# 8 week pup food and water at night?



## Kb1079 (Jan 17, 2021)

Should I leave food and water in the playpen next to my bed for 8 week old during the night? With my previous Maltese she slept with me from the start so we didn’t, and the first few days with the new pup I haven’t as she is a great eater during the day so only when I got up to take her to the pee pee pad when she was in the bed with me before I started using the playpen did she also get some water during those potty breaks. I know with most breeds they advise to take it away at night to begin preventing nighttime urination, but with Maltese there is concern for hypoglycemia. She is also very young so I wasn’t sure. Just curious what everyone has done and at what age they stopped?


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

Oh my goodness - 8 weeks is way too young for your puppy to have left its mother. Ethical breeders of toy breed dogs insist on keeping them with the litter until at least 12 weeks so they have the opportunity to grow and learn proper play behaviors. Our tiny pups don't wean as early as larger breeds so it takes them a while to catch up in every way, including feeding and nutrition.

That said, what's done is done. Yes you should absolutely keep a small amount of food and water with her at night. At 8 weeks she is prone to hypoglycemia if she doesn't eat often enough to keep her blood sugar stable. And at that young of an age, her feeding habits are not yet established (an ethical breeder would have done that before releasing her to you) so she may not know when to eat. You should also have some nutrical on hand for the next 4 - 6 weeks; if she becomes lethargic or seems a bit off, it can be an emergency sugar booster to stabilize her until you can seek medical attention. 

Good luck with your little one!


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## Kb1079 (Jan 17, 2021)

Hi, thanks for your reply. Yes, I am aware that 12 weeks is the recommended age. I had recently lost my maltese to a condition called IMHA after 11 years and though I extensively searched breeders nationwide, the availability and price during COVID was more than I was willing to reach. We had spent nearly $6000 on my sweet baby's medical treatment and the current pricing of $5,000-$6,000 for a puppy was a bit more than I was looking to spend. Though I agree in finding a reputable breeder and being aware of the red flags, I do believe there are many "home/hobby breeders" that adhere to AKC standards* and do breed healthy pups. I believe after researching that I found that person and after looking into references of prior clients I feel confident in my decision. I was leary at first to take an 8 week old puppy, but this practice I believe is somewhat common and I have researched a bit with articles and publications written by vets and medical professionals on taking a pup at this age. That being said, I do appreciate your input and I did put her food and water in last night. My only concern was that her stools had been more solid and I have been free feeding the recommended amount on the bag, but she had finished it all early morning the other day and since then the stools have been looser and more frequent, I suspect from "overeating", but I still felt like I should leave some more food out to prevent going the rest of the day and night without food?

*Obviously, not that AKC would mean much in the way of how ethically she is breeding.


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## maddysmom (Mar 8, 2012)

I would contact the breeder and ask her what your puppies feeding scheduled was like, kind of food, amount. I would also have her stools checked for parasites if the stools remain soft or loose.


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