# Does anyone know anything about sick puppies?



## CapnKennedy (Sep 30, 2012)

My German Shepherd, Zelda had a litter of pups the 18th of December so that would put them at almost 3 weeks old. We have one that keeps vomiting and he keeps screaming, I imagine because something hurts. He keeps fading in and out and I'm scared we're going to lose him. I've been force feeding him formula so he doesn't dehydrate or starve and I've been keeping him warm and his head elevated. 
Does anyone know anything about puppies? He's not getting any better and I'm so scared. We would take him to the vet but it's over an hour away and we're kind of broke..


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## Muttlycrew (Dec 21, 2012)

I do, I worked with a vet for 2 summers as a sort of unpaid intern/Tagalog (for learning experience). Sounds like either the pup swallowed something like plastic or glass or (and let's hope not) parvovirus. If its parvovirus then it's likely all of your pups could get it. If you are letting a dog have pups it's vital that you have all the puppies to the vet regularly for worming, shots, check ups, weigh ins, nail trimming, etc. I personally am not an advocate of dog breeding, but I'm going to keep my opinion mostly out of this so we can focus on the well being of the pup.
Have they been to the vet at all? Have you seen the pups feces? Have they been outside? Are the parents vaccinated? Is your yard fenced or unfenced? 


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## CapnKennedy (Sep 30, 2012)

Both parents are vaccinated, we have a fenced in yard, they haven't been outside before, I have no clue how they would get a hold of any glass or plastic and the pups are due for their first check up next week. They've all been wormed and everyone is in great shape except one little guy. I do know some pups just don't make it and I wonder if it just isn't one of those things.


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## Muttlycrew (Dec 21, 2012)

That's not very common with dogs though. Normally all of the pups live. Have you seen the stool at all? Sounds almost like parvovirus. Separate it from the other pups. If you have a bottle get either puppy milk replacer or you can try to milk the mom, that'll be very time consuming though. Put the pup in a box either under (but not DIRECTLY under where it'll get burned) a heated lamp, if you don't have a heated lamp get a water jug and fill it with hot water and put a blanket over it and have the pup lay on that for warmth. It's very uncommon for a 3 week old pup to just drop dead for no reason. Keep it hydrated and away from the other puppies. If it has parvovirus and it is around the other unvaccinated pups he will infect them and they could all die. 


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## Muttlycrew (Dec 21, 2012)

I know you're not wanting to spend money, but with the puppy's life on the line, I'd get him to a vet ASAP. See if your vet will let you do payments. Mine doesn't even make you pay anything upfront unless you want to, yours might too.


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## CapnKennedy (Sep 30, 2012)

The stool is a little watery from what I was able to see (mother dog cleaned it up before I could actually see for sure). And he's been separated from the others since I woke up to him this morning. I have no clue how they could have gotten parvovirus, the parents haven't been around other dogs nor has the father been around the pups either. 
So far I've done everything you said, puppy replacer, heat lamp, ect. 
Thank you for your help, I do appreciate it. Other then keeping him warm and fed, is there anything else I can do for him?


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## CapnKennedy (Sep 30, 2012)

Muttlycrew said:


> I know you're not wanting to spend money, but with the puppy's life on the line, I'd get him to a vet ASAP. See if your vet will let you do payments. Mine doesn't even make you pay anything upfront unless you want to, yours might too.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


I'm trying to see if my boyfriend will lend me some money, all I have is $20 and I know that wont cover it.


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## Muttlycrew (Dec 21, 2012)

You're very welcome.
Right now keeping him warm and hydrated until he can get to a vet are the biggest things. At 3 weeks he should be able to defecate on his own. Make sure when you're feeding him to not get milk in his nose. Maybe offer him water, too. He would just now be figuring out what water and all that is, so he may not know what to do with it, which is fine.

Hoping for the best!! 


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## Incandescent (Dec 17, 2012)

Parvo is also super-contagious and can stick around dormant in the ground for a long period of time. The dogs themselves wouldn't have to have been outside for it to be parvo -- if you've walked through a parvo-infected area and then walked into the puppy room, that could do it, especially if that pup already had a weakened immune system. I work with dogs and puppies, some of whom are too young to be vaccinated. To be safe, whenever I come home from the dog park or another dog-heavy public place, I spray my shoes with a 30% dilution of bleach, which is rated strong enough to kill parvovirus. If you see blood in poop or vomit, get to the vet as fast as you can.

Call vets, please. Many of them will let you make payments. Even if it's not the same vet you usually see, it's better than waiting. These sort of symptoms aren't something to mess around with.


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## CapnKennedy (Sep 30, 2012)

None of the vet clinics around here take payments, but my grandmother who is a retired vet came and looked at him. She doesn't think that its parvo. She thinks it maybe something having to do with his esophagus because he's having a hard time swallowing..
There is no blood in the pups stool or vomit, and I don't think it was vomit, but what he got out of his lungs..


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## Muttlycrew (Dec 21, 2012)

How'd it go with the puppies?


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## A.ngelF.eathers (Jul 6, 2011)

I hate to be "that person", but, why did you breed this litter if you don't even have the money to take one puppy to the vet, especially when it's immediate safety could be in danger?
Do you show these dogs? Compete with them? Have both the parents been 100% health tested? (and passed?) Do you have contracts drawn up and buyers lined up for these pups?


And, if you didn't breed these dogs (like if they're a rescue situation) then I apologize. Otherwise this is sheer irresponsibility.


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## Ruka (Dec 20, 2012)

A.ngelF.eathers said:


> I hate to be "that person", but, why did you breed this litter if you don't even have the money to take one puppy to the vet, especially when it's immediate safety could be in danger?
> Do you show these dogs? Compete with them? Have both the parents been 100% health tested? (and passed?) Do you have contracts drawn up and buyers lined up for these pups?
> 
> 
> And, if you didn't breed these dogs (like if they're a rescue situation) then I apologize. Otherwise this is sheer irresponsibility.


I agree, I'm 'that' person too!!

Please, unless they are health tested, have no generic faults, and have show or working titles, PLEASE don't breed!!

Thousands of healthy, friendly, young dogs and puppies (even newborns) die each and every single day due to lack of loving homes.

Breeding your dogs if you do not have the money, or know what you are doing it is .VERY irresponsible..

Like was already said, if it's a rescue situation and she was already pregnant, no issue, but if you bred her on intention, well, that's NOT responsible.


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## Muttlycrew (Dec 21, 2012)

I'm that person too xD in my previous comments I stated it as well, I was just more focused on trying to help the poor pup. I'm really curious as to how it all went. 


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## JLSaufl (Jan 20, 2013)

Due to being new to the forum, I didn't want to be that person either. But my sentiments exactly. Breeding any animal pretty much for ANY reason unless to show (when you own both parents, health tested, papers, contracts, take back policy, etc...) is very irresponsible. My heart breaks during a walking through at the humane society - the what if's. 

I hope the pup is OK. I hope that if you did intentionally breed your dog that this was a good lesson as to why you shouldn't.


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## Ruka (Dec 20, 2012)

JLSaufl said:


> Due to being new to the forum, I didn't want to be that person either. But my sentiments exactly. Breeding any animal pretty much for ANY reason unless to show (when you own both parents, health tested, papers, contracts, take back policy, etc...) is very irresponsible. My heart breaks during a walking through at the humane society - the what if's.
> 
> I hope the pup is OK. I hope that if you did intentionally breed your dog that this was a good lesson as to why you shouldn't.


Don't forget working dogs.

But backyard breeding is a no-no.

I will only ever have shelter or rescue animals.
Fact.

My rats are the only animals to come from breeders, because the rescues did t have any, and the pet stores, well, I'm not supporting that.

But my cats, and dog are rescues.




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## JLSaufl (Jan 20, 2013)

All of my animals came from shelters except my schnauzer puppy. We got her at a 'going out of business "Sale"' at a petstore. Come to find out it it wasn't going out of business, it was being shut down due to the horrid conditions and ethics. She would have died if we didn't take her. Had I had unlimited funds, i would have taken every animal he had left.


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## Ruka (Dec 20, 2012)

JLSaufl said:


> All of my animals came from shelters except my schnauzer puppy. We got her at a 'going out of business "Sale"' at a petstore. Come to find out it it wasn't going out of business, it was being shut down due to the horrid conditions and ethics. She would have died if we didn't take her. Had I had unlimited funds, i would have taken every animal he had left.


Poor babies.. 


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