hi folks

I'm needing some constructive advice.  A very silly friend has come home today with a 5 week old lab x jack russell pup as a present for his partner.  I'm furious and disgusted A) about the age of the pup b) there was no though process involved at all.

But what I really need to know is what health ailments should I be warning them of now, i.e. hip dysplasia etc etc???  I know very little about either breeds having never had them.  This pup has been bought as a consolation for some really unfortuante events and I don't doubt that it will be loved and spoiled rotten but I really want to get it through to them what they could be facing in the future but I'm concerned if I do that it might end up in kennels?

What, if anything can be done about the people who sold the dog to them?  5 weeks is far far too young????  We're in central Scotland.

Any constructive advice please!!

Jack Russells

Are generally quite hardy dogs though they can carry hereditary eye conditions like:

Cateracts and Luxated lens.

Labs

Obviously, hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, epilepsy

Cancer, Metabolic Liver Defect and ear infections are also quite common in the breed.

Of course both can be perfectly healthy and not have a days illness, depends of luck and lines. PUtting the two breeds together, well, your guess is as good as mine, you could end up with anything really. :-)

At the end of the day the dog is bought, unless your friend would take it back, alas puppy eyes fool us all, to be honest, if your friend has fallen for the pup, might be best to now just let it be and hope for the best. :-)

Luxating Patella's are very common in so caled jack Russells, so much do that peopel think the hopping gait is a quirk of the breed and not a health issue.

Of Course very true Brainless,

Just a point, re: The pup being 5 weeks, I know what your going to say before I ask as no-one would ever let a pup go at 5 weeks of age,  horrifying, but did the breeder give feeding instructions for such a young pup do you know?

Nothing, bare minimum instructions, don't even know if its fully weaned etc etc....  I see food problems ahead

Any advice on that too?

It will be loved and I doubt they'll take it back, its just so frustrating.

Yes, I think as they have it and to be honest the breeder well, won't say what I think...... but we need to just concentrate on the little one, making sure it survives and has lots of help now.

If this were my pup at 5 weeks without it's mum around

Firstly I would be buying full pasturised goats milk and some eggs, be giving the pup a half a cup of goats milk with an egg yolk at 6am tepidly warmed (microwave will do, please test though) breakfast would be soaked complete puppy food or scrambled egg, (some pups can eat dry food, but at this age I would soak it with warm water for upto an hour before giving to pup) your friend may even give a soft puppy food, though more likely at this age it will give a pup the runs.

The pup then needs lunch, another meal approx 4pm and a final feed approx 3-4 hours later, pups tums are tiny so they need small frequent meals, at bed time I would give the pup another half cup of goats milk and egg yolk to suffice it until morning.

As well as a very good complete puppy food this pup can also eat chicken, minced meat, white fish with rice.

Very important to make sure the pup is wormed, it probably hasn't been so make sure your friend takes the pup for a vet check.

Too young for inoculations so that will be done at another time.

The pup really should still be with it's siblings learning so many things it will need lots of attention and play.

Above all else after veterinary advice ask your friend to join CD we shall all help as much as poss to get this pup through it's first few weeks.

I'm sure I've missed loads but everyone will help. :-)

Also, make sure she gets the pup well socialised, eg puppy classes, (after vaccs) being separated from mum and siblings at this age it will miss out on learning how to behave.:-(

I think finding a friend with sociable adult dogs good with pups now is a must so pup can continue it's canine education with adult dogs to learn how to behave.

> I think finding a friend with sociable adult dogs good with pups now is a must so pup can continue it's canine education with adult dogs to learn how to behave.

Thats a really good idea, he';s gonna need lots of time devoted to him and you dont know if the parent she came from were tested either, I reckon he /she will be ok as long as the owners understand the delicate feeding schedule and the absolute need to get him/her to puppy social classes asap :)

The pup is on a complete dry pup food (donated by the vet for free as he was so disgusted - so I assume Hills)  it's also on lactol and is lapping quite well.  it has a healthy appetite and she's doing well and sticking to a routine with her.  I'll pass on the advice on feeding.

The vet has given the pup all this treatment for free.  My friend is taking the pup every couple of days for a weigh in and the vet has encouraged her to bring the vaccinations forward to 6 and 8 weeks.  Is this ideal?

Also, it turns out that it is a jack x another smallish breed - no labrador at all.  And the reason the breeder gave for selling it was it's mother was rejecting it - could it have some underlying illness that isn't being picked up by the vet.  Given that its a small breed dog and the only other breed that my friend has near her for socialisation is Boxers, do you think it would be ok to be around them?

Oh and it has been wormed and flea treated by the vet too.

You should ring up whoever they bought him from and give them a piece of your mind r.e. age, cross bred etc

People are so stupid to buy anything, i wonder whether people would buy a newborn pup?

Louise

The mother wasnt rejecting it a 5 weeks they need weaning from thier mum, the mum will have had more than her fair share looking after the pups for 5 weeks the ''breeder'' obviously had no idea whatsoever. tut

I know, it's appalling.  I've tried to get the details of the person they bought it from so I can report them and give them a piece of my mind but my friend won't give it to me in fear that they might want the dog back!!!  As if!!

And what would be the use - it would all fall on deaf ears and I doubt that some animal protection societies actually would do anything at all.

And what would be the use - it would all fall on deaf ears and I doubt that some animal protection societies actually would do anything at all.

If she won't give you their address anyway, then let it be.

I have to say I love your post if for nothing else the fact that your friends vet is being absolutely brilliant, what a superb veterinary, there aren't many that would give their services free like this, brilliant to hear after all the knocking we give vets that there are still some who have a heart.

The pup is in good hands with a vet like this. :-)

As to the excuses that the breeder gave to giving a pup at 5 weeks away, quite frankly I would take everything with a pinch of salt.

Glad you are helping too, but all seems to be in hand. :-)

It is heartening.  The vet did give the pair of them a right going through by all accounts but is now helping them out really above and beyond what you would expect.

Will pass on the socilaisation suggestions.

> And the reason the breeder gave for selling it was it's mother was rejecting it

It is normal at around five weeks for bitches to seem to be rejecting their pups as they are weaning them so restricting the pups access to the milk bar so that it can start to dry up.  Usually in another week Mum would be much more interested in being with the pups again and at this stage starts to discipline and play with them, sorting out any squabbles and they learn canine etiquette, when she will allow them to suckle when she won't what they can get away with re hanging off her ears and what they can't.

So I've now seen the dog and got the full story.  It seems to be a staffy x, as if there aren't enough already.  It can't even focus yet and whines constantly when it is awake, all 5 minutes every 4-5 hours.

I've reported it to the SSPCA and had a chat with the CPO for this (deprived) area and they are going to look in to it.  There were 8 other pups and they were selling all of them at 5 weeks of age.  My friend chose her pup.  The rejection story was a load of rubbish.  The "Breeder" had simply had enough of all of the pups and are now looking to make a fast buck.

that is just so sad , my heart goes out to that puppy ,it still needs its litter mates ,when my pups go ill be heart broken but thay dont go before 8weeks and sometimes if not ready thay stay till 10 weeks xx