lick it, but do supervise.
If your vet has checked him I wouldn't worry too much.
Anything you need to ask don't be afraid, its all part of learning  

Lisa321 wrote:We was meant to get him on the 8th nov when he would have been 8 weeks old but owners rang us last week and said we could take him a week earlier as mum wasn't bothering with pups anymore, they were on solid food and on Thursday Jax would be alone as all pups would be gone by then. It wasn't till we was driving home last sat with him that I worked out his dates (I asked for his birth date fleeing and worming details) i rang the vets and they said it was ok as he wasn't dependent on mum.
Will this upset him or cause any problems for him?

For future reference, a pup will be independant from his mum from about 5 weeks old! She will not want to feed him any more and the breeders would have weened him onto solids. However, that doesn't mean that he's ready for the big bad world! Far from it! In those next 3 weeks he will learn all manner of things from his mum and his siblings - how to play, bite inhibition, how to keep his bed area clean etc. Although he may well be very healthy, you could get extra problems with bite inhibition & it may take longer for him to learn not to bite humans! I'd hazzard a guess and say that your breeder no longer wanted the expense of feeding the pups now they weren't being fed by mum, and the aggravation of little pups being noisy, into everything and peeing/pooing everywhere! Plus, of course, the weekly worming.

As far as the drinking goes, are you sure he's not drinking? If he's weeing then he's getting his water from somewhere. Is water left down all day for him, always in the same place?

Lisa, getting a pup is always a great upheaval for both pup and the owners, lovely though it is getting a new baby. The more we invest emotionally in the pup (especially if it your first with no previous experience to draw on), the more we worry. So please don't panic and draw comfort from the fact that if he's weeing he is getting enough water!

Do take him to your vet though for a general check-over, sorting out his jabs etc, and discuss any concerns you have; they will be more than happy to advise you and vetinary nurses are usually available to give you more general advice. Many vets run "puppy club schemes" to enable you to spread the cost of vaccinations etc over the year; personally I have found this a very useful option.

Finally, do keep in touch with this forum, there is always someone here who can help you with any concern that you have, to the best of our ability  

Thanks Lynda and caryl,
He's booked in a week on fri for his first injection but I will go see them before if I think he needs it. It is like having a baby- not because of the work or mess etc but because of the worry lol. Thanks again

hes a puppy he suld be with his mother, your "breeder" was clearly just in it for the money. i just hope there are no lasting problems. I personally would never take a 6 week old pup home, no matter what the sob story was.

Lisa321 wrote:Thanks Lynda and caryl,
He's booked in a week on fri for his first injection but I will go see them before if I think he needs it. It is like having a baby- not because of the work or mess etc but because of the worry lol. Thanks again

Yes it is like having a baby! He is a baby doggy, and your first one and a tiny one at that. And it is hard work, no denying that, and can be worrying too. But by the sounds of it you are doing fine, so enjoy your baby puppy and always remember that you can come on this site at any time for help and reassurance, should you need it. Many of us have been there, done that and got the T-shirt - you are not alone!  

Meanwhile, have you had a chance to look at the many tutorials for New Owners (via Home Page); you my find these very helpful.

We had the same when we brought Jasmine home. She just wouldn't drink! We found the problem was solved when we changed her bowl. Jasmine is a little girl, and at 8 weeks she was teeny. We had bought her small stainless steel bowls, and she would never eat all her dinner, or drink her water. I was really worried, then read somewhere to try changing her bowls to ceramic cat bowls. They are really shallow and small. I immediately saw a change in her and she drank her water straight away! She just hated the shiny stainless steel bowls. She is still the same now. Now she has the Maison Cash doggy bowls and she is fine. Also, try a wet food mixed in with her dry. I use nature diet puppy. I soak her dry food in water from the kettle, then mix in a spoonful of nature diet until its a sloppy mess (it looks yuk lol), but Jasmine loves it. I did this in the beginning to get some moisture into her when she wouldn't drink, before we changed bowls. But the vet said when she is thirsty, she will drink! As long as the bowl is always in the same place. Also, change her water regularly throughout the day. Hope this helps!