Found 3week old chihuahua puppy?

Question

Hi I recently found a 3 week old chihuahua puppy in my yard in a shoe box, and I'm thinking about keeping it. Is there any chance of it living since its not with the mom. I've heard they should stay with the mom till they are 8 weeks old. I've gone around to all my neighbors and no one seems to know where it came from. I don't know what to do but keep it I've bought it puppy formula and have been doing research on it and even though I have two chihuahuas of my own I've never had one this small I'm a little scarred but what advice would anyone give me? Helpful advice not someone bashing me because I'm deciding to keep it not knowing how to properly care for it at this age. Again I've never had one or would dream of getting one this young, but its kinda hard to walk away when it's in your yard do helpless. I want to do the best for it so it could later become a part of our family. Do u think if I take it to the vet they'll take it from me?

Answer 1

Sorry, but I be having a difficult time believing such a story....

First off.... how do you know its age? and why is it in "your yard" & "in a shoe box"....?

IF you were to read this from our point of view.... you'd probably agree with me.

Oh, this is not me bashing you or being rude either.... this is pure honesty of the issue at hand.



This pup needs more then you're providing. Get it to a vet or rescue pronto or it will likely die.

Toy breeds need to stay with their Mum's for a minimum of 10 to 12 weeks. Med. to Lg. breed pups can leave their Mum at 8 weeks or older.

Answer 2

How do you even know it's a purebred Chihuahua? At 3 weeks old, you can't tell--unless you know the parents.



Contact the Humane Society and ask them to find a foster home for the puppy. If you want to adopt him, you can do so when he's old enough. Besides, even if someone did put him in your yard to die in a shoebox, you have no way of knowing it that was done by the owner. Could have been somebody malicious, like an ex-boyfriend. By going through the Humane Society, the owner will have a set period (usually 3 to 7 days) to claim the pup--if that doesn't happen, then later you can obtain *legal* ownership of the pup. If you just keep it, the owner can show up at any time and reclaim the dog and there won't be a thing you can do about it. His property.



And if you try to raise such a fragile puppy yourself, you probably have about a 50% chance of success. Do you want to be responsible for killing this puppy? Does his/her life mean so little to you that you wouldn't get it expert care?



As for the person who claims to be experienced, obviously she doesn't know as much as she thinks she does: "I would vaccinate at 4-6 weeks if it were me since the pup isn't getting moms milk". No vet will vaccinate a 4 week old pup because the vaccine won't take due to interference by maternal antibodies. Even at 6 weeks there is only a 25% chance the shot will be useful. Most vets won't give shots until 8 weeks of age (even then, they're only 40% effective--which is why you need a series of shots as the pup gets older).



And whether or not the pup continues to get his mother's milk make NO DIFFERENCE regarding antibodies. Antibodies are transferred with colostrum milk during ONLY the first 12 to 24 hours of the pup's life. After that, they are no longer absorbed directly through the pup's intestines but continue through to be digested along with the milk.

Answer 3

Well first if your parents says ok to another dog. However, I really wouldn't recommend a puppy for you. They need to be watched constantly. But ultimately it is your choice. I would actually recommend a dog that is a little older so that you don't need to watch him constantly. Do you know if your current dog likes other dogs? You should also take that in as a factor if you should get a puppy or not. Most dogs like being the "only child" in that they get all your attention. Some can be dog aggressive. Do you know if your dog is? As I said before, it is your choice, but I really would not recommend getting a puppy if it would be alone for 8 hours, 2 days a week. If your parents says yes, and your dog is good with other dogs, you should get a dog that is a little older, around a year old.

Answer 4

This is how tiny and vulnerable, a 3 week old Chihuahua puppy is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaMlOp1jOEk



If you found this little Chi puppy in a shoebox in your front yard, then someone put it there. They took this puppy away from it's mom and siblings 9 weeks too soon. A Chihuahua puppy needs to stay with mom and siblings, until they are at least 12 weeks old, no younger than that.



Unless you know exactly what you are doing for the puppy, the puppy is very vulnerable and may not survive, unless someone who knows exactly how to take care of a Chihuahua puppy that young, takes the puppy in.



I would suggest that you take the puppy to any vets office and Surrender her to the vet. The vet will give her all the care she needs and when she is old enough, will find her the proper home. She could not be in better hands.

Answer 5

Instead of all the nonsense you have already been told I am going to give real advice! Use a heating pad with fleece blankets in a box, the puppy has to be kept warm. At three weeks of age you can probably get by with bottle feeding every 3 hours even through out the night. You might still have to take a paper towel or cloth and dampen it and wipe it's peepee and bottom to make it use the bathroom. When teeth start coming thru mix the warm formula with a good quality puppy food until it's just mush. This can be started at 4 weeks from there it's a breeze. I would vaccinate at 4-6 weeks if it were me since the pup isn't getting moms milk. I hope this helps :) also some people use goats milk instead of puppy milk replacer you can buy this at any feed store or dilute can goats milk. I have a breeder friend who swears by it.

Answer 6

Where id you really get the dog? There is no way you would have found a tiny puppy in a shoe box in your yard. You need to take the puppy back to the BYBer you got it from



The fact you know its age shows you didn't find it, you either bred your mutts or got it from a BYBer or far more likely stole it and need to return it



Second there is no way you found it in a shoe box much less found said show box in your yard



Give the puppy to a rescue since you clearly don't know what you are doing

Answer 7

Chances are that he was dropped off, I wouldn't bother putting up signs because if the owner would just neglect a three week old Chihuahua like that They don't deserve to keep the dog. Personally I would consult a vet but if you don't have the time for now. 1: Find a bag of puppy chow, maybe some sort of supplement. 2: take some water and add the three into a blender. 3: feed it to him with some sort of spoon. This is what the vet told us to do when we thought our Yorkshire wasn't producing milk for her puppies.

Answer 8

Here is vet-trusted page from www.veterinarypartner.com that explains orphan puppy and kitten care. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=576



Someone suggested dropping the puppy off at a vet's office and leaving it. This could work, if there is a staff member or one of the vet's clients who enjoys puppy rescue work. A puppy cannot be left at the vet, because it would need attention after hours.



You can do this, if the puppy is healthy. I would get the puppy to a vet on Monday morning, and ask for any assistance and information to help you.



Although your story is hard to believe, I have seen things like that at the vet hospital. You will have quite a few sleepless nights ahead.

Answer 9

Take it to a vet and leave it there until he gets a little older and stronger. Don't get attached just yet because anything can happen to that little baby

Answer 10

How do you know it's 3 weeks old? You stole it.