# 5 week old puppy-pants a lot is this normal



## chloesmama2 (Feb 18, 2012)

Hi I have a new 5 week old female puppy and she pants all the time is this normal. I. just concerned since the vet said we have to wait to have shots until 7 weeks old. Also do they carry the mothers immunity to protect them until then or why do you have to wait. we have had parvo with our other puppy because we believed he wad up to date on shots when we got him and he was not an got really sick. he lived bit we want to avoid this and we know she does not have shots. just worried first time he puppy.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

chloesmama2 said:


> Hi I have a new 5 week old female puppy and she pants all the time is this normal. I. just concerned since the vet said we have to wait to have shots until 7 weeks old. Also do they carry the mothers immunity to protect them until then or why do you have to wait. we have had parvo with our other puppy because we believed he wad up to date on shots when we got him and he was not an got really sick. he lived bit we want to avoid this and we know she does not have shots. just worried first time he puppy.


First, how did you get a five week old puppy? They shouldn't be away from mom until they are 6-8 weeks, preferably 8 weeks. Second, how long ago did the other dog have parvo and was it in the same house? They carry the mothers immunity to about 5-9 weeks, so the timing of the shots is important, especially since the pup is so young.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

Good question. In many places it is actually illegal to sell a puppy less than 8 weeks old.


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## chloesmama2 (Feb 18, 2012)

People selling them said mother stopped feeding. we decided to take one since i. home all day. our other puppy had pathos about 6 months ago but we bleached the whole yard and house and crate toys etc.the vet said we caught really early he only had thrown up twice and no diarrea, but we did get the shot for him the day we got hI'm because i wad worried the people lied about getting his white. the vet said that saved him. 
i have new mommy worry and i am getting her shot in two weeks when she is 7 weeks old. Does she have a good chance of getting this disease right now. Thank you for your help.


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

The breeder should have kept the pups longer so that they could learn from their mother and siblings. It's a key part of their socialization. 

Also, I have always heard that you should wait a year before bringing a puppy into a home where a puppy/dog has had parvo. I would be very concerned, especially given your puppy's age and apparent lack of proper care at the breeder. 

Did the breeder take the puppies to the vet for a health check-up?


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Parvo Virus..no matter what the strain can live 6 months plus outside in any conditions(cold, wet, hot, etc) Bleach can help but that is not to guarantee you got everything everywhere--inside and out!! It is a VERY dangerous time for your pup. Just today I was informed that my friends neighbor had a puppy in Oct that had parvo, it died, she went and got another puppy against the doctors advice in November and that puppy also got Parvo--he at the vet right now but expected to live. I'm not to sure the shot can help if the virus is already present


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

BowWowMeow said:


> The breeder should have kept the pups longer so that they could learn from their mother and siblings. It's a key part of their socialization.
> 
> Also, I have always heard that you should wait a year before bringing a puppy into a home where a puppy/dog has had parvo. I would be very concerned, especially given your puppy's age and apparent lack of proper care at the breeder.
> 
> Did the breeder take the puppies to the vet for a health check-up?


I doubt highly this was a breeder and if it was remind me not to ever do business with them...this gets me so mad


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## chloesmama2 (Feb 18, 2012)

No they had not been taken to the vet yet. I originally did not bring her home my daughter did and they gave final into on the puppy. just that she wad pure breed German shepard and that she was born Jan 14th.
I know about waiting on the pathos thong in the house but she is here now and has been for almost a week wouldn't she show signs already. I wish i would not have taken her now but i already have now what can i do. we went back to where the people were located and they are no longer here.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

chloesmama2 said:


> No they had not been taken to the vet yet. I originally did not bring her home my daughter did and they gave final into on the puppy. just that she wad pure breed German shepard and that she was born Jan 14th.
> I know about waiting on the pathos thong in the house but she is here now and has been for almost a week wouldn't she show signs already. I wish i would not have taken her now but i already have now what can i do. we went back to where the people were located and they are no longer here.


So you actually had her at 4 weeks? This is my horrified look:wild: All you can do is wait and watch carefully--very carefully. The puppy I mentioned earlier did not get the parvo virus for 3 months and per the owner it did have all of its puppy shots(I don't believe that). You might want to call a vet to find out if they can give the pup a parvo test to be on the cautious side considering the situation. The test would be only for now because as in anything in life things change


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## chloesmama2 (Feb 18, 2012)

I am calling the vet again tomorrow to see if she can get in there next week to start her shots. i know it is had having her at 4 weeks of age but. can imagine about all the others ones and sold that day as well. I am taking care of her and will continue i have nursed 5 other dogs with pathos at my siste
rs because she likes puppies bit not the responsibility of getting shots so I have had to run to the rescue. i just wish this was better circumstances in which we got this puppy because of just is so hard. will her mothers immunity protect her until 6 weeks for her to ne old enough for the shot do you know.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

chloesmama2 said:


> I am calling the vet again tomorrow to see if she can get in there next week to start her shots. i know it is had having her at 4 weeks of age but. can imagine about all the others ones and sold that day as well. I am taking care of her and will continue i have nursed 5 other dogs with pathos at my siste
> rs because she likes puppies bit not the responsibility of getting shots so I have had to run to the rescue. i just wish this was better circumstances in which we got this puppy because of just is so hard. will her mothers immunity protect her until 6 weeks for her to ne old enough for the shot do you know.


The timeline is usually 6.5 weeks to 9 weeks..that is probably why the vet went with the 7 weeks. It would be a battle between the shot and mom's immunity.


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## Loneforce (Feb 12, 2012)

I hope that breeder never has pups again!!! Shame on them....I also hope everything works out good for you


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Since you already have the puppy - if I were in your shoes, I'd get the 5-way puppy vaccine ASAP. 

And it's 8 weeks for puppies, because between weeks 6-8 they are learning critical information such as bite inhibition. Only their siblings and mom can teach them those things. 
Even if we get an orphan litter we leave them together for the full 8 weeks.

PS. Bleach has to be diluted at the proper ratio or it will be ineffective against parvo, plus it's impossible to disinfect the ground. Hence the reason I'd start the puppy's vaccines _now_ instead of waiting. 

BTW, OP, are you typing on a cell phone? Your posts are quite difficult to read.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

chloesmama2 said:


> will her mothers immunity protect her until 6 weeks for her to ne old enough for the shot do you know.


It depends on how long ago Mom stopped nursing the puppies.

At this point your puppy has been exposed and either will get Parvo or won't.

Personally, I would wait until 8 weeks before getting the shot. If the pups' immune system IS being challenged by the virus right now you don't want to further compromise the system by pumping the puppy full of shots.


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## wyominggrandma (Jan 2, 2011)

I am going to take a wild shot in the dark and say I imagine the mother of the puppies was probably not vaccinated either.....
The puppy can get parvo even vaccinated, since I am going to bet it has no natural immunity, even the first shot will not protect it. The whole series of shots might, and that is a big might, give it enough immunity to fight off the Parvo that is in your home, but there is a HUGE chance this puppy will come down with parvo. It is not showing signs now, but it can catch Parvo from just being in your home, from the furniture, floor, shoes, anything that was touched by the sick puppy. 
Bringing a puppy home that is unvaccinated, probably no natural immunity from the mom into a home that had a parvo puppy is very very risky.We have had puppies come down with parvo after getting one or even two vaccinations after being exposed to Parvo. The vaccinations help, but if his immune system is already compromised, nothing is going to prevent him from getting sick at this point. He will or he won't at this point.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

> I am going to take a wild shot in the dark and say I imagine the mother of the puppies was probably not vaccinated either.....


I kind of think the same thing.

All vaccines do is prime the body to recognize and destroy the disease for which the pup was vaccinated against.
They aren't a magic bullet. 
If it was my puppy I'd have it in an X-pen with pee pads or newspapers, on a solid surface (such as tile or linoleum) that can be disinfected with the proper bleach-water solution (again, done at the ratio known to kill parvo, don't just slosh bleach and water together).
And I'd risk doing the vaccines, even now, and I'd probably do them two weeks apart, _as per the label recommendations on the vaccine vial._


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

chloesmama2 said:


> I am taking care of her and will continue i have nursed 5 other dogs with pathos at my siste
> rs because she likes puppies bit not the responsibility of getting shots so I have had to run to the rescue.


What is "pathos"?


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Freestep said:


> What is "pathos"?





> BTW, OP, are you typing on a cell phone? Your posts are quite difficult to read.


I am fairly certain the OP is typing on a cell. Autocorrect at it's finest.


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## shaner (Oct 17, 2010)

At this point the puppy has likely been exposed to Parvo and will either get it or won't. Hopefully the puppy is building up an immunity right now. All you can do is watch very, very closely. The second that puppy showed 2 or more symptoms of parvo, I would immediately race it to the vet. Diarrhea alone isn't enough, but diarrhea and other symptoms, it's time to go to the vet, even if it's the emergency clinic. 

Next time you want a pup, please do not take it at 4 weeks. Tell the "breeder" the puppies need to remain with the mother and littermates until 8 weeks old, even if she is not feeding them anymore.


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