Breeding Pomeranians

Fading Pomeranian Puppy Syndrome – Is There Anything That Can Be Done?

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Last Updated on 21/06/2020 by Denise Leo. Post first published on March 2, 2016.

Fading Pomeranian Puppy SyndromeFading Puppy Syndrome is one of the saddest maladies. 

Some puppies have problems from day one, others fail to grow as expected, some pups start declining a few weeks after birth. There are lots of reasons why puppies may not thrive (whether it’s during birth or after a couple of weeks in the world) and some causes only get revealed during an autopsy. However, there are lots of pups that die without any logical reason, even after a thorough autopsy and tests.

Some causes may be:[emember_protected for=3 custom_msg=’ Sorry the complete article is only available to our Premium members. Please join us now.’] serious infections, liver disease, congenital heart defects, a cleft pallet…and many more. If it’s congenital heart failure, you know you couldn’t have prevented it. If, however, death was caused to poor nutrition, then you could have taken affirmative action and improved the food quality.

For no discernible reason, fading puppies seem to not have enough energy to suckle and may end up succumbing to malnutrition. If your puppy is fading, supplement his diet with electrolytes and vital nutrients that may help him improve. The odds aren’t in your pup’s favour in such circumstances but you can at least say you tried.

Keep the room he’s in most of the time warm and boost the humidity. Chilled pups cannot digest food, so number one thing is to keep puppy warm. Puppies that aren’t thriving don’t generally digest formula easily.

Puppy may be too far gone so his digestive system may not be working correctly. Formula often can increase the stress on the puppy’s system. Formula is a great idea for strong, healthy puppies that simply are not getting enough milk from their mother (especially in bigger litters). Go to my hand rearing Pomeranian puppies page for complete information on tube feeding and hand rearing Pomeranian pups.

Feed your puppy 1 cc every two hours if he weighs 3-4 ounces. Feeding through a tube is ideal for this. After your puppy gains some strength and weight, you no longer need those midnight feedings.

Within a few days, you’ll see a noticeable change in the puppy and he can go back to suckle his mother’s milk, as long as she has plenty of milk. If she doesn’t, then you can phase in the formula. Clean, fresh goat’s milk is better than formula if you can get it.

Monitor your puppy’s stools to ensure the formula is digested properly. If you see lots of curd, the formula should be diluted until the pup can handle the formula.

Antibiotics aren’t ideal but there are times when they’re the only choice to make. The dog may be in a life-threatening situation. Amoxicillin is given to the puppy for seven days if a bacterial infection is the cause. However, this medication and others that are similar, can cause damage to the beneficial form of intestinal flora so a probiotic supplement should also be given to your dog. Talk to your vet if you believe he needs antibiotics. Puppies can only have one drop as a dose. Overdosing is easy to avoid because of that single drop.

If your Pomeranian puppy hits the four week point and still requires more nutrients, you may use a dish. A week later, he can always be fed from a dish.

If he’s digesting his food properly, you can prepare the following special mixture and give it to your pet twice a day: • ½ teaspoon liver puree. • A pinch of probiotic powder.

• Plenty of water to make a gruel that will easily be gobbled up by your puppy.

• Use a high energy product (such as Dyne, Nutri-cal, Nutrigel ) . Mix with boiled water and feed to your pup 3 to 4 times daily.[easyazon_infoblock align=”center” cloak=”y” identifier=”B00063KI8A” locale=”US” localize=”y” nf=”n” tag=”petgal-20″]

If your puppy succumbs to health problems, try not to feel devastated about it. Of course, that’s easier to say and harder to do. Your heart is crying if you did everything you could and that wasn’t enough. It’s fair to have a grieving period, some more than others, but feel comforted that he’s in a better place. Sadly, some puppies weren’t meant to exist and others would lose their lives and there was nothing you could do for him. [/emember_protected]

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About

Denise Leo

Pomeranians are my passion, and I have shared my life with these darling little dogs for many decades. The creator and face behind this website is published author and Pomeranian breed authority Denise Leo of Dochlaggie Pomeranians.

Denise Leo
Denise Leo