New Puppy First Week: What Is Normal and When to See a Vet

Sleep, night crying, appetite, soft stool, worms and coughs in a new puppy's first days home, and the signs that mean an emergency vet now.

Quick answer: In the first week, a new puppy that sleeps 18 to 20 hours a day but is bright and playful when awake, cries at night and eats a little less is often just settling in. Book an in-person vet exam within the first week. Any loose stool deserves a same-day call to a vet. Vomiting with diarrhea, blood in stool, weakness or wobbling means an emergency vet now.

This article is general information, not a diagnosis. If you think your pet is in danger, go to the nearest emergency animal hospital.

Emergency vet now, not a video call: vomiting with diarrhea or more than once, blood in stool, weak, wobbly, trembling, cold or hard to wake, pale gums, a sudden hard or painful belly, trouble breathing, a seizure, or a swallowed object or xylitol. For chocolate or another possible poison, call a poison line or an emergency vet now.

Is my new puppy sick or just settling in?

A new puppy that sleeps most of the day but is bright and playful when awake, cries some at night, eats a little less, needs frequent potty breaks and nips in play is usually just settling in; any loose stool still deserves a same-day call to a vet.

Heavy sleep can also be an early sign of parvo or low blood sugar, so judge your puppy by how it acts when awake.

Sign	Often normal	Get help when
Sleep	18-20 hours a day	Hard to wake, limp, cold: ER now
Energy	Bright, playful awake	Weak, wobbly, trembling: ER now
Night crying	Fades over weeks	Sounds like pain: vet today
Eating	A bit less day one	No food 8+ hours, under 4 months: today
Stool	Slightly soft, still eats	Any loose stool: call today; blood, vomit or weak: ER now
Cough or sneeze	Not expected	Mild: vet within a day; hard breathing: ER now
Worms	Common in puppies	Pale gums or weak: ER now

Which signs mean an emergency vet right now?

A new puppy needs an emergency vet now for vomiting with diarrhea or more than once, blood in the stool, weakness, wobbling, trembling, a cold body or being hard to wake, pale gums, a suddenly swollen, hard or painful belly, trouble breathing, a seizure, or a swallowed object or xylitol.

Don't make your puppy vomit, never pull a strand of tinsel or string from the mouth or bottom, and never put food or syrup in the mouth of a seizing or unresponsive puppy.

A swallowed sock, toy piece or hair tie means an in-person visit now (your vet if they can see the puppy right away, otherwise an emergency vet), because it can cause an intestinal blockage. Rat or mouse bait, antifreeze, raw yeast dough or salt dough (including salt-dough ornaments) means an emergency vet now, calling a poison line on the way, even if your puppy seems fine. For chocolate, call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 (a consultation fee may apply), Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661 (a per-incident fee applies) or an emergency vet now.

Situation	Where	How soon
Vomit plus diarrhea, or repeated vomit	Emergency vet	Now
Weak, wobbly, cold or hard to wake	Emergency vet	Now
Hard breathing or seizure	Emergency vet	Now
Swallowed tinsel, string or battery	Emergency vet	Now
Ate xylitol	Emergency vet	Now
Ate sock, toy or hair tie	Vet or ER	Now
Ate chocolate	Poison line or ER	Now
Toy breed skipped a meal	Call a vet	Now
Vomited once	In person	Today
No food 8+ hours, under 4 months	In person	Today
Diarrhea, shots not done	In person	Today
Cough with fever or discharge	In person	Today
Soft stool, bright, eating	Vet or video	Same day
Mild cough, eating	Vet or video	Within a day
First exam and shots	In-person clinic	First week

For anything marked Emergency vet, call a poison line on the way if a toxin may be involved, not instead of going.

How much should a new puppy sleep, and is crying at night normal?

Young puppies usually sleep 18 to 20 hours a day, the American Kennel Club says, and a puppy that sleeps that much but is bright and playful when awake is usually fine; some crying at night is normal and usually fades over several weeks.

A puppy that is hard to wake, limp or cold needs an emergency vet now. Puppies breathe a little faster while sleeping than adult dogs, with no set normal number, but open-mouth breathing or heaving at rest, or blue, gray or pale gums, means an emergency vet now. In cold weather, keep potty trips short and dry your puppy afterward.

A PetMD article by veterinary behaviorist Wailani Sung, DVM, DACVB, notes that puppies also cry from pain. Crying that sounds like pain, or that comes with eye or nose discharge, needs a vet today, and crying when touched, limping or refusing to use a leg needs an in-person visit today. A fall or head bump followed by wobbliness, dullness or unequal pupils means an emergency vet now.

Is it normal for a new puppy not to eat the first day?

A new puppy may eat less on its first day from stress, but a puppy under 4 months that has eaten nothing for more than 8 hours needs to be seen in person today (an emergency vet if your clinic can't), and any puppy that is weak, wobbly, trembling, cold or hard to wake needs an emergency vet now, however long it has been.

The Merck Veterinary Manual says low blood sugar in puppies occurs in toy breeds in the first 6 months of life, and the American Kennel Club says affected puppies are often under 12 weeks old and newly acquired. A toy-breed puppy that skips a meal needs a call to the vet now.

The American Kennel Club suggests sticking with the breeder's food for at least two weeks if possible, then switching gradually over about a week.

Is soft stool or diarrhea normal in a new puppy?

Slightly soft stool in a new puppy that is bright and eating can come from stress or a food change, but any loose stool deserves a same-day call to a vet, because parvo cannot be ruled out at home.

The Merck Veterinary Manual says parvo signs usually start 5 to 7 days after infection but can take 2 to 14 days, so a puppy that looked healthy at pickup can get sick in its first two weeks home. A clinic confirms parvo with a fecal antigen test or PCR.

• Diarrhea (not just soft stool) in a puppy that hasn't finished its vaccine series, or diarrhea with a poor appetite: an in-person parvo test today (an emergency vet if your clinic can't see the puppy today). Call ahead so the clinic can keep your puppy away from other dogs.
• One vomit in a puppy still in its shot series: an in-person visit today.
• Vomiting with diarrhea or more than once, blood in the stool, weakness, dullness or pale gums: an emergency vet now.

What if I see worms in new puppy poop?

Worms are common in young puppies, and the Companion Animal Parasite Council recommends deworming puppies starting at 2 weeks of age and repeating it every 2 weeks until regular parasite control begins, plus fecal exams at least four times in the first year, so bring a fresh stool sample to the first exam; your vet sets the schedule.

The Merck Veterinary Manual says puppies with roundworms often look potbellied, and that anemia is the characteristic, often fatal, sign of hookworm infection in young puppies. A soft pot belly in a bright puppy that is eating means a call to your vet. Weakness or pale gums (a sign of anemia), with or without visible worms, means an emergency vet now, and so does a belly that suddenly swells, feels tight or hurts. Heavy fleas can also cause anemia in a young puppy, so call your vet before using any flea product, and use only a dog product whose label covers your puppy's age and weight. The CDC advises washing your hands with soap and water after touching dog poop.

Is coughing or sneezing normal in a new puppy from a shelter, breeder or pet store?

A mild honking cough or an occasional sneeze in a new puppy that is bright, eating and has no eye or nose discharge should be checked by a vet within a day; a cough with fever, thick discharge, low energy or poor appetite needs an in-person visit today (an emergency vet if your clinic can't see the puppy today), and labored breathing means an emergency vet now.

The Merck Veterinary Manual says puppies are more prone to severe kennel cough, and that fever, thick nasal discharge, dullness or poor appetite point to bronchopneumonia, a lung infection. Merck also lists fever, lethargy, nasal discharge and thick eye discharge among signs of distemper, a concern when vaccines are unknown or incomplete; muscle twitching or a seizure means an emergency vet now.

When should a new puppy have its first vet visit?

A new puppy should have an in-person vet exam within the first week home, which matches the CDC's advice of a visit within a few days to a week; go sooner if your breeder's health guarantee sets a deadline (some require an exam within 72 hours).

PetMD says to bring all health records and a stool sample as fresh as possible, and that the visit includes an exam, a stool test, deworming even if the test is negative, and vaccines. Check any contract or adoption paperwork, because a video visit may not count as the exam a health guarantee requires.

AAHA's canine vaccination guidelines give puppy core vaccines every 2 to 4 weeks until about 16 weeks of age or older; your vet sets the schedule. Until about 2 weeks after the final puppy shot, or as your vet advises, skip dog parks, pet stores and places with dogs of unknown vaccine status. Keep socializing, though: the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior calls socialization before full vaccination the standard of care, so carry your puppy in public, invite healthy, vaccinated dogs you know, and avoid places unknown dogs go.

After the shots, mild tiredness usually fades within about 24 hours, but hives, a puffy face, vomiting, diarrhea, pale gums, hard breathing or collapse means an emergency vet now.

What holiday hazards matter most for a Christmas puppy?

The main holiday hazards for a new puppy are tree water, tinsel and ribbon, ornaments and hooks, batteries in new toys and remotes, chewed light cords, chocolate, xylitol sweets, raw yeast dough, guests' medications and New Year's Eve fireworks.

The ASPCA advises covering Christmas tree water, skipping tinsel and watching for broken ornaments, which can damage the mouth and gut. Swallowed tinsel, ribbon or string, or a bitten light cord, means an emergency vet now, even if your puppy seems fine.

Any bitten or swallowed battery means an emergency vet now; the ASPCA warns that a punctured battery can burn the mouth and esophagus. The ASPCA also says xylitol can cause low blood sugar and liver damage, and raw yeast dough can expand and cause alcohol poisoning; either means an emergency vet now, poison line on the way. Ask guests to keep their medications away from your puppy. Fireworks and noisemakers can scare pets, the ASPCA notes.

When does a video visit help with a new puppy?

RexVet, a nonprofit online vet service, can help with a new puppy's first-week "is this normal?" questions by video for pets located in Florida, New York and Virginia, but a video visit does not replace the in-person first exam, vaccines, fecal test or parvo test. Your puppy must be in one of those states during the visit.

A $64.99 live video visit with a licensed RexVet vet, a veterinarian licensed in your pet's state, fits first-week questions: slightly soft stool, a mild cough or an occasional sneeze in a puppy that is bright, eating normally and has no eye or nose discharge; eating less (not past the 8-hour line); night crying and crate setup; a food-switch plan; and checking breeder or shelter records for which vaccines and dewormers were given and when. Your clinic sets the vaccine and deworming schedule at the in-person first exam. Homes with several pets can use the one-time $120 Family Plan: 4 visits over 12 months for every pet in the home, and it never auto-renews.

A video visit can't rule out parvo. Diarrhea (not just soft stool) in a puppy that hasn't finished its vaccine series, or soft stool with low energy or a poor appetite, needs an in-person parvo test today (an emergency vet if your clinic can't see the puppy today). Soft stool with vomiting, weakness or dullness means an emergency vet now.

From RexVet's visit data: More than half of RexVet visits (52%) took place outside standard weekday hours of 8 AM to 6 PM, Monday to Friday. Live video slots run about 8 AM to 11 PM ET. Holiday hours aren't guaranteed, so check open times on the booking page before counting on a holiday visit. If a slot is open, the veterinarian can help you judge whether a problem can wait until your clinic reopens after a holiday; anything on the emergency list can't wait.

From the same data: About 1 in 8 RexVet video visits (12.5%) ended with a prescription; the rest ended with the veterinarian's advice and care plan. The veterinarian decides whether any medicine is appropriate, and no prescription is promised. Telehealth prescribing is limited by state law (for example Florida s.474.2021; New York's rules are still unsettled), and many puppy products have minimum age or weight labels. RexVet is not a pharmacy, and a pharmacy transfer fee applies when the veterinarian sends a prescription to an outside pharmacy.

Skip the video call and go straight to an emergency vet for vomiting with diarrhea or more than once, bloody stool, weakness, wobbling, trembling, a cold body or being hard to wake, pale gums, a suddenly swollen, hard or painful belly, trouble breathing, or a seizure. A swallowed object (tinsel, ribbon, string, an ornament piece, a battery) or anything with xylitol means an emergency vet now, calling a poison line on the way. For chocolate or another possible poison, call a poison line or an emergency vet now.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take a new puppy to settle in?

Usually several weeks: PetMD's veterinary behaviorist says night crying and whining fade gradually over the next several weeks as a puppy matures. Sleeping 18 to 20 hours a day (American Kennel Club) and some night crying are common in a young puppy that is bright and playful when awake.

Is it normal for a new puppy to have diarrhea?

Slightly soft stool can follow stress, but any loose stool in a new puppy needs a same-day call to a vet. Diarrhea in a puppy that hasn't finished its vaccine series needs an in-person parvo test today, and diarrhea with vomiting, blood, weakness or pale gums means an emergency vet now.

How soon should a new puppy see a vet?

Within the first week home: the CDC advises a vet visit within a few days to a week after you bring a puppy home. Go sooner if your breeder's health guarantee sets a deadline; any emergency sign means an emergency vet now.

Should I wake a sleeping puppy to eat?

Usually not: let a healthy puppy sleep and feed it on schedule when it wakes. A toy-breed puppy that skips a meal needs a call to the vet now. AKC Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Jerry Klein recommends small, frequent meals for young puppies as directed by a veterinarian. A puppy you can't easily wake, or one that is limp, cold, wobbly or trembling, needs an emergency vet now.

My new puppy has worms in its poop. Is that an emergency?

Usually not: worms are common in puppies, so call your vet and bring a fresh stool sample; weakness or pale gums need an ER now. Pale gums are a sign of anemia, which the Merck Veterinary Manual calls the characteristic, often fatal, sign of hookworms in young puppies. Your vet sets the deworming schedule.

Can a video visit replace the first puppy exam?

No: the hands-on first exam, vaccines, fecal test and parvo testing must happen in person; a video visit helps with first-week questions. The puppy must be located in Florida, New York or Virginia during the visit. On camera, a veterinarian licensed in that state can watch the puppy's breathing, walking and energy, look at its gums and belly with your help, review stool photos and records, and judge how soon it needs to go in. In Florida, a telehealth visit can't issue an interstate or international travel certificate or certificate of veterinary inspection. No prescription is promised. In Florida, a video-only prescription is limited to FDA-approved animal drugs used as labeled (so not below a product's age or weight label), for up to 14 days (1 month for products labeled solely for flea and tick control), with no renewal without an in-person exam and no human-labeled, controlled or compounded anti-infective drugs. Federal rules require an in-person relationship for extralabel or human-drug use. In Virginia the exam may be electronic, and New York's rules are still unsettled.