UGH, Im at my wits end....why so many problems?

Question

We have only had our pup 7 days, and already taken him 3 times to the vet!!!
First, after 2 days here with us, he stopped eating and began throwing up, thought maybe Parvo...nope the vet said to stop giving him treats for pottying, ok.
Then, he gets med's for his throwing up, next we have tapeworm!

And he wakes up in the middle of the night crying from itching so bad, and he has hives on his face!! The the hives go away and I decide to stop his med's that he was given to stop throwing up.

Take in his stool for test, it's tapeworm. So he gets med for it.
Now, he still wont stop itching madly, everywhere, (and he has not one flea on him, he's short haired, and my daughter and husband arent being bit and they are allergice to fleas, so I know he doesnt have those, and he was given that flea med the second day he was home) even after the first med given is stopped, and....
Im tired of no exact answers from the vet.

He was given Amoxil, and Reglan.
I've been taking him to the same place I got him from. Its a rescue/vet emergency clinic. And they are good, unlike a lot of vet clinic's they care about their animals there.
And since I live so far from them, they have even given my pet checks for free with this pup.

And as for the skin issue, he seems to be itching his paws, underbelly and head the most. Could that be from the tapeworms?
And I also noticed a small sore on his underbelly, by his peter, lol. It scabby looking, is this anything?

Answer 1

Most pups will get a gastro intestinal upset within the first week of being at a new home. Tis is due to the stress of change and also a change in diet so yes the vet was correct to suggest stopping the treats.
The medication your vet gave for the vomiting would either have been an antibiotic thats great for gastro upsets and lets the gut recover or an anti vomiting medication ( without name of drug unable you tell you).

Tapeworm ONLY comes from fleas so maybe the mother dog and pups had fleas prior to you picking him up if you think he definately has no fleas now. The only way to get tapeworm is if he ingests a adult flea or egg!!
If he had fleas prior to you getting him he may still be itchy if he was allergic to fleas.
You will still get the occasional adult flea on a dog that has been treated by a flea product as they flea has to be on body for a few hours before it dies.
If pup had fleas probably has eggs and pupae that have hatched and the adults are biting pup - I would say you have a flea allergic dog. Have you bathed the pup? Use a dog shampoo thats safe for pups as bathing can give relief.
You can give a human antihistamnine - call the vet with an antihistamine you have a t hom,e and they can work out a dose rate for you.

Also you may need to retreat for tapeworm in 6 weeks time to ensure the pup as been cleaned out fully.

Answer 2

I can empathize with you. My vet did do an exam at first to determine the worm and condition of our pup. Ok, your fault for the potty treats, but why give him med's for throwing up if it was caused by too many treats? Sounds to me like just stopping the treats would have solved that problem. Could the night crying be loneliness or maybe the tape worm? Mine had the itch problem really bad, real dry skin, and I shampooed her too. Only made matters worse. Are you being over protective of your new pup? Do you think you need a new vet? I would be thinking all of those things. I wonder what's wrong with mine when I find her up on my dining room table of all the damn places. And no, she's not allowed there. I think it's everybody just getting used to everybody. Takes time, and new pups are like babies.

Don't be so quick to jump to mange or skin allergies, my pup did fine just letting her go without a bath for several weeks till the itching stopped.

Answer 3

Have you consider a possible food allergy? Try to change to a different type of food- if feeding him chicken, try lamb & rice or beef, etc. and vice versa. I have seen dogs get hives and the itchies from food types so please try that. Allow up to a week for a change. Ask the vet about giving him Benadryl, it is safe for dogs, but the dosage varies by size and dogs get a different dosage scale than humans. With the Benadryl and the food change if you see a change for the better then you will know its a food allergy.

I could tell it wasn't flea allergy because of the hives. Dogs with flea allergy will bite their back near their tail, the backs of their legs,a nd their tummy near the ribs. I have never had any of my dogs that have flea allergy get hives and never seen it on other dogs that have flea allergy.
I don't think the worms would cause the hives either just never heard of it happening.

It comes down to all the new things you have tried on him- Food, Shampoo, maybe the Flea Treatment (never heard of it happening but maybe) or flavor of treats ( which goes back to food allergy). By doing deductive reasoning of all the things you added in the 7 days you've had him you'll can isolate the problem.
Did he have hives when you got him?
Did you buy the same brand and flavor of food he had been on before you got him?
Did you use the same Flea Treatment he had been on before you got him?
If you gave him a bath what shampoo did you use perfumed, scented, unscented or natural?
What kind of bedding is he sleeping on?

Please consider household chemical use too- Carpet Sprinkles for freshness, mopping chemicals, that sort of thing. Only if you used it after you brought him home and just before he got the hives.

I sure hope you are able to isolate the problem and help the little guy. I couldn't imagine having to deal with hives all over me.
Good luck and bless you.

Answer 4

It sounds like you need to contact the breeder you bought him from.
The itching is NOT from tapeworms,it could be from an underlying skin problem from the breeders, it could be allergy to food or enviornment, it could be the flea med (especially if it was one of the OTC flea prodcuts which are very unsafe for dogs/puppies and should NEVER be used.) If your pup didn't come from a responsible breeder it could be an inherited skin issue.
There is NO exact answer at this point which is why you aren't getting one from the vet.

Answer 5

Wow. Poor little thing is having a hard time!
My first suggestion is this: you don't have to stay with the same vet. If you are not feeling like you are getting enough info, or if you are felling like they should have found this out sooner (I am) go to somebody else!
There is a possibility of mange or a number of other skin ailments, I'd need more info to tell you the skin issue.

Answer 6

The sore underneath him could be ringworm which is not a worm but a fungus infection. It almost sounds like he is allergic to something ask the vet that. You've had a hard time alright and it's very nice of you to care. Good Luck

Answer 7

If this were my dog, I'd leave it at the hospital, and have them run all sorts of tests, and call me when he was fine..... And I think I'd not take him back the vet your have been seeing... just get the records, and change vets.... call a friend and get a recommendation...

Answer 8

Why don;t you take the poor little thing to a competent vet. He might be allergic to the medication or something around your house, they should be able to sort it out for you. Don't give up on him though, I know it's hard but it will get better, we had a lot of trouble with our new puppy, but the perseverance is worth it.

Answer 9

the itching could be caused by many different things from food/treats allegy reactions to carpet cleaners. it can take time to find out the cause so be patient and stop worring.

Answer 10

The vet is obviously incompetent so should be taken elsewhere.