sick puppy help real help please?

Question

ok I will start off with first don't tell me i should not have bred my dogs .We have a waiting list we screen our parents we have a contract I do all i need to do for my babies
next dont tell me to goto a vet we have been to the vet 3 times in 2 days just went today at 8 am
now to my question 4 week old puppies have giardia my vet said it may be from another animal dropping in my yard we have them on the meds to kill the worms meds for poop and now meds for puking one of the puppies is just not doing well the others came around right away after the first time on meds this puppy sick I called my vet again they are closed untill monday now
I am trying to do power aid every 2 hours and puppy formula it just pukes it up anyone know anything else i can try?
I am thinking about doing an injection under the skin with saline
has anyone done this ? I did tube feedher she just tossed it back up I need to get some fluids in her or she is going to die please anyone that can help

I can not get back to a vet untill monday no one i sopen i even tryed calling in the towns next to us

They did IV fluids for her yesterday today was just a office lady to give me more meds to help her from puking so much

they have her on mirtazapine already for that i just sent my husband for ped i will do that soon as he gets home ty

Thank you anon..
I am ok with that my vet showed me how to do my own shots he is great vet and no he dont have an after hours we have to goto a ER vet 2 hours away they all say that when you call I just did the injection and wating for my husband to get hom with ped thank you all for help real help god bless you all

the puppy is with me on a heating pad in a box next to me
we washed everything and keep washing im doing more laundry then i ever have
they are not outside they are all with us in the house
we all use hand sanitizer after we hold a puppy and the vet sold me a cleaner for the home trust me i am doing everything i can to make it safe

Answer 1

If you have sterile normal saline you can give a sub-Q bolus. ***PLEASE ONLY DO THIS IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH IT AND OR HAVE DONE IT BEFORE!*** I would give her no more than 10-20 ml at a time. Give under the skin between the shoulder blades at the base of the neck, go slow with it and yes, she will have a small hump until the fluids disperse. If you pinch the skin at the base of her neck and it is slow to return to normal she is dehyradted and will need fluids. You will have to give it to her or take her to the er vets. If the skin falls back fairly fast she's not so bad, and if you are ok giving a subq bolus, then go ahead. I would only do those every 4-8 hours though.
Offer her pedialyte, not poweraide- that is very high in fructose/ sugar and may irritate her all ready upset tummy. You can try to offer her a small amount of cooked white rice and babyfood turkey. This is very bland. Only offer a few tablespoons at a time every 30- 40 mins or so.
This should get you through until the vet opens on monday

edit**
Be sure to check the puppies temperature every few hours while on the heating pad. It sounds like you are doing a very fine job! I wish you all the luck in the world! If this pup doesnt make it, it will not be because he lacked any care.
To those who say that there is an emergency vet availible everywhere- often there is very limited coverage in rural areas. If you live in the country, there may not be any veterinary care availible that is not hours away. This becomes impractical. I am sure if the asker were in the position to get the pup to a vet, they would. It may not be feasible in their situatuation. The best we can do is offer moral support.

as for giving sub-q fluids to animals- we did it all the time at several vets offices I have worked at. If the animal is very weak and or de hydrated, it is VERY hard to get an IV. Sometimes we would bolus them a whole unit - over an hour to rehydrate them enough to get a good vein. It is a very good way to administer emergency fluid if an IV is out of the question. It can be uncomfortable to give large amounts at a time and thats why I recommended no more than 20ml at a time.
I would not do this to a human, our skin is much tighter to our muscles. and does not hang like an animals does. (I am going through school to get my RN..so I know what that must have sounded like in the beginning) But Vets give injections under the skin quite a bit- all vaccs etc...

Answer 2

If she's vomiting then you have to rest the stomach. Nothing by mouth, even meds. If she needs fluids, and it sounds like she does, the only way to give them is via a needle. Either under the skin or through an IV. IV is best because it gets to the blood fastest, but it can't be done at home, (unless you're a vet tech?) Any meds that are needed should be given by injection until well after the vomiting stops. As much as I hate to tell you, I think you do need to go to a vet. An emergency vet. A puppy that young is very likely to die. It's good that the other puppies are doing well. I suspect that this particular puppy is just a little weaker or just had a larger exposure to the giardia. Giardia is just one of those freak things in the enviroment. It is found in bird droppings and contaminates water. It is difficult to detect, so I commend your veterinarian for finding it.

Now to the question of saline under the skin. Subcutaneous fluids (I believe that's what you're referring to) can be done at home, but I usually make sure I have someone in my office the first time they try to do it, because I don't want them to screw it up. You should use sterile saline, better yet Normosol or Lactated Ringers, and a fresh needle every time. The amount is going to vary depending on the size of the dog and the degree of dehydration. Usual sites are at the back of the neck and in front of the hips (saddlebags) where the skin is loose. You pinch the skin and make a tent of skin under your fingers. Hold the needle parallell to the body. The needle will go right into the middle of the tent. If you go through it it will just come out and run off the dog. If you go too deep you'll be injecting into muscle and it will hurt a lot. It will produce a bubble under the skin that is soft like a water balloon when done correctly. Be careful not to make it too tight. If you've done this before or seen it done, and have the appropriate equipment to do this, it may help.

It is not the highest quality of medical care I would advise for this patient. It may not be sufficient to do the job, and the puppy's life is on the line here. I have no financial incentive to tell you this, it's just the right thing to do. Go to a vet. Really. There are emergency vets all over, and people who are "closed" but really will see your pet if they are this sick, even when there are no emergency hospitals per se.

Answer 3

Why in the heck would a vet put a 4 week old puppy on mirtazapine??! Do you even know what that drug is? It is Remeron which is a drug for severe Depression!! Why aren't these pups on Flagyl (metronidizole)??

If you have never given sub-Q fluids, I suggest that the vet show you how. You will probably need some D5W or Dextrose for fluids. Or Lactated Ringers. I always have a liter of 5% Dextrose IV fluids on hand here. You have to get this pup to an ER vet if you can not keep up with the dehydration.

Answer 4

Sounds like it's time to go back to the vets. She is going to dehydrate very quickly. Let the vet do the fluids. It's much safer and you know it will work as it should

Good luck

EDIT: Hon every vet has an emergency number. Just call your own vet and even if you do have to go somewhere else they will have an answering service that will tell you someone who can help. Just like human doctors there is always someone to cover for them.

Depending how bad it is I have known animals to be on fluids for 2-3 days straight. I have had a couple myself. One treatment is sometimes not enough. That seems to be the case here. I actually have a foster dog right now who is on fluids since yesterday and won;t be off until at least tomorrow at the vets.

You can also call your nearest shelter too. They will have a list of on call vets as well. Don;t give up okay. You can get him through, but you need help.

Answer 5

whoa. this is serious stuff here but please don't be sad. what you need to do is separate all the puppies so you can keep an eye on them a room where they are all alone, giardia's contagious. i'm not sure if it can be completely cured but this website has a lot of ideas. don't do injections unless a vet says so. clean everything they come in contact with and wash your hands before and after handling them. you might not have to visit the vet, but you should at least call for advice as well. here is a website with some things you can try, ask your vet about them. i hope the puppies (and you will make a full recovery ;)

http://www.vetinfo4dogs.com/dgiardia.html

Answer 6

you can try the saline under the skin it can't hurt.But you do need to get some calories and sugar in him too. You can buy a suppliment called Nutri Cal. It is kinda like syrup and is really good. You only need to get about two finger tip fulls down a little puppy. Keep him seperated from all other puppies and momma. Keep going with the vomiting med and diarreah meds. You are doing all that you can. You may want to ask your vet for some Metaclopitmide to keep on hand. Its the best for nausea and vomiting in puppies.Good Luck.
One more thing. Don't leave him on that heating pad for long. It will burn him on the insde. You want know it until its to late and its awful and usally deadly.

Answer 7

God bless you. You are doing all you can possibly do. I live in a very small town. When the vet is closed that is it. They are closed. I can relate to your situation. My husband and I drove over 50 miles with our little one throwing up just to get to an emergency animal clinic. They gave him several shots and the fluid under the skin. I say if you can't find a vet and you know how to get the fluid under it's skin do it. They also suggested the pedolite in very small amounts. You will lose the baby unless you can get it hydrated. At least you will know you did all you could do. Good luck.

Answer 8

you need to keep the healthy ones separate from the ill ones, or the parasite will spread. also keep the ill dogs away from other pets.
keep EVERYTHING clean. utensils, bowls, blankets, beds etc etc.
make sure you clean the floors everyday, to reduce the risk of spreading.
when cleaning the floors, 1 cup of disinfectant to 1 bucket of water has been proven to kill the giardia organism. it should be left on for twenty minutes before being rinsed/mopped off.
you still need to do this even if you only have one dog.
be very strict with the medication, as this is what will ultimately help the ill dogs.
as for getting the fluids into them, power aid is a good idea, as it replenishes the water and salts the dogs have lost, although making your own is more effective: 400ml of water, 1/4 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp of sugar. mix it all up and give to your dogs via a dropper, turkey baster or anything that you have that will enable you to get the mixture into the dogs mouths.
also, crushing up multivitamin tablets and mixing into this water solution will help get their immune systems back up. try two tablets per 400mls.

i really hope they get better real soon.

remember, your vet will have an emergency telephone number, and they will come out to you whenever you call them.

mac x

Answer 9

Do the injections under the skin. I've used saline and "ringers" which is minerals several times a day. This will keep him hydrated.
Be sure to get just under the skin and there should be a bump..you can help by rubbing in it. You can give it between the shoulder blades or even along his side. The faster it dissolves the more dehydrated he is.
I kept newborn pups alive by doing this for 5 days until they would take food and water from a syringe. Mom had an infection.
Good luck to you.

Answer 10

first of all I am not so sure giving a saline injection under the skin will rehydrate this puppy!! (my knowledge of medical is in humans)!! But in humans you have to give a saline drip to dehydrated people via IV (INTRAVENOUS) (IN THE VEIN)!! If the puppy is throwing up this much it will not make it much longer! If I were you I would take it to the EMERGENCY VET!! They can at least keep it stable or get it stable! I would not think a saline drip at the emergency vet will cost as much as you think. You could also call them and they will give you advice over the phone!! Good Luck!! I hope it turns out o.k. Please let me know how the little sweetie does!! my e-mail is [e-mail]