# LAPPING PROBLEM!!!! im worried HELP!!!



## toylittlehorse (Apr 30, 2004)

well i got joey, and she is fine, except for the fact that she is not lapping her water even when i got milk for her she refuses and the breeder says to make sure she drinks every 2 hours, so i am very worried. i have to make her drink it with a seringe and she just spits it out, so i got her a baby bottle today and she still spits it out, i am trying everything and she refuses. what shall i do?

the breeder did warn me that she might do this as she was the spoiltest of the litter and the tiniest and that she was the only one that the mum allowed to still drink from her. but she also lapped her water fine by the breeder.

other than the drinking problem...and well (i thought she had a coughing problem, but i read here thats its normal...what a relief).....she is perfect, she is so happy and friendly and playful and doesnt cry or anything. she sleeps and wakes up and eat, then plays with her toys or me and then hops back into bed and sleep. she is still in her sleepy stage i think, but she is soooo sweet i love her. i have like a million pictures to post of her as i cant stop taking pictures of how cute and the cute stuff she does


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## KB (Apr 13, 2004)

I dont think Kemo drinks enough either, I get a dropper and fill it and on the side of their mouth is a pocket and when you fill that pocket they should swallow. Now Kemo has kept it in his mouth and spit it out (bad boy) but I know he gets something. Mostly they can get water from their food (like can). If her gums are pale then she is dehydrated otherwise dont worry. 
Kemo will also drink like a fish one day and hardly drink anything the next, as long as she is peeing she should be ok.


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## Boogaloo (Mar 27, 2004)

I don't have any real words of wisdom although I do know that if I want Bosco to drink (ie before we go for a walk on a hot day) I will throw a few ice cubes in his water bowl and he starts lapping right away. Also, if Joey is eating just fine, you may want to add a little water to her food to give her more liquids. 

Good luck! If nothing seems to work I would call your vet and ask. That is what they are there for! I can't wait to see all your pictures!


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## PrattFamily (May 10, 2004)

i have heard that pedilite (those drinks for kids when they are deyhrated) 
are good, they have flavored ones too that might help?
you could try giving her ice cubes, they are sorta like a treat but they are water so when she licks it, that might help?
I hope it works out alright.


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## Ms_P (Apr 25, 2004)

When I want Sandy to drink, usually when we've been outside in the heat for a while, I will just dunk my finger in the water and she licks it off. After she does this a few times she usually starts drinking herself.
If Joey is peeing ok I wouldn't worry about it though. She'll drink when she's thirsty.


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## NoahFL (May 14, 2004)

You can put alittle LOW-SALT chicken broth heavily diluted with water or make your own chicken broth and heavily dilute it. Say a 1-2TBS of broth to 1 cup of water. This is a common strategy with dogs who are paralyzed. When a dog is paralyzed, they tend not to want to drink and dehydrate fast. Once she gets to drinking regularly, slowly decrease the amount of chicken broth in her water.


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## emc (Jun 2, 2004)

Boy, you people really spoil your dogs. Making a dog drink when it doesn't want to?? Just have a bowl of fresh water available always and let her be. I've yet to hear of a dog dying of thirst because it refused to drink. When my poochie was a pup I hardly ever noticed her drinking water. 

Chihuahuas On The Web
http://www.freewebs.com/chihuahua


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## hockenhaus_chihuahuas (Jul 20, 2004)

*lapping problem*

Hmmmm......why did the breeder allow you to bring the puppy home if it werent able to drink water yet? She should be able to drink on her own, you should NOT have to force her. How old is this puppy? If you continue to have problems, and she is not voiding adequately, I would take her back to the breeder. She could dehydrate very quickly if she is not getting enough fluids. Good luck!


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## KB (Apr 13, 2004)

emc said:


> Boy, you people really spoil your dogs. Making a dog drink when it doesn't want to?? Just have a bowl of fresh water available always and let her be. I've yet to hear of a dog dying of thirst because it refused to drink. When my poochie was a pup I hardly ever noticed her drinking water.


While you are most certainly entitled to your opinion, please try to be more thoughful in your posts. Most people walk around dehydrated and dont know it. That is what this board is for to talk and share ideas  That is exactly why she was posting the question. I will spoil my dog, and I will not let my dog go w/out water if I dont think he is getting enough. If dogs arent well they tend not to want to drink or eat (much like a human) by being hydrated it helps them to stay well in most cases. Thank you for understanding!


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## toylittlehorse (Apr 30, 2004)

*Re: lapping problem*

thanks everybody....she is drinking the milk in the baby bottle when i put it at the side of her mouth, but i have to do it like ever two hours, well thats what the breeder said. i really wish she would lap on her own like she did at the breeder's. however she is peeing and eating fine. so i guess i shouldnt have to worry to much



hockenhaus_chihuahuas said:


> Hmmmm......why did the breeder allow you to bring the puppy home if it werent able to drink water yet? She should be able to drink on her own, you should NOT have to force her. How old is this puppy? If you continue to have problems, and she is not voiding adequately, I would take her back to the breeder. She could dehydrate very quickly if she is not getting enough fluids. Good luck!


she had no problem at the breeder's she was lapping her water fine, its just that she was so spoilt that the mother still allowed her to drink from her and the breeder figured with the change of enviroment she would give trouble with lapping which she is. she will be 3 month on the 5th august.


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## OzzyAndLilysMom (Mar 9, 2004)

totally agree with kemos mama  

toy little horse from the sounds of it i would say she was still allowing this pup to take most of its fluids from the mothers milk and it was only occasionally lapping by itself , she really shouldnt have let it drink from the mom after so many weeks of age ( 5 or 6 dont quote me on this im not 100 % sure) and she definately shouldnt of let her go if she wasnt lapping which she obviously wasnt otherwise you wouldnt be having this problem

lots of luck with the bottle feeding keep us updated on little joey and hurry up with the pics :wave:


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## Boogaloo (Mar 27, 2004)

Are you giving Joey milk that is specially formulated for pups? I recently read that you should not let a puppy drink regular milk - milk on rare occasions is fine but more than that can cause problems because they can't digest lactose. I just wanted to make sure!

Good luck with Joey - I want to see some pictures!


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## emc (Jun 2, 2004)

Hmm, just where was it that I wasn't being thoughtful. Chihuahuas are dogs and dogs aren't people and they don't react the same as people. Dogs know when they feel thirsty and instinct tells them what to do. Unless there's some medical issue involved they shouldn't be forced to drink if they don't want to. The thing with Chihuahuas is their smallness and cuteness makes folks fuss and cuddle over them tooo much and then they wonder why they're having problems with them.


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## KB (Apr 13, 2004)

emc said:


> Hmm, just where was it that I wasn't being thoughtful. *RIGHT HERE....Boy, you people really spoil your dogs. Making a dog drink when it doesn't want to?? and HERE.....I've yet to hear of a dog dying of thirst because it refused to drink.*
> The thing with Chihuahuas is their smallness and cuteness makes folks fuss and cuddle over them tooo much and then they wonder why they're having problems with them. *This was borderline also*


 There is a right way and a wrong way to say things...we are one family here, I personally took offense and I am sure others may too. Obviously we are tryin to keep her dog hydrated while she figures out what is wrong....that is what the whole post is about. I dont go around shoving a dropper in my dogs mouth...but when he is on meds that may have urinary issues, I will most certainly "make" him take water, I told my vet that and she encouraged me to do so....and if its hot I want him to drink....that is me, it does not have to be you. We ask you to take into consideration here that there are many types of people on this forum. Experienced and not experienced. Also posting a smiley might lighten your comments too. Thank you


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## hockenhaus_chihuahuas (Jul 20, 2004)

*I can see the problem now...*

Which is totally none of your faults or the pups. When you buy a pup, all the hard work should be already done....lol. Apparently the breeder didnt properly wean him. I always separate the pups from momma at 8 weeks and they go to their new homes at 10. The two week interval is to ensure they are eating, drinking, socializing without any influence from the mother, and to prepare them for life without her. 
I just feel bad that the pup wasnt totally weaned for you. And someone mentioned cows milk. I trust you are not using THAT? Cows milk is very high in lactose, which can lead to stomach upset and diahhrea because puppies cannot properly digest it. They lack the enzyme that breaks it down.
I would suggest puppy milk replacer or even goats milk. But if your pup is 3 months old, he really doesnt need it anymore anyways. It wont hurt to bottle feed him plain water, but dont prolong it, or he will expect it forever :lol: . Of course, its adorable to see a baby chi drinking from a bottle, but try to change it from being a neccessity to only a parlor trick. Let us know how you make out! Heather


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## Mia (Feb 29, 2004)

hey meg, id try not to worry too much, i remember when i first got keeks, i was stressing over the fact she didnt seem to be eating or drinking. but it takes them a few days to settle in. because of the new enviroment they tend to be scared of everything, so youll put water in a bowl and theyll be scared of the bowl.
so its very likely its just joey settling in and nothing to worry about, your certainly right to be concerned as joey is very small.
did les tell you about the test you can do? pull up joeys skin and if it just stays there istead of springing back its likey that joey is dehydrated
If joey doesnt seem to show ne signs of dehydration and her nose it wet then, you probably dont have to try every two hours, just make sure theres some down right near her bed, as she may be scared to venture any futher
mia
x


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## emc (Jun 2, 2004)

Well I'm sorry you feel that way because I have never been rude or inconsiderate in any of my posts and it seems you (Kemo's mom) is the only one taking offense since no one else is complaining.


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## KB (Apr 13, 2004)

No there are more but your not seeing that. We don't want squabbling here and it's our job to stop it! Thank you


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## OzzyAndLilysMom (Mar 9, 2004)

I also agree with kemos mamma but as this is such a friendly forum i didnt say anything on the boards like alot of people didnt as we dont want to start any arguing over pointless things like your rudeness as we really do have more important things toi do with our lives so how ever much you keep going on at kemos mama she wont bite back.......................  

tip for emc : read what you type before you press send and try adding smilies, also take your chi forum out of your sig nobodys leaving here to join yours.....................lol :lol: its just rude you could ask for advertisement first :wink:


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## CuddleMeChi (Apr 29, 2004)

You need to buy puppy milk. Most places carry it. My grocery store and Kmart even carry it. I would use this and then start watering it down gradually each feeding. NO COW'S MILK.

gatorade is also something people use for dehydration should it occur. You can also make gatorade slushies by semi freezing and putting in dish. My dogs love this on a hot day.
Keep an eye on the dogs gums and the inside fleshy part of the ear. these should be PINK and not gray or white. 
I also want to address the coughing thing you mentioned on a few posts......You should in no way assume that all chi's that cough are only doing this because the breed. New pups could take a wrong turn quickly if it is kennel cough. Also the sleeping all day should be considere. New pups sleep a bit but sleeping and laying around alot can also be a sign of coccidia.Some signs of coccidia are moping and sleeping, not eating and drinking .

Have you had you pup checked at all since you got him. You should have done this right away when you brought him home . he should have had a wellness check along with a stool check by now.


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## OzzyAndLilysMom (Mar 9, 2004)

I think she more than likely has as most people get new pups checked within 48 - 72 hours of getting them , I know when I first had ozzy the first few days he hardly drank and ate not a morsel also he slep all the time only waking for about 20 mins at a time having a wee and a play and then curling back asleep.

i would definately check it over with your vet but im presuming you have already done this as you are an intelligent woman :wave:


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## emc (Jun 2, 2004)

If I offended anyone I apologize, that was never my intention. I just found it strange that anyone would make their dog drink when it had no desire to do so. That's all.

Chihuahuas On The Web
http://www.freewebs.com/chihuahua


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## OzzyAndLilysMom (Mar 9, 2004)

well we know alot about chihuahuas as i suppose you do too.................what kemos mama was trying to say is if the puppy is weak it does need to be fed it is very small and only weighs a pound, I would rather force it too drink if it wasnt having enough..................she didnt imply that we should all force our chis to drink water just if they are weak or sick to give them a hand  

and still you have your forum advertised in your sig without permission..............i really think you should take it out..............weve all seen it now anyway :lol: put your dogs name and your name in instead that is the purpose of the signature not for free advertisement............................lol


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## my3angels (Apr 15, 2004)

> Boy, you people really spoil your dogs. Making a dog drink when it doesn't want to?? Just have a bowl of fresh water available always and let her be. I've yet to hear of a dog dying of thirst because it refused to drink. When my poochie was a pup I hardly ever noticed her drinking water. (*maybe that is because your pup wasnt sick or stressed when you brought it home*


Don’t hospitals put IV's in people when they are sick so they don’t become dehydrated? I remember being very sick one time and I couldn’t even keep down a cup of water. They had to have me on an IV for a couple days before my body was able to fight off the infection I had. 
If you are a dog owner you need to take _responsibility_ for your dog. Just because they are a dog that doesn’t mean you ignore them when they are sick. If you do not want to put in the effort to make your dog better then, in my opinion, you shouldn’t own a dog. 
Now don’t misunderstand me...I think there are people out there who try too much for a sick dog...where the most humane thing to do in their situations is to put the dog down, but since the person isn’t ready to let go they try to keep their dogs alive as long as possible, ignoring if their dogs are suffering or not. In this case toylittlehorse is doing what most dog owners would do...her baby is probably stressed and is taking some time to adjust to the new home...because they are so small you need to take special care that the pup doesn’t dehydrate or go into hypoglycemic shock from not eating...something that can happen within a day (speaking from experience)
Toylittlehorse - I had a Papillion who would not eat and would not drink. It had to do with a mix of being stressed and having some sort of protein deficiency. After I found out what the problem was from my vet all I had to do was force feed Sammie and make him drink for about a week and he bounced back. Today he is a healthy 1yr old and does agility. Just think if I was lazy and decided not to bother trying to help him. You are being a good chi mommy and don’t think otherwise! Just be sure you keep in contact with your vet because your pup should be drinking.
EMC - Kemmo's mom is not the only one who took offence to what you said. I did as soon as I read your first post. Kemmo's mom is a moderator of this site and it is her job to warn member when they cross the line and you did. Your words could have, and were, taken in a bad way and that is not the kind of environment we want on this site. This is not to say we don’t want you here on this site, all we are saying is that you really need to watch how you word your posts. Everyone here loves their chi's and consider them members of the family. What if you have someone here who does not have kids, and their dogs are all they have, they would take great offence to your comment. Please be mindful of other people and you will do fine on this site.
Jessica
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## toylittlehorse (Apr 30, 2004)

hey all, well first things first....THANKS FOR ALL THE ADVICE!....mia thanks alot since our chis share certain temperments, i especially like to hear from you about how keeks was.

NO!!! i did not use cow's milk. i got SOY milk, that is for babies. The breeder told me if i have to get milk for her use that. Also she is eating fine, she loves to eat, so i started added water to her wet food and laying off the milk as i dont want her to get to use to it and still giving her water from the baby bottle. she doesnt exactly sleep all day, she has a routine, and when she gets up, she is so playing and full of energy and loves cuddles and kisses.

let me remind you that she was lapping fine at the breeder's home, she was the baby of the litter and the last one to leave her mom. its just she was the only one the mom still allowed to drink from ocassionly, not that she wasnt lapping.

as for her coughing, i really need to get that checked out as she is doing it way too often and it sounds more like a cat coughing up a hair ball than an inner sneeze. however im sorry to say i havnt taken her for her check up as yet as the breeder adviced me to do so in a week or so, let her settle in first then take her for her check up and vacination and worming.

as for pix, ill be posting them maybe over the weekend. as i left my usb cable at my bro's house.

--- oh in chitchat topics i plan to put a post for those who wanna know more about joey so far. so look out for it. im gonna do that now.


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## OzzyAndLilysMom (Mar 9, 2004)

I really have to advise you to take her foir a general health check anyone will tell you she should be seen within 24 - 72 hours of having her, I know the breeder is good as mia reccomends her but I would query why she is telling you to wait a week definately dont take her advice ................... it sounds a little fishy to me, you are supposed to take them in as if there was anything wrong you would be able to take her back to the breeder on the vets recomendation but after a week you will be way too attached to take her ...................... PLEASE RING YOUR VETS AND TAKE HER FOR A CHEVCK UP TOMORROW, ALSO SHE SHOULD BE DUE HER SHOTS ?


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## CuddleMeChi (Apr 29, 2004)

I agree with Ozzys Mom. That a breeder would tell you to wait a week sounds very strange to me indeed. The pup should of went withing the first couple days. You should have arranged this before you even picked the pup up.. Please call a vet right away. Hairball hacking cough is usually kennel cough which is extremely dangerous to such a small pup :wave: 

Oh also how is the guarantee you got? Some only give you 48 hours for guarantee... not saying this is the case with you just don't want you to get behind the eightball. The longer you wait the more attached you get!!!!!


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## my3angels (Apr 15, 2004)

Toylittlehorse - It's so hard to know what to do. If I went to a reccomended breeder and they told me to hold off a week I probably would had done that...after all they are breeders, they should know better right. You usually want to get them checked out asap after you bring your pup home.
The water in the food is a great idea! Always keep a bowl of water for your pup at all times (which I am sure you are doing). Puppies can act very funny that first week at home. Toy breeds can be especially finiky and since they have such a low weight, it can cause a lot of problems. Its a very good sign that your pup is eating and is full of energy! Keep doing what you are doing! The vet should be able to tell you if you need to worry or not.
Keep us updated!!!
Jessica


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## OzzyAndLilysMom (Mar 9, 2004)

BUMPING...................to find out if little joey has been to the vets :wave:


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## OzzyAndLilysMom (Mar 9, 2004)

BUMP.................update please :wave:


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## toylittlehorse (Apr 30, 2004)

ozzymom check chi-chat. LOL :wave:


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## OzzyAndLilysMom (Mar 9, 2004)

lol..............i found it :wave:


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## toylittlehorse (Apr 30, 2004)

GOOD NEWS!!!

for the first time today joey went over to her WATER BOWL and drank WATER, she usally just laps the water that i put in her food! im so happy now, and saw that she did it more than once today like 4 times so now i could give her her food without water.


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## Kelly (Jun 30, 2004)

That is great news. I'm sure it makes you feel so much better.


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## KB (Apr 13, 2004)

*Aw very good news! YEAH!* :wave:


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## my3angels (Apr 15, 2004)

Great news! It just took him a little longer then normal to get the hang of it. Here's hoping this continues!!!
Jessica


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