Hi all
I am about to foster a very very underweight 9 week old GSD pup. He and his littermates had gastro enteritis, this one also had fluid on his lungs as a complication. They were taken into a rescue centre I volunteer for. They are currently inundated with pups, several of whom require specialist care. This particular pup has been discharged by the vet but is very underweight. I have agreed to foster him and try and get some weight on him.

I am thinking initially of starting with ND puppy as a base food, gradually introducing. Originally when they came in they were on Skinners.

Also because he is so thin, feeding at least 4 times a day, maybe even more small meals a day. His motions are OK at the moment, and he is bright in himself (I will see tomorrow). 

Can I please pick your brains and ask for anything, hints/tips that you think may help this little fellow, whose grand name is Lancelot LOL. Any additives/supplements. Scrambled egg? But, I don't want to bring back the runs!

Thanks in advance

Hi, when my GS had gastro the only think that built him up was chappie original and vitalin, within 2 days i could see him filling out,some would go for an expensive food but i think this is a good diet for any dog who has been ill ,hope this helps :)

For calories in small amount give Nutro/Vet drops several times per day to give him a boost without filling him up and putting him off his food.

I hope you manage to get him built up to a normal weight soon with no further complications.

When my rabbit had lost a LOT of weight, my vet suggested Complan. It really helped him.

Thank you.
Thanks for the tip on nutri drops, I will get some. I have always had a great deal of respect for Chappie too, and someone else has suggested warmed ND puppy, but not to fill him up with things which are not going to benefit as significantly nutritionally. I will get some Chappie in too.

May try some Complan, not sure if the milk component might start off the runs?

Any further ideas/suggestions welcome :)

One other question. I was told he had his second vaccination today, but if he has had antibiotics for the enteritis, would this negate the effect of the vaccine, and I do think it was unwise for the vet to vaccinate such a poorly puppy?

You might have to feed him more frequently,if he's very malnourished, I'd be inclined to feed 6 times a day if you can .

Liquivite is the canine "version" of Complan. I got it from vetuk.

> and I do think it was unwise for the vet to vaccinate such a poorly puppy?

Completely agree.

I would take things slowly, get the skeleton right first , before worrying about getting too much weight on the pup , the skeleton needs to be sound.Too high protein , too rich a food or milk  mixes may start the gut problems again.Raw minced Tripe or Chappie ,with   what he is used to, gradually changing to what you might prefer -Royal canin make foods especially for GSD's as they have a different length gut in proportion to the size of the dog , and a different PH level skin.  Socialisation without walking miles , feed and rest, play and rest , small meals and often, to avoid a bloat situation.

Many thanks all.

I have the young fellow here, and he is hideously underweight.  Problem is he doesn't have much of an appetite. So far all I have been able to tempt him with is warmed raw minced tripe. It will have to be little and often. Stevensonsign, totally agree. Not so worried about getting weight on so much as enough nourishment to sustain him properly until he is back on track. 

Apparently the vets didn't vaccinate, he was due to be vaccinated, but they didn't vaccinate due to his condition, thank goodness. He is a sweet little soul, inquisitive although not overtly playful at the moment, but that I think is due to him being quite low, and as it's his first evening here, it's a bit much. Did show some interest in chewing one of my books though. Quite confident around my adult dogs and with us. Already has a home to go to if we can get him right, so fingers crossed.

Glad they didn't vaccinate . give him time . he will be tired as well , so much in a small amount of time and so many new things. Mine like warm tripe (my family don't !)Good luck.

A friend rescued a GSD litter and their appetite was poor due to worm burden, have the pups been wormed (this may also be part of the dire rear problem, either due to the worms or the amount dead worms if wormed.

I would also say more meals, 5 or 6 until a proper condition/weight.

My gsd was also a rescue and was underweight and stunted in his growth at 8 weeks. A very good vet near me shows and occasionally breeds golden retrievers. He advised me to feed him ready brek made with lactol puppy milk, and the remaining meals of high quality puppy nuts, chicken and mince. It was hard at the start but over the next three months, he transformed into a beautiful boy. He will be four this summer and is a stunning boy. Good luck with your puppy.

Just an update
Doing very well. Wouldn't eat a thing to start with. Finally warm green tripe got him going, together with some of what he had been on already which was skinners puppy, which I soaked in the tripe juice. Fed just a little every few hours. He was very flat, now he is a monster :)  or, in other words, he is behaving like a normal puppy. He is eating like a horse, screaming for his food when he knows I am about to feed it and I am still feeding about 6 times a day. I have introduced ND puppy, which he wouldn't look at to start with, and which he is mopping up in a second.

I can see him transforming before my eyes. It's going to take weeks to get the meat on him, but his nose is cold and shiny his eyes are bright and he is now running and bouncing and stealing everything. I don't think this fostering thing is for me though - I do have to give him up and it is going to be heartbreaking.

Thanks all so much for your help.

Well done for you and your boy, you say fostering is not for you but you will get so much satisfaction from building this boy up and seeing him go to a happy home, just think what you can do for the next one good luck

Big pat on the back from me, well done x

Sounds fantastic! I know I would have trouble fostering, I guess you have to look at it sort of like breeders do with puppies they know they can't keep. See if the new owners can keep in touch, and wave him off with a warm feeling at the good work you have done! But you'll have him for a while yet, enjoy it. :-)

Fosters often turn into 'foster failures' in other words become permanent, have known it happen to several people, only issue is that the rescue runs out of Foster homes that way ;)

">Liquivite is the canine "version" of Complan.

Excellent stuff, easy to lap up, pleasant tasting (not the I've tried myself) great for recovery from illness, injury or surgery, poor appetite and even weaning puppies .

LOL Brainless, I do not want to become a failed fosterer. Actually I had already promised my older GSD who is over 9 that I would not get another dog (I have her and another already). So I have that promise to keep. Otherwise........

Mind you the little sweetheart has me up at 5.30 this cold dark Sunday morning......so maybe I wont be so sorry? What a good little boy though. Clean in his crate every night, gets me up 5.30 out for a pee and a poo. No going back to bed though, we are awake and ready to play.

So the hunt is on to find this boy a good home. He was already spoken for, but the home has dropped out. Trouble is it is going to have to be gold plated and I will be the vetter !!!

Now you know how a good breeder feels when placing puppies, and why we feel so insulted to be lumped in people's minds with the other kind.

Brainless, I totally get it, and it's why I could never be a breeder. I agree, it must be infuriating and insulting to be lumped in with BYBs.

I have a potential home for him with someone I know who would be perfect, who lost her GSD last year. Fingers crossed, and it means I would keep in touch and even meet him on walks occasionally. Even thinking about giving him up to her (and she's brilliant) makes my stomach wobble. My husband said the other day 'don't get too attached to him' - err... too late.

I can just about keep from getting too attached while they are a litter, but if one stays a bit longer then it get really hard to let go, but you also can't wait to have your own puppy to yourself.

How if she getting on with growing/bodying up?

Brainless, he is bodying up beautifully, not too quickly. Weighed in at 11.7kg last Tuesday.  Was under 7 when he came to me.

Final happy update:

Merlin went to his new home last Sunday. Happily it is to the people I know (phew!) I really don't think I could have given him up to a stranger. Even then I cried when I had to leave him, and missed him terribly, though that's easing off now.

The new owners have been fantastic keeping me updated, by phone and email.  I have tried not to be a pain and resisted contacting them, but let them contact me.  Today they dropped off red roses and a card from Merlin in my porch. He is doing brilliantly, and they are besotted with him (he IS very special).

In a few weeks I will meet up with them for a walk, and no doubt will see a huge pup that is virtually unrecogniseable LOL.

That's what I call a happy ending! (but I still couldn't do it again)

Fostering is very hard.

Your dealing often with a single character, so you don't have the buffer of a litter, as you do when you breed (I dread ever having a singleton).

Well done for all you did for him, I would have cried buckets too! I am sure when you see him in a few weeks grown and attached to his new owners you will get a great sense of a job well done.