we just got our new wee pup on dec 23 & he has been great , howls a wee bit at night but that apart he has been ace . because of xmas etc we never got the chance to take him to our vet until now .at the vets yesterday he advised that his diet that the breeder advised us on was poor & no good for him , he advised us on changing his food to hills large breed puppy food , also increase his meals from 3 to 4 per day . we did this wright away & our pup ate the food no bother . he had 3 bowls yesterday with wormer mixed in & 1 at approx 8am today but since then has not eaten . he has however been to the toilet twice today , his 1st time his stools appear to be norm the 2nd time they started norm the first couple then it just ran out of him , there was quite a lot of it . since then he has just lay on his wee mat . he is an 8 wk old rottie . is he just having an off day with all the change that has been going on .
2006-12-28 06:57:33 · 30 answers · asked by helen o 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
Have a word with your vet, just to put your mind at rest
2006-12-28 06:59:28 · answer #1 · answered by Scotty 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It sounds as though he has had LOTS of changes, so I would be patient for another day or two and continue observing him closely. It is possible for him to be a little run down because of the vaccinations and de-wormer. Also, if you just switched his food without a transitionary period then it could have been a harsh adjustment for his digestive system. Both of these could account for his current behavior.
I'm a little worried about why your Vet explain to slowly change his food over. Also, Hills Science Diet can be harsh for puppies. Some puppies will always have problems on this food. If this is the only food your Vet recommends (as with my Vet) then it is highly likely your Vet gets paid from Hills to push their food. Hills often pays Vets to only carry and promote their foods.
If the diarrhea continues then you can switch him to a bland diet of chicken and rice for a bit, which should help. I would highly suggest doing some research on dog food yourself. There's LOTS of information out there and it can be overwhelming, but there are better options than Hills. Personally I just decided to start feeding my dog a real food diet, which does take more time to prepare. (I consulted Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats.) As for dry food, we chose the Nutro brand which has less preservatives. Innova is also a great choice, but can be hard to find.
2006-12-28 07:58:06 · answer #2 · answered by SGTCharity 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Like emmy said it is probably a mixture of the switching over to a new food and the vaccines. You should really switch food gradually over a few days. If it doesnt stop over the next couple of days you should take him in. However if he starts vomiting he needs to be taken in immediately to make sure it isnt something more serious than diet change. He is probably just stressed from shots, new food, new house, and new people so give him some time. Make sure to keep him vaccinated, because he is still susceptible to parvo and distemper until he has been fully vaccinated (3 or 4 times depending on what your vet recommends-rotties are a little more susceptile to parvo than other breeds) and try to keep him away from public places like parks until he is through with shots. Parvo stays in the environment for up to 6 months, so just to play it safe I would stay away from places where you dont know the shot history of the dogs in the area. Hopefully your puppy will get over his upset stomach. You could also take him in and get some meds from the vet to stop the diarrhea. Just a thought. Good luck
Vaccine reactions can be common with shots though usually they happen after the 2nd set and with in a few hours of the vaccines (signs are vomiting, diarrhea, or facial swelling) so since it happened about 24 hrs later I wouldnt think that is what its from. If you are worried you can ask the vet. Vaccine reactions are not a big deal once treated. My dog has reactions and has to be pretreated before her shots and when she first had the reaction her face swelled up and we had to give her medicines to counter act the shot. If you have any questions let me know.
2006-12-28 07:11:58 · answer #3 · answered by Ryne's proud mommy 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is normal for your puppy to be a little under the weather after an injection, changing his food without weaning him off the other (by mixing it with the hills) can make your puppy have the runs. try half and half of the food and cut out the 1st food slowly over a week until there is only the hills this should help him adjust to the hills a little better. If you are worried though speak to your vet and put your mind at rest. good luck and hope he feels better soon!
2006-12-28 07:20:49 · answer #4 · answered by Shirley f 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should call a vet. The vaccinations inject small amounts of live viruses into an animal so their body can learn to fight them. It sounds like you puppy may have parvo. If you don't catch it in time it is deadly to a puppy. Watch for vomiting and blood in the stools. It could also be because of the dewormer. Just watch for another couple of hours and if it doesn't stop or if it gets worse take him to the vet RIGHT AWAY or it will be more expensive to try to save him. Make sure that he is getting FLUIDS no matter how you have to get him to take them. Dehydration is the cause of most parvo deaths.
2006-12-28 07:04:39 · answer #5 · answered by dmkd140 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd be wary of ANY breeder that sold puppies that close to Christmas, but your vet has told you that the food they were given was no good - seems they've taken your money and are probably laughing at you for it as I type this.
I think from the tone of your question though, that you have probably realised that you got your puppy from a dodgy backyard breeder (it goes without saying not to use them again!! Well done for realising though!!!).
I'd check with the vet as to what the problem might be. It could be (probably is) just the stress of moving house, dogs of any age can be quite sensitive to that. If he's been on poor quality food he may be quite sickly.
If you haven't already started to, get your dog signed up to puppy training classes. I doubt you need reminding that rottweilers are very powerful dogs. Luckily though, they are also generally very receptive to training, but with such a powerful dog, you need to do everything you can to ensure that he is as well trained as possible.
I wish you the very best of luck.
2006-12-29 05:46:10 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the breeder wasn't feeding top quality food, chances are that shortcuts were taken all round. Reputable breeders worm pups from day 14 with a veterinary approved wormer (not over-the-counter rubbish.) I guess your pup didn't have the best start. You mention that he's been given his wormer. Chances are that he has a heavy worm burden, and, yes, he would get the squits. Can you see dead worms (looks like spaghetti), in his poo? Pups dehydrate quick, take him back to the vet, don't risk waiting to see how it goes.
2006-12-31 13:56:00 · answer #7 · answered by denimlady1999 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Call your vet immediately! Our kitten was doing well until we got her first set of vaccinations, then she vomited and acted as if she didn't feel very well. I just happened to take her in, since it seemed suspicious that she wasn't feeling well after her shots.
It turned out her immune system had over-reacted to the vaccinations. She had a high fever (I didn't know that until I took her - just thought she felt a little warm). And they had to give her anti-inflammatories, benadryl, and fluids under her skin to bring the fever down. Some animals have very bad reactions to vaccinations, and while what you're descirbing may be normal for all he's been through, better let a vet check him out to be sure!!!! Not sure where we would have been with our little baby if I hadn't just happened to run her by.....
Good luck -
2006-12-28 07:06:21 · answer #8 · answered by CassandraM 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Between the diet change and the vaccinations, he's probably just feeling a little sick to his stomach. If he's not better in a couple days, call the vet back and ask if he should be seen.
Just for future reference, if you change a dog's food, you should do it gradually, mixing the new food with the old in small increments, until he gets on the new one. You didn't cause any damage to him by switching quickly, but the gradual approach helps prevent upset tummies.
2006-12-28 07:01:30 · answer #9 · answered by Emmy 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
When puppies get their first set of shots plus the wormer it is much like when children get thier shots it can make them alittle sick. The wormer can also make the stools loss and give them the runs. Make sure he is drinling water and watch hiom today if he is not feeling better I would just call and speak to the vet. If you would like to put your mind at ease just give the vet a call and ask what they think I am sure you will get much the same answer as I have given you.
2006-12-28 07:03:52 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes it sounds normal to me, but if it persists i would go see your vet otherwise that happened to my dog, but after a day or two she was fine. He's only little and has to deal with quite alot in a short space of time. Just make sure he has enough to drink as well at all times - keep a bowl of fresh water out all the time. Congrats on your new pup!
2006-12-28 07:03:10 · answer #11 · answered by Mazi 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋