Kaffy Magee Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 I have an almost 2 week old pup that's a swimmer. At first I didn't know what was wrong with him as I have never had one before, I had him at the vets ASAP because I thought he was going down hill. All was good except he was lethargic and weak, and vet put him on anti biotics. It didn't make much sense as he still wanted to feed and when he was on his tummy ( which I now realise was all the time, I hadn't paid much attention to that) he looked like a squashed toad or flat pancake. When I explained my concerns to the vet he brushed me off and said he checked everything and all felt good. I knew something was not right though so researched and researched and it turns out he is a swimmer. I watched his behaviour and yes, while all the others are getting up on their legs his were out to the side and " paddling". He was always on his tummy and when I would put him on his side he would immediately roll back to his tummy. Anyway, I've been making sure he lies on his side and he has his own box with egg cartons, scrunched paper and a teddy, underneath the blanket so it's all uneven and he can't lie flat. I feel he has improved in 24 hours and when watching him he is bringing his front legs up underneath him to crawl forward now, still not up like the others but at least he is putting his legs in the right spot. My question is as I've been observing him, he now will lie on his tummy but tucks his front legs under him, is this ok or should I still not let him lie on his tummy at all and is it ok for him to drape himself over a teddy on his tummy? A couple of times I've noticed him on his side on his own but I'm thinking its still early days and to not relax yet as he still prefers to be on his tummy. Such a stressful time, not knowing what was wrong but so pleased it can be fixed since caught so early :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pockets Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Have you looked at doing the pillow bag over the chair technique? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaffy Magee Posted January 10, 2013 Author Share Posted January 10, 2013 Hi Pockets, I did read the pinned thread about that, , but its so hot here I was worried about putting him in a pillow case. Ive never had a litter in this kind of weather and have been stressing about whether they are too hot too cold etc. they were all crying the other day when I first noticed the little boy as being unwell so I immediately thought they were all getting sick, turns out after researching some threads here and someone having the same problem they were hot. So I'm a little paranoid to put him in a pillow case in case he gets too hot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdoubleJ Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Read what I have written about the channel - I found this was brilliant...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jed Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Hi Kaffy, don't you hate it when you know more than your vet? LOL I had a couple of swimmers not long ago (first ones), and did what you are doing. Personally, I would turn him onto his side if you see him on his tummy. Mine would lie chest up on the rises I put in their box .... rolled up towels and cardboard fruit containers (like cardboard egg cases). Whenever I went by, I turned them to their sides, and I did make them crawl backwards and forwards over their "landscape course". I would put them at the opposite end to mother, so they had to work to get back to her. I couldn't make the pillow case thing work, and mother was very distressed about them not being in with her. Good luck with him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shazzapug Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Look in the pinned topics and put him in a pillowcase or he wont survive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shazzapug Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 I recently had a flat chested puppy and googled it and found that everything on the net said flat chested was a swimmer....having had a few swimmers a pup being flat chested is not a swimmer. Any updates on the puppy?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaffy Magee Posted January 31, 2013 Author Share Posted January 31, 2013 Just an update, sorry I haven't been in here much. Little pup is fine. Lots of keeping him on his side has done the trick! He is 5 weeks now and such a cutie. Vet is trying to tell me that they mainly see swimmers in labs and that it sounds like my boy was just slow( roll eyes). I explained everything to him about how he was but no he still thinks he was a slow learner. I of course don't believe that for a minute! He was definitely not ok. I also rang them on a Saturday morning about my bitch getting mastitis. It was only early stages but being the weekend I didn't want to leave it. Of course they wanted to see her and brushed of my concerns which infuriated me. I still got my antibiotics though, I wasn't leaving without them! It's so frustrating, i haven't built up a rapport with them as I'm still new to the area and I hate being treated like I don't know what I'm talking about! Thank you all who responded to my post, Lil Squishy as he is known is just fine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Baggins Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 Hi Pockets, I did read the pinned thread about that, , but its so hot here I was worried about putting him in a pillow case. Ive never had a litter in this kind of weather and have been stressing about whether they are too hot too cold etc. they were all crying the other day when I first noticed the little boy as being unwell so I immediately thought they were all getting sick, turns out after researching some threads here and someone having the same problem they were hot. So I'm a little paranoid to put him in a pillow case in case he gets too hot. I have not been in here for ages. Glad its fixed Kaffy. I would suggest a string bag for hot areas. ie the sort you put stockings etc in so they do not tangle in the wash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jed Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 Look in the pinned topics and put him in a pillowcase or he wont survive. My pups survived, and so did the pups of a friend, without the pillowcase That's fantastic, Kaff,but it could be time for another vet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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