Our 8 week old cocker spaniel is not interested in anything

Question
Hello Delores,
We are a bit worried about our 8 week old cocker spaniel. He was a little bit smaller than some of his other siblings in the litter. It's just that he doesn't seem to be interested in anything (except food, water & sleeping) He doesn't really play with toys, isn't really checking out his new environment at home, isn't really responsive to sights & sounds etc. Is this normal?

Answer
Hi Jeff, This boy needs a vet visit asap.

The fact he's eating well is good but no, being disinterested is NOT normal.  Lethargy in a puppy needs a medical assessment.

Yes, they do sleep a lot at that age but when awake are usually into everything.  So get him to the vet.

I hope you're feeding him a premium "canned" food?  And not supermarket kibble?  At this age he needs 5 meals a day and you can almost give him as much as he wants.  I highly recommend Canidae for puppies, especially the chicken/lamb/fish formula which is high in protein & fat and low in carbs.  If you're under feeding him, this could be the reason he's not too peppy.  Puppies eat twice as much as an adult dog since they're growing at an incredible rate.

I'd get him to a vet pronto.
Delores