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Location
Philadelphia, PA
US
Edited Date/Time
8/5/2014 9:20pm
I got a new puppy and I'm having some trouble, the vet won't help unless I spend a grip on a exam so maybe I'm hoping some here could have some advice...
Pitbull...6 almost 7 weeks old....8lbs...I've had him for 2 weeks.
Bought him from urban area, I live rural, drinking natural spring water.
Switched him to expensive high end puppy food. He seemed to love it.
From the first week his stool was a little loose/soft. But nothing that big of a deal. I figured it was from switch of food. Half the time his stool was solid.
At start of week 6 (last Saturday) I took him in for deworming and first parvovirus shot. Vet gave him a clean bill of health. They didn't really know what to make of the loose stool. They weren't concerned.
Just yesterday he started with extremely bad diarrhea. Pure watery liquid. And his whole demeanor changed. He also puked before and after eating breakfast. The rest of the day he was lethargic and definitely not himself.
By dinner time I was sorta panicking (he'd had diarrhea again, and his stomach was visibly shrinking) so we cooked up some white rice and I gave him a bowl of watered down low sodium chicken broth. He downed that chicken broth like there was no tomorrow. And instantly his stomach looked more full (but not as fat as he was when 100%) and he was super hyper and active. Totally back to being himself. Within a few hours tho I could tell he still had a upset stomach.
This morning, stool is soft but not diarrhea. He's eating the rice and chicken broth but not exactly scarfing it down. I can tell his stomach has shrunk still from normal. But for the most part, he's not lethargic and he's acting himself.
(Edit: just fed him lunch, when I mixed in some regular puppy food, he scarfed it down. I'm keeping the food very wet with liquids tho as to keep him hydrated)
I'm not sure what to do. I'm thinking he's having a real hard time adjusting to the spring water and may have caught a bug such as giardia.
Any advice? Anyone delt with something similar?
If he pukes again, or the diarrhea comes back, I guess I'll have to pony up and go to the vet. Especially if I can't get him to fatten back up.
But as of right now, I'm keeping him hydrated so I don't think I'm putting his life in danger. If u think I am, please let me know.
Pitbull...6 almost 7 weeks old....8lbs...I've had him for 2 weeks.
Bought him from urban area, I live rural, drinking natural spring water.
Switched him to expensive high end puppy food. He seemed to love it.
From the first week his stool was a little loose/soft. But nothing that big of a deal. I figured it was from switch of food. Half the time his stool was solid.
At start of week 6 (last Saturday) I took him in for deworming and first parvovirus shot. Vet gave him a clean bill of health. They didn't really know what to make of the loose stool. They weren't concerned.
Just yesterday he started with extremely bad diarrhea. Pure watery liquid. And his whole demeanor changed. He also puked before and after eating breakfast. The rest of the day he was lethargic and definitely not himself.
By dinner time I was sorta panicking (he'd had diarrhea again, and his stomach was visibly shrinking) so we cooked up some white rice and I gave him a bowl of watered down low sodium chicken broth. He downed that chicken broth like there was no tomorrow. And instantly his stomach looked more full (but not as fat as he was when 100%) and he was super hyper and active. Totally back to being himself. Within a few hours tho I could tell he still had a upset stomach.
This morning, stool is soft but not diarrhea. He's eating the rice and chicken broth but not exactly scarfing it down. I can tell his stomach has shrunk still from normal. But for the most part, he's not lethargic and he's acting himself.
(Edit: just fed him lunch, when I mixed in some regular puppy food, he scarfed it down. I'm keeping the food very wet with liquids tho as to keep him hydrated)
I'm not sure what to do. I'm thinking he's having a real hard time adjusting to the spring water and may have caught a bug such as giardia.
Any advice? Anyone delt with something similar?
If he pukes again, or the diarrhea comes back, I guess I'll have to pony up and go to the vet. Especially if I can't get him to fatten back up.
But as of right now, I'm keeping him hydrated so I don't think I'm putting his life in danger. If u think I am, please let me know.
Everything is out of reach. The pup NEVER leaves our sight. We have 2 bald eagles on the property and they've been eyeing the pup so we can't let him out of our sight.
I was initially thinking he could have are something unagreeable. He's chewing on ferns, leaves, and sticks non stop. But in my experience that is pretty normal.
Seems to me you're out of the "poops" & doing better. Puppies do get into stuff & I don't the water is an issue.
My Husky pups will get into stuff if mom's not around.
Just keep doing what you're doing. Spoil him with attention and play and take him EVERYWHERE. I'm stoked for him...& you.
Good luck!
The Shop
He definitely has a bug of some sort. I'm reading up online on it and it appears giardia is the likely culprit.
I think I'm going to have to go to the vet. Antibiotics are in order. Unless there is some sorta natural way to fix this. But considering his age, I don't think I should risk it.
This wouldn't be the first time a city folk friend who was visiting has gotten sick because they weren't adapted to the water.
He'd already been weened off the mom.
And by week 3 or 4, the antibodies and immunities that a puppy is born with and gets from mothers milk is gone.
I prefer to get a pup between weeks 6-8 and no later. But due to certain circumstances in this case, that wasn't an option.
Normally I'd just ride this out if he was further along. But he's so young. I don't think my margin for error is pretty small.
I'd hate to lose this lil guy. It took me going thru hell to convince my chic that a pitbull can be a good family dog. Now she's madly in love with him. She had no idea how affectionate this breed can be.
And to top it off, for whatever reason, he has been house broken from day one. From the first night, he refuses to piss or shit in the house. He makes a break for the door and whimpers for us to let him out. I couldn't be more lucky and I know the next pup probably won't be like this.
The broth was strictly so I could get him to take down some liquids. I know he can't survive on it.
We shredded up some white meat chicken and put it in with his rice and water. It's the only way were getting him to drink. But it worked, he's liking the chicken and getting the fluids in.
So far, so good. Hopefully he can fight this off. But if were just treading water and I don't see improvement by tomorrow, I guess I have no choice but to take him in. The mucas in his stool is still very concerning to me.
The ferns in our yard are highly acidic. I'm wondering if because he was chewing on those that it really upset his stomach.
No matter what it is, all you can do is hydrate and try to keep solids down them. Your doing all the right things with Chicken broth (NEVER MILK). I've had to feed many many puppies that same age with chicken broth and a syringe, Puke and repeat. Not a pretty sight. Some you can save and some you can't but all were way way worst than what you are describing. I wouldn't worry to much. The thing you really want to keep an eye on is not the size of their belly but if they are getting dehydrated. Pull up on the skin on his back and let it go. If is snaps back fast he is fine. If it snaps back slow, he is dehydrated.
8 weeks is the earliest a puppy should go home, 10 being better with 12 being ideal.
As for taking the puppy home too early, I'd rather not get into a debate about that. But I'm going by what I've read and past experience with male pups. 6-8 weeks is prime for getting them and forming a strong personal bond. In all the reading I've done, 8+ weeks was not advised and 10+ was asking for trouble.
I can't imagine waiting til 12 weeks. He'd be huge by then.
My Pittie is on a strict diet , that Dick Van Patton Brand , Duck and Potato , He's allergic to just about everything.
He's plenty hydrated at this point. Been making him drink all day.
Just sent him with my chic to my parents house. The weather is much cooler there. This summer hear can't help.
My parents had a Doberman 30 yrs ago that they saved with chicken broth and a syringe just as u described. He had parvo.
Edit: the pup just puked again. 3rd time in 2 days. Fuck.
But diarrhea, mucus in the stool, lethargy, puking, loss of appetite all got me a bit more worried.
But nothing's consistent. One minute I think he's getting over it, and now he just puked.
Pit Row
This website is useful for toxic & non-toxic plants. I ripped a bunch of stuff out of our yard when we brought home our 9 week old pup 5 years ago!!
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic…
Hope he starts feeling better!
Just my opinion but I would try not to do too much guess work, go with what you know, Hard to guess with so many possibilities and you don't want to focus one thing and miss something else. It could be the shots or deworming but you mentioned there was some issue before those, correct? main thing is if he is improving or not. If he doesn't improve or deteriorates fast go to the vet. If there is any question tomorrow morning I would take him in because you don't want to deal with a Emergency Vet on Sunday (very expensive). many regular vets are open Saturday until early afternoon or so.
There are some viruses that can cause diarrhea, the most common is the coronavirus
This gives relatively mild symptoms that include vomiting and diarrhea, usually without blood
Diarrhea of viral origin is often accompanied by increased body temperature, in these dogs the temperature are above 39.5!, normally this will be between 38-39 degrees Celsius (measured rectally).due this high temperature the dogs are often slower
When not treated quickly young dogs can dry out easily by the lack of salts, I would start with electrolyte replenishment
Considering the age of your puppy rapidly seek veterinary advice!
The puppy has been through a lot.
I think I would hang tight.
its hard not to over think things when you care so much.
I called them, they think it could be the shot or deworming but they say that the symptoms of a bad reaction should have showed up by 24 hrs. I'm calling bullshit on that. Everything I've read online says it could take 4-5 days.
I'm pretty pissed that they won't tell me at all what I'm looking at having to spend just to walk in the door. I think it's time to find a new vet. Shitty thing is, this one came highly recommended by several people.
Definitely no blood in his stool.
But he's regressed from last nite/this morning.
Puked and diarrhea 1x each since getting to my parents place. (70 degrees there). My chic is freaking out because the pup won't stop crying unless he's curled up in her lap. This is definitely not his normal behavior.
She can't get him to drink fluids. Only I was able too.
I've told her to get in the car and head to town where there are several vet offices. I have to find another one.
I'm tired of the guesswork but I'm also going to be pissed if they tell us were doing the right things and he just needs time. They could've said that over the phone and I avoid a 4 hr round trip drive.
In the event that the pup need vet treatment, I cringe at what this will cost considering they won't even tell me ballpark. I feel like I'm being extorted.
That is what you want to hear. At least that is what I am hoping for.
Vets can be tricky. I have spent thousands of dollars in vet bills (a lot unnecessary). Everybody who owns a pet has to figure out what they are willing to pay for care because nowadays they can treat most of the things doctors treat in humans. It can get crazy. I don't know what type of breeder you got him from but most reputable ones would cover this sort of stuff or at least replace the dog if it is serious. If you want to know what is wrong and want the pup to get adequate treatment then it probably needs to see a vet.
Was this from a fancy professional breeder? No.
From a "puppy farm"? No.
From some "backyard wannabe breeder"? No.
Just a guy who's dogs had a litter. He didn't claim to be anything but that. Not a crazy for-profit thing. Just wanted to make sure pups found a good home. I didn't ask for papers on the dog, I'm not interested in breeding him for- profit or show so I didn't think I'd need them.
A friend who lives close to the vet went in just now to talk to them. Got them to agree to see the pup and diagnose him for free. Anything past that and I'm paying the bill, which I'm totally ok with. It's all I was asking from them when I initially called. The pup woulda been to the vet this morning had they agreed to that and this thread likely wouldn't exist.
He'll be there in next 30 minutes.
Thanks for everyone's concern and help. My chic hates vital and thinks everyone on here has something wrong with them. But I think she likes this place just a lil after today.
I'll let y'all know how it turns out.
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