What's Wrong With My Pup?

[jingjingna]

Yesterday, my pet pug who is almost five months old, sneezed ten times ina row and her belly feels coller than usual.

My usual vet is closed on Modays, so I drove around looking for another without any luck.

Any ideas, is it just a cold? Her appetite seems fine but she does appear to be a bit restless.

[Nienke]

Dogs do not have 'just a cold'.

It can be your dog got something in the nose for which it needed to sneeze, an allergic reaction of some sort.

It can also be she has something more serious. When did she got her vaccinations? How long a go? How are her feces? Does she has an elevated body temperature? (this you need to measure with a thermometer in het butt, not with your hand, as sometimes with the hand the body feels cool or normal while the meter says 104.5 degrees fahrenheit. Normal temp. is about 102.5 degrees fahrenheit. where dioes she sleep at night? Is it possible she was laying in the draught. Here in CM during the day it's still quite hot, in the evening the teperature goes down and in the very early morning it even can become chilly. That's a bit dangerous period, as dogs can easily get chilled then, and thus, get sick as a result. At my boarding kennel the blankets are out already for the dogs in the night. And some dogs are really happy with that while during the hot period they don't want to lay on a blanket.

This year I've had now twice that pups developed distemper after receiving their jabs (between a week and a month time). And one of the first symptoms is sneezing, feverish, some watery eye discharge, (maybe) some watery nasal discharge, lethargic and/or going of their normal food.

If this sneezing isn't a one time thing, but occurs more often, then I certainly would immediately switch to a high grade food, if you do not give that already. And I'm thinking of Nutro, Eagle pack, or if not available Science Diet, although raw or cooked is much better with lots of meat, twice a week organ meats, lots of veggies and fruit (blended or lightly cooked), twice a week an egg, etc. And supplement with a vitamin/mineral tablet once a day, Vitamin C 2 to 3 times a day and , in case its a cooked meal, bonemeal for the necessary calcium. Info on a raw diet (but you can use it as a guideline for a cooked diet as well) you can find on my websitye (see my profile) under the article "Diet". Furthermore, it's important to give her as much rest as she wants. So, if there are other dogs, animals, children or many people, it's suggested to keep your pup in a quit place away of the tumult.

Of course, go to the vet, asap (bit double to tell you this as you already did). If there is eye and nasal discharge, the vet can do a test for distemper. And maybe, I truely hope so, it isn't serious after all and she will be back to normal in a day or two, with or without veterinary help.

Wish you good luck.

Nienke

[jingjingna]

Thanks for that Nienke. I just got back from the one and only vet open in Sriracha today. She says it is a reaction to the rabies jab she had a week ago. I did make the mistake of letting her sleep in my airconditioned bedroom a few days ago as well. Usually she sleeps in the living room.

Anyway, the vet has given me three mixtures to give her three times a day. She's just had her first dose and is now sleeping. She likes her sleep but last night and this morning she just could not settle.

The pup is on dry food with a little added water. She laps it all up!

[Nienke]

Gosh, again a poor pup that reacts to the vaccination or the immune drop due to the vaccination. At least this vet recognizes the side-effect and is honest about it.

Anyway, I hope she will pull through very quickly. In case, she is still due for another jab, I suggest you wait till she is at least a month completely recovered. And for her booster next year, I suggest not to have the vet give a a combined vaccine, but have him/her give the vaccines seperate with a month in between. It's a bit more expensive and time consuming, but for the dog it is certainly safer.

Wish your dog a fast recovery and you a fast ease-of-mind,

Nienke

[jingjingna]

Thanks Nienke,

She is due for another jab on 7th November for 'heartworm'. She has perked up a bit but is not 100%. Would you leaving it a bit longer?

[Nienke]

Glad to hear/read she has perked up a little. It sounds she is on the recovery track.

Nov. 7th is still a week away, so I suggest to have a look how she is then. Another option is to give her a heartguard pill for coming month in stead of a jab that's valid for 2 or 3 months, depending in the dose the vet gives. Heartguard has a dose of ivermectin for a month only, and thus is less a burden for the just recovered body. However, this is something I 'conclude', so it's possible I'm not completely correct.

It is very possible that Bambina and/or geriatrickid can fill this in better than me.

Nienke

[Globeliner]

Thanks Nienke,

She is due for another jab on 7th November for 'heartworm'. She has perked up a bit but is not 100%. Would you leaving it a bit longer?

Hi Jingjingna, sorry to hear about your pups situation.

Speaking from experience, I bought my wife a Pug about a year ago, she developed sneezing and coughing fits shortly after we got her, and am sad to say is now on her last legs. Pugs are extremely vulnerable to viruses, her litter of two both died recently.

We had what we thought were all the necessary jabs.

May I ask where did you get your Pug from? Is she putting on weight?

[bina]

pugs have a plethora of health problems due to their squashed nose/soft palate: coughing, wheezing etc...

try going to a pug forum for ideas....