Toy Poodle Sick

Question
QUESTION: We visited a local pet store and fell in love instantly with an 8 week old toy poodle.  The puppy seemed calmer than expected and the store manager was open in sharing that the puppy hadn't eaten much that day and they were closely watching him.  We put a deposit down and named the precious little puppy Moose.  We have been visiting twice a day for the last several days, but haven't seen a change.  Moose threw up a small amount of dark liquid while we were there yesterday. Today the store manager took Moose to the vet and the vet kept him to give fluids and run tests.  I realize Moose might be very sick, but I don't know much about poodles or what would be normal for such a young puppy.  Moose is almost 9 weeks old and only weighs 1.25 pounds.  I know toy poodles don't weigh much, but is 1.25 normal for a puppy.  What is likely causing Moose to not seem to thrive?

ANSWER: Hello Jennifer,
Boy do I know that feeling of falling in love with a sweet, cute little ball of fur. However, when you buy from most pet stores they tend to get these puppies from brokers, which tend to get their puppies from puppy mills. Even if they buy straight from breeders, you can't be sure about the dogs background, health, quality etc.
Your puppy could have Parvo (which can be fatal to puppies), be suffering from worms, or something it picked up from the pet store.

1.25 lbs sounds light to me for a 9 week old Toy Poodle though it does depend on the circumstances. The puppies environment will have alot to do with the puppies weight.

If it were me, I would expect possible problems with this puppy due to the fact that you don't know his background and that he has already been sick early in his life. I don't want to discourage you though if you really want this puppy. I would see what the Vet says after a few days. He might be ok for the rest of his life if he gets better.

I really hope your guy pulls through and that this has helped you some. If you have other questions about this, or other Poodle questions in general, please feel free to ask me.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you so much for your response.  The pet store is still overseeing the care of the puppy and I feel they are being very open with us. I'm glad about that. They took Moose (the toy poodle) to the vet two days ago.  Moose was given fluids with an IV and the vet ran some fecal tests. All test came back negative.  Based on today's update, moose is still not eating much and the vet is concerned about the color of his stool. I didn't think to ask more details on what they meant by color but obviously it isn't what they would expect. What could be going on with a puppy who tests negative for problems yet doesn't seem to be Ok?

Answer
Hello Again,
Poor Moose, I hope he gets to feeling better soon. There are a number of things this could be. Do you know if the other puppies were fine or are they experiencing the same thing? Sometimes puppies just get sick and there is no reason for it. If these puppies did come from a puppy mill, its almost certain that the breeder didn't vaccinate the puppies or the parents. I am as stumped as you are as to what is causing Moose to still be sick. I wish there was more information I could give you.

If you do keep Moose, I would take him to another Vet and get a second opinion before you buy. Ask the Pet Store if they will let you take him to your Vet so you can let them check him out. Also, see if you can get the current Vet's records so your Vet will have them to look at. I am worried that this could be something that might stay with Moose and could cause future problems.

Be sure to ask lots of questions to the Vet(s) and the Pet Store owner(s):
I would ask them what they suspect could be wrong?
How long do they think the illness or treatment will last (because when you finally buy Moose, you will have his Vet bills if there is long term treatments)?
If there could be permanent or lasting effects?
How much will any treatments or medications be?

You might ask the Pet Shop owner if you buy Moose and he does go ahead and pass away, do they offer a refund or replacement puppy. (I know this is hard to think about, but you don't want to be out any money). If they will offer a refund/replacement, find out how long the guarantee is good for. The length of the Health Guarantee will vary by store.
Be sure to get things in writing also. The Shop owners may be open with you, but they don't want to be out any money either.

Again, I hope this is somewhat helpful, even if I can't fully answer your question, and Please, if you have other questions, don't hesitate to ask me.

Thanks again Jennifer,
Kim