My Puppies

[Tia]

My puppies turned 14 days old today and boy they are wonderful little things. I love them all!

Anyway, just to check we are on-track here. They are all tucking into very mushed up puppy food - they all love it!

They have just started coming out of their pen onto the towel laid at the front to do most of their toilet. I'm thinking of cutting up a big box so that they can come out of the pen to do the loo, and so Lily can get out to wander around or go on her proper bed which is now in the living room.

Right now the puppies can easily find their way in and out of the pen and even when they wander off around the living room a way, they can always find their way back. Obviously they are not given free rein when we are not in the house to keep an eye on them.

I have decided not to put them out in the big pen in the dogroom just yet; it is down to an almost constant overnight temperature of -20 celsius out there right now. I am just very worried that, although we have heat lamps and a radiator out there for them, that the pen is so big that they might not be able to find their way back to their bed.

So far, Lily has never picked any of her pups up and I just don't trust that she won't just leave them freezing cold out of range of the heatlamps if I wasn't around. So the pups are staying inside for a bit longer.

Are we at the right stage in their life? Are they doing all the things they should be? Any further tips welcomed. You guys have been great by the way and thank you.

 

[Maesfen]

They sound spot on to me. I think you're very wise about keeping them indoors for a while yet but you might need to fence of a piece so they can still have a run and play round but don't escape or unwittingly get trodden on; you would not believe how fast they can travel if they don't want to be caught!
I'd also think about worming them next week and every fortnight after until they go to their new homes; the new owners should worm monthly until they are a year old then go onto a normal routine.(special puppy wormer, not normal dog wormer - at least not over here, don't know if you can get it over there) You will probably be horrified at the worms that appear (make sure bitch can't get in to clean them up) and burn them; also worm her too at the same time; also worm her after weaning.
One thing I've learnt to do which seems to help them adapt to new homes better is give them a week's supply of food they have been used to; it's bad enough leaving mum and siblings and moving to a new home let alone having a change of diet at the same time!

 

[Tia]

Thanks Pat. I have Revolution over here which is a wormer and flea and tick liquid which is put on the dogs back like Frontline, however I have decided not to use it right now with the puppies clambering all over Lily. Funny you should mention wormer though as I got my boxes of Revolution out today to see whether it was safe to use on her - no guidelines until use on pups at 6 weeks old, so I will pop down to the other pet store in town and pick up a puppy wormer for them, but so far I've only been able to find wormers suitable for 6 week old pups. Yes I know the horrors of worming puppies LOL!!

When I bought our Akbash puppy I was told by her breeder that she hadn't been wormed, so I wormed her. Daughter took her out for a walk up the back field and came running home absolutely horrified! LOL!! Loads of huge long white worms just freaked her out.

I can let the puppies out in the pen in the dogroom through the day as it isn't so cold out there with the sun shining in (it's like a conservatory) but overnight they can come back into the living room for the time-being. I would absolutely hate to lose one of them now as they have such great personalities.

All of my buyers are good dog people and will definitely keep buying the same food as I've been using. I am bound to have lots left over so will give them enough to get them started for the first week or so.

I think the weaning will be quite easy for the puppies as their buyers come every single day to cuddle their puppies and the puppies do appear to know their smell as they settle on down into their arms when they come.

These are very much loved puppies, both by me and by their owners so I have to say, for me this has been a really pleasurable experience. I've thoroughly enjoyed having them around and as people have slowly found out that we have them, I have been inundated with other friends asking me to breed her again so that they can have a Lily-puppy......of course I said no. She won't have any more puppies and hopefully neither will I, except the ones I buy from their own breeders.

 

[CAYLA]

Its a shame u cant get panacur puppy paste...I did my rescue pups at 4 weeks.

 

[Tia]

The weird thing is we do get Panacur horse wormer over here. When you ask for a dog wormer at the vet, they look at you like you are daft. I used to be given Strongid P to give to the dogs and cats, but now they have Revolution, which is extortionate and sometimes I do wonder whether I should go back to Strongid

.

Revolution costs $120 for 6 phials (6 months supply for 1 dog) whereas Strongid is only £12 for a bottle which lasts all 3 dogs and 3 cats the whole year.

 

[CAYLA]

Crikey