My dog has a 'swimming-puppy syndrome'

notice Powie's legs like she's going to swim

Everytime I go out of the porch, I just can't bear to see my two little cute puppies suffer from pain. While their other siblings jump for joy to see me, the two try to crawl with their belly. I believe it is not their fault but rather I played a part of it. Everytime I see them lying there while the others playing makes me feel guilty I should have not made any intervention while they were still a little. I'm afraid I took Powie and Funky's joy to live like a normal dog and I'm afraid I can't get them to the normal state.

Actually their condition is just abrupt. For their first month, I gave them formulated milk coz I can't see all of them getting milk from their mother. To remind you, they are eleven of them and Kimmy, the mother has only 8 breasts so probably not all them could get milk. Since they were a small pup, we managed to get them drink in a baby bottle and we make 1 to 2 minutes duration before we get another pup. I do think that was a daily priority until we realized that we always run out of milk. 

For the next 30 days, since their teeth started to grow, we decided to feed them rice and I think this is where I made my biggest mistake. Yeah, all of them eat it but my horrible observation was this: right after they eat their meal, their stomach got so big and so round. At first I thought they were just full but they lost appetite every other day. Some of them were shaking and I have the least idea what is happening to them.  Days passed, some have recovered but these two couldn't still make it.

Funky walks in short distances but stops

Powie going near me

I don't know what to call their condition until I look through the net and know about this swimming puppy syndrome. I watched some videos pertaining to this condition and it is the same as theirs. Overfeeding them when they were still young are one of the symptoms I've read. Crawling with their stomach is included. I noticed Powie's hind legs straight up like she's swimming and Funky's back arched when he is trying to walk. I gathered some infos about the cure but I do the therapy when I give them a bath.

Right now, they are 3 months old. Funky and Powie have a slow progression unlike their other siblings who can run and bark at times. It just gives me a confusion why such thing happened when I saw them able to walk when they were 2 months old. For now, I give them small amounts of food three times a day and I make sure there's a soup to make their food moist. Funky may sometimes shakes right after eating but that's because some food eaten was stuck on his hard palate. A water after meal is prepared for them.

Cherry holding our precious little ones

Though I'm in continuous search for their recovery, I'm always praying that God will help them with their condition. I know it will not be quick but I know that they will cope up. You know, they surprise me each and everyday by trying their best to stand and walk with their front and hind legs. How cute and thoughtful of them!

No matter what happens, I will do my best to save them from their condition.

Lots of Love,

Cindy♥♥♥

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PS: It was full of sadness and grief that we had to say goodbye to Powie who just left last month due to parasitic infection. Powie was seen dead at around 4:00pm. Not long after Powie's death, Funky passed away too together w/ their mom Kimmy. May the cute little puppies  lie in the safe hands of our heavenly father who loves all His creations. RIP Powie, Funky and Kimmy