Puppy Flu?

[MsBex]

Hi guys, Just wondering if anyone has experienced this and whether i'm over-reacting?

I have a 13wk old Cocker Spaniel, who has basically had what I (as an amateur) would call dog-flu! He's had a snotty nose, which is all crusty from dried snot, and this has been accompanied by a cough (usually only in the evenings). When I went to visit him about 2 weeks before taking him home, one of the adult dogs in the kennel had a cough, and the breeder mentioned in passing whether he might have kennel cough. I mentioned this to the vet and he said he doubted that's what Cory had. Also he didn't have any cough symptoms for about a week after he got home.

I took him to the vet about 8 days ago, and he's been on antibiotics and also cough medicine. Sometimes I think he's getting over it, and then today I had to wipe the snot away from his nose when I woke up as it had crusted over one nostril and he was having difficulty breathing through it. Particularly in the evenings it seems to get worse, and I often wipe his nose with a tissue as he wipes it all over the carpet otherwise. He has 2 days worth of antibiotics to go.

I'm also wondering if its because of his vaccinations as it seemed really quick to me. He's basically had them at 8wks, 10wks and 12wks (Protech C3). The vet said it was a new one and could be done every 2 weeks, and although from my readings I knew it was fast, I thought "Who am I to argue with the professional?".

Is this all normal for a puppy or should I be taking him to a different vet?

Thanks for your responses.

[puggy_puggy]

Sounds like your puppy has KC to me. Get a new vet as they sounds like the amature one.

[gareth]

That's an awful lot of vaccinations in a short time. Try another vet, get a recommendation from here for someone in your area and then send the bill to the breeder. Also put him on a good supplement such as Polyvite to boost his immune system and give him lots of drinks, goats milk and puppy milk etc.

Edited October 2, 2009 by gareth

[MsBex]

That's an awful lot of vaccinations in a short time. Try another vet, get a recommendation from here for someone in your area and then send the bill to the breeder. Also put him on a good supplement such as Polyvite to boost his immune system and give him lots of drinks, goats milk and puppy milk etc.

Thanks for that, will definately do that. He hasn't been eating as much as I would've expected. Will practically leave his morning meal of dry food all day and wait for the chicken mince and wet food. Thought he was being fussy, and so didn't want to pamper to him, but might spoil him for awhile with what he wants. Thanks for those tips.

Was wondering about the breeders responsibility. I still owe her $300, and have been thinking I've had to pay an awful lot lately (almost $500) for cough medicines, ear creams, anti-biotics, consultation fees, on top of the $700 i've already paid her for our new puppy. All these things (not to mention fleas) I believe he had when I got him, although can't prove it of course. It's the price you pay for a healthy puppy, and have no problem with that, yet have been fighting back feelings of anger to the breeder (not to mention the vet)

Appreciate your tips and will get some Polyvite tomorrow.

[t-time]

Depends on whether or not you saw the vet within a week of getting him home from the breeders (so you've got proof the puppy became ill from date of purchase) and what sort of health guarantee the breeder offered.

It's quite possible that your puppy may have picked something up on his first walk to the end of the street - especially with the *very interesting* vaccinations given!!

This is what pet insurance is good for with new puppies particularly

I would also be seeking a second veterinary opinion.

[Cockerlover]

all sounds a bit suss to me !

no reputable breeder would let a puppy leave thier care ....IF there was kc in the kennel ;

Kc incubates for some time b4 becoming obvious ,if that is what yr pup has ,

I would certainly be looking for another vet & presenting the vets bills to the so called breeder .

[curlygirl]

Try warming up the pups food so that he can smell it a bit easier through his snotty nose.

[Guest Ams]

Try warming up the pups food so that he can smell it a bit easier through his snotty nose.

He is probably leaving the kibble in the morning cause he knows that dinner is far more appetising. Try feeding half kibble half wet food in the morning and the same in the evening. Once he realises that his dinner doesn't get " value added" during the day he will then eat whatever is presented. Also don't leave the food down al day. Pick it up after about 20 mins and don't offer any other food until next meal time. Again he will learn to eat what is put down quickly. This is beneficial esp in summer as wet food left down goes rancid.

Oh and get a new vet

[sandgrubber]

I'm a breeder who lives next door to a rescue organisation, and KC of various forms seems to hang overhead all the time. I have one of my own pups (12 weeks) who has it now . . . a rather nasty, persistent strain. Another pup from the litter came down with KC two weeks after going to a new home . . . no way to know where it came from . . . whether it was picked up here and had a long incubation period or was picked up in the new home environment. I offered to pay some vet consult fees, but they haven't taken me up on the offer.

My general experience with KC in puppies is that it passes . . . . sometimes rapidly, sometimes very slowly. In a slow case, there are no magic bullets. It tugs at your heart strings to see a puppy miserable with a cough, etc. You want to do something. It would be easy to run up a very large vet bill going from vet to vet, and create a lot of bad karma looking for who to blame. But it does generally pass naturally. When it's simply a virus (KC) there's not much you can do other than keep the pup warm and give it nutritional support plus cough meds of some sort. If there are bacterial infections on top of the virus ('pneumonia'), antibiotics. Of course you need to monitor. If your vet doesn't give you a list of danger signs, and doesn't explain the virus vs bacteria question to you, I would change vets.