hi everybody. I am a bit concerned about max. For those of you who dont know max is 9 weeks old and we have had him a week and a half. Yesterday his poo was a little bit runny. He didnt want his dinner. Didnt want his breakfast this morning and poo is still bit runny. It is not watery just softer than normal. At 12 noon he was sick was solidy sick not bile or too much liquid, (sorry about deatails!) Still not really eating and not his usual bouncy self. He is not following me around and he looks very sorry for himself. Should I panic or will he perk up? He did spend yesterday afternoon with his 2 sisters at my friends house they ran round all afternoon in her garden but we were watching them and I am sure he didnt eat anything except a few leaves? I had to leave him for 7 hours today but I came in 3 times for half an hour at a time. I dont know whether to be really concerned or not. My mum says she just starves her dogs if they are sick but they are adults. Do I offer him his tea or just leave it??!!! I really hope somebody can help me.

The first rule of dog ownership is if you are really worried then see your vet. We can't see your pup and we are not vets so as you are very worried (by the number of posts) contact your vet.

i am home alone with 4 kids so I cannot go to the vet so I just wanted peoples opinions? 

if i phone the vet and manage to speak to somebody they are just going to tell me to bring him in in the morning I wanted some people with more experience of puppies to give me their opinion until I can get him to a vet tommorrow

How many times has he been sick? One of the risks is dehydration but this would need him to be sick several times.

Puppies are the worlds worst at picking things up and eating them so it's not unusual for them to be sick. Trouble is, sometimes the thing they eat can be baddly poisonous or can cause a blockage. If the worst comes to the worst ask your vet to call. This is what I had to do once with a puppy. At 9 weeks a puppy does not have the reserves of an older dog.

Regards, John

he is really lethargic and his nose is quite dry I am really worried now? I could be being paranoid he did play with the kids for an hour in the garden quite happily and he is flaked out now i have moved him a couiple of times and he just falls back to sleep

How were they playing? There is playing and there is PLAYING and an hour of exuberant playing is too much for a 9 week old puppy. I know it's hard but at that age I limit the amount of exercise quite drastically.

A dry nose, if he has been running around could mean absolutely nothing. And at that age puppies still rush around for just so long before collapsing into a heap on the floor and sleeping the sleep of the just. As you can see, all this could mean something but it could just as easily mean nothing and there is no way from here that I can reliably help. As I said before, how many times has he been sick? This is the only real guide that we can go on.

Regards, John

Im very worried that  because you are at home with the children   you cant take pup to the vet what would happen if pup was dangerously ill ? cant you call the vet out? if not some member of the family take the pup to vets .
Its not possible to diagnose whats wrong with the pup over the web you need to get vet advice and quickly this is what dog ownership is all about.
I hope he is ok

he was sick only once at 12 noon. I phoned the out of our vet number and she just said to pop him to the vets tommorrow. He has perked up a bit but doesnt quite seem his normal self. Can puupies be sick and it not be a problem?

Unfortunatley, as I said in my first post, Puppies have a horrible habit of eating anything they find. Thankfully their stomachs have the equally horrible habit of chucking it out again so yes, puppies are from time to time sick. It seems to be part of the growing up procedure, "I eat this and if it makes me sick I'll know better next time!" If the puppy was only sick once and appears to be in no distress then I'll keep a watching brief and see how it goes.

If I get worried I wisper, "Parvo virus." and they come out like greased lightning!! ;)

Best wishes, John

by playing I mean that the kids were pottering about in the garden and he was following them round like he normally does he doesnt have their undivided attention because they are children and the novelty of pup soon wears off. I was watching them all out the kitchen window while I prepared dinner and when kids came in for dinner he settled at end of table again as he usually does its since then that he seems to have just carried on being knackered.

Sounds more like the play rather than the PLAY. ;)

Best wishes, John

he has perked up a bit and has been chasing round again so i think he was just tired. I am going to feed him in the morning and see how he goes. Thanks for the advice John. It is really nice to know all you people will share your experience and wisdom to us novices. I really had no idea how emotionally attatched I would become to max so quickly. I knew I would love him but I felt physically sick when I thought he was really poorly. What are the symptoms of parvo by the way

When my dogs are sick and are generally unwell, i may miss out a meal, or if they are only sick the once and have the runs i change their meals to something bland like chicken and rice or scrambled egg and rice, as it lets the stomach settle and return to normal before starting normal food again.

With Parvo Virus you get extreme sickness and diarrhoea. That was why I asked how many times he was sick. When Lucy was around the age of yours she was sick 15 times in two hours. I was out when all this was going on. When I got home and was told I got the vet out at 11pm because I was concerned that it might be Parvo. In fact it was nothing at all except something she ate but it scared the life out of me!!

The main thing is to know your limitations. Treat the dog IF YOU ARE SURE but never be afraid to call the vet out if you are unsure. We all have our limits however long we have been involved with dogs.

Best wishes, John