Is my American Bulldog ok?

Question

I just got my puppy 1 week ago from a home where she was abused. She has one disfigured paw from being stuck in chicken wire. She went the vet for the first time at 11wks old-now 12wks and the vet said to keep an eye out for it. She runs, jumps and is very active all day. This morning she woke up and had a little bit of a limp when she walked slowly. She was fine to run. She also is terrified of people because she was abused. She also is a huge snorer. I was afraid she was sick because she was snoring very loud and he nose was running. Are these things normal? Is my puppy ok? Her next vet appointment isn't until the 19th when she gets her next round of shots. Do puppies also become hesitant to eat new food?

FYI, we got x-rays of the disfigured paw and they said it was fine.

She drinks all of the time. I am so fearful that she will get sick. She should have had her shots at 7-9wks and had nothing. Is there anything that I should do or look out for in terms of her being sick or distemper, etc? As a first time pet owner, I don't know how to tell if a dog is sick or in pain.

UPDATE::::::::
I just got off the phone with the vet. He said in regards to distemper and parvo, they noticed no symptons whatsoever and unless (as some of you pointed out) she is vomiting, not eating, not drinking, not playing, etc, she should be ok. He said that she showed no signs of a problem less than a week ago. In regards to her food. We have her on a natural food and we put a joint supplement in it. She hates it. She will take a few bites, play, go back for some more, play, and its not until shes super hungry that she finishes it. I think it gave her a little runny poo. It was the same night we gave it to her that her poo became a bit runny. I do thank you all for your responses. She is my heart. Its so sad to think of what happened to her. I just pray she is ok.

Answer 1

I have a pit bull/American bulldog mix, and it's good to see you're so concerned about your dog's health. The snoring, drooling, and mildly runny nose is pretty typical of your bull breeds and probably nothing to be worried about. My dog is a huge drooler/snorer. Hate to tell you this, but horrible flatulence and snorting is also pretty typical with these guys. As for food, I have a male pit bull who had to go through three different brands of puppy food before we found one he would eat, and then he picked out one color of kibble and wouldn't eat any of those. Funny thing is, we started him out on the finest foods, the most expensive brands, etc. but in the end he would only eat the cheapo brand of food. Anyway, unless your pup experiences vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, won't drink, or loses weight, there's usually not much to worry about.

Answer 2

Bulldogs do snore. I would be worried about the runny nose though (not sure if it is typical of the breed). She is an older puppy to have only gotten her first shots (I know it was not your fault...Congrats on rescuing her). She could have already been exposed to distemper and/or parvo or any other diseases she should have already been vaccinated for. Call your vet and tell him/her about the runny nose and any other symptoms she has (ie runny poo, or bad odor to her poo). Not eating is not a good sign. Is she still taking in liquids?

I had a Heinz 57(more than a mutt) puppy that I got from my dad (mom and dad divorced a long time ago) when I was 18yrs, and I went to get her shots at 8 weeks, and she died a week later from distemper (she had already been exposed to it at my dad's house and getting the shot made it worse).

Please call your vet today!

Answer 3

If you have had her at the vets office she may have gotten Kennel cough. Never let a puppy on the floor at the vets. Its the quickest place to get sick. Remember thats where the sick dogs go.

Answer 4

You are an angel.

I'm sorry, I don't know if your dog will be ok. It's good that you're in constant contact with your vet. Time will tell.

Good luck!