# Our new foster family - help, suggestions. Mom and babies



## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

I have bottle fed babies many times before, but it has been several years and with a small rescue that did all vet care. I can't remember much on the deworming practices!

We are a foster family for a local large city shelter that is completely overrun with animals. They have to euthanize an astonishing number each day just to try to keep the runs from being too full. There aren't many fosters, we try to help as much as we can. Today we took in a small mom, approx 30 lbs give or take, total heize 57 (I have no idea what she may be! Adorable little thing though). She came along with 3 babies that look about 4 weeks old to me, the shelter wasn't sure. They get so many dogs in they weren't even sure how many babies were with her. Another mom in the next isle over had two out of 5 already DOA in the kennel, and the other 3 were on their way out. They were to be euthanized. The shelter was hoping they were salvagable but they were so far gone already....

We are aware of the exposure risk to parvo, etc.

Momma has a touch of kennel cough (the usual yucky shelter variety) and the babies have a touch of it as well. Momma is to be started on clavamox tonight and was given dewormer, I believe panacur (it was the thick yellow stuff, my memory is saying that's panacur).

The shelter makes every effort o provide medical care, but we usually end up kicking in quite a few personal funds as well because they just don't have the resources to do what needs to be done sometimes. Can the pups, at 4 weeks, be dewormed. If so, with what and how much?

I know KC can "run its course" but worry about it turning into an upper respiratory and getting worse. They are isolated and with momma, she is nursing well and shy but very friendly.

Ideas, suggestions, are welcome. I've never done a momma with pups before, so this aspect is new to me.

Thank you


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

Perhaps an mod can move this to one of the breeding sections if no one here has any suggestions?


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

Moved to breeding to get more attention from folks familiar with moms and young pups.


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

Yes, you can worm pups that age with a puppy safe wormer (which basically means one in a solution that can be dosed down for such small animals). We deworm with Nemex 2 liquid wormer per the dosage directions on the bottle.

Ideal would be to run a fecal to figure out exactly what to worm for as not all wormers cover all types of worms. But certainly you could begin worming them at this age.


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

Thanks Chris - is that something I can order online or find in any particular store, or do I need to hit our vet for that? I doubt the shelter would have it available, but will certainly ask.


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

You can buy it online. We usually get it from Revival or KV Vet. Not terribly expensive. And it's a thick yellow liquid with some tasty flavoring that pups seem gonzo over, so easy to dose and administer with a syringe.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Though I can't help you with your question, I'd like to say that I really admire you for your efforts!


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

Thank you.  We try to help when/where we can. Sometimes it is too late and they can't be saved.  It was heartbreaking knowing that the other litter (the remaining ones) and one very sick and aggressive momma were to be put down when we left, but we are trying to remain focused on the positive and know that as the foster coordinater said, they all need help, and all litters need out. Trying to save the ones who can't be saved endangers the ones who actually have a chance, like these guys.

Momma is doing SUCH a good job with her babies, and her temperament and intelligence is just fabulous. She reminds me so much of my Audrey, who came from a rough past, but I think this little girl was treated better and just rather neglected. The spare bedroom she and her pups are in is almost empty, so I let her out to walk around and hand feed her a few treats while her pups were working on mushed watered down canned puppy food for the first time. She seemed to enjoy the break, and knows sit, down (if you let her follow the treat with her nose, she goes right down) and "comes" nicely. I think she will make some family a super dog when her pups are weaned and she is spayed.

The little blonde puppy (female) is very outgoing, first to the door of the pen every time! We have one black female with a white belly and white paws, and a fluffy black male who looks like he'll have a thicker coat, although I'm not sure that he will be a "long coat." Mom was in desperate need of a bath, she was very VERY itchy and filthy. My SO remarked as we were bathing her, "Look at that, she's supposed to be white."  She is still pretty stained and grungy colored, but we scrubbed well and rinsed well and she is nice and clean and itch free. Not a flea in sight, surprisingly.

She is very, very, sweet. These are only a couple cell phone photos so they are poor quality. We went with a 3 ft tall x-pen (put it in a 4 x 4 ft square and will likely end up needing to add another in a week or two which will actually make it 12 x 4), cedar shavings, and tried a childs swimming pool, but the pups can get out but not back in, and we were very concerned there would be an accident as there wasn't much room between the sides of the pen and the pool. They can not get their heads in the x-pen bars, so it seems to be a safe setup. Suggestions are of course welcome if there is a better way to do this.

Mom is either house broken, or very tidy and "crate training" herself in the pen, because she holds it until a leashed potty break. This is nice, because the pen stays very clean for the pups. The cedar should also ward off any fleas just in case there are any, but I have picked through their coats and can't find any. Pink skin, white fur on the mom and one pup, so they would show up easily.


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