My 5-week-old puppy runt is terrified and stopped eating. What's wrong?

Question

I have a litter of German Sheppard puppies that are 5 weeks old and the runt has recently started acting terrified of everything, has lost interest in eating, and wont come to us anymore.

Dr. Davis · Accepted Answer

This is a serious problem as the puppy may get weak and die. I recommend hand feeding it frequently and just spend time carrying it around to get it used to being handled and keep it warm. It may just be a growing phase or with a runt there may be a medical reason it’s smaller and weaker. If it won’t eat then I recommend a veterinary exam to determine if there is a genetic problem causing it to be smaller and not eating. They will listen to it’s heart and breathing and may deworm it again to make sure intestinal parasites aren’t the problem. Again this is a serious problem the could become life threatening so please get an exam if it’s not improving. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your puppy.

My 5-week-old puppy runt is terrified and stopped eating. What's wrong?

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