I just had a 10 week old chihuahua puppy given to me, but there is something that concerns me. He sleeps alot and when he shakes his head he falls. Also he doesn’t really walk around well at all and whimpers sometimes. There is a big soft spot on top of his head too. Any help would be appreciated.

It doesn’t sound good to me. I’ve seen younger puppies walking around and playing. It sounds like he has hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, which means he’s not eating enough or not frequently enough. If not taken care of, he could have seizures or go into a coma. You need to give him Karo syrup (it’s corn syrup, you can find it in the baking aisle at the supermarket) and Nutrical (high calorie supplement that comes in a tube, available at pet food stores or online).

If you see that he’s acting sluggish, doesn’t want to play and has trouble standing up, give him 1/2 teaspoon of Karo syrup. If he doesn’t perk up in 30 minutes, then he might have a more serious condition and you need to call the vet. If the Karo syrup seems to work, add some to his water too (1 tsp per cup), then even if he’s not eating enough, he’s at least getting the sugar from the water when he drinks. Change the water everyday so bacteria doesn’t grow in the sweetened water. Always have Karo syrup on hand to give him when you see that he is acting sluggish, too sleepy, and not responsive. Also, give Nutrical (1/4 -1/3 inch) at bedtime and in the morning. If you are going out for an extended period of time, give him Nutrical before you leave. Make sure he has access to dry food all day long, put it close to him, in his crate with his water. A puppy should be eating dry food by the time he’s 12 weeks old. What are you feeding him now?

The soft spot on his head is nothing to worry about. Most newborns have a hole in their skull to ease pressure and allow movement during the birthing process because chihuahua heads are so big and the mother tends to be small. Most soft spots will fuse on their own as the puppy grows, or it could remain open. It doesn’t affect their health at all, just take reasonable care in not allowing him to bump his head on anything sharp or hard.

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Tags: Chihuahua Puppy