[My3Dogs]

Hi all. I'm new to this forum as I came across it while searching for information on our new pup. He's 7.5 weeks old, a chihuahua mix (don't know what he's mixed with - his current weight is 2.8 pounds and we were told not to expect him to be bigger than 6-7). We adopted him on Saturday from a local animal group. They told us he was abandoned at only 2-3 days old along with his brother (adopted by a different family). The foster family bottle fed them until they were able to start eating food. They gave him his first set of shots (DHLPPC, even though I'm pretty sure he shouldn't have had Lepto yet) and gave him a dose of de-wormer (Strongid). I have an appointment for him at our regular vet Saturday morning, but I'm concerned that he might have worms. He has the tell-tale "puppy breath", his stomach is bloated and he has runny poop. No visible worms, but I know this does not mean they aren't present. My question is, can the vet do anything at this point? His next dose of de-wormer isn't due until 5-2-11 according to the papers they gave us at the time of adoption. I do have a call into my vet, btw, but they are closed this afternoon for a staff meeting. Thanks in advance!

Just as a side note, we also have an 8-year-old beagle/dachshund rescue, and an 11-month-old scottie/yorkie mix.

Thanks!

 

[Nibbler]

welcome to paw talk. i think for sure a vet would be able to give u the best advice on this.

 

[Purple-Hops]

Welcome I'm sorry I don't know enough about puppies and worms. If he already had a dose and is scheduled for another I think he should be fine. When we got Coco (almost 14 yrs ago ) he never saw a vet and was never de-wormed until this past winter when he caught tapeworms. Best of luck, but talk to your vet.

 

[Kendalle]

Worms are pretty common, and if you just got him and he just got wormed they might not be coming out yet. Give a day or two and they should start showing in the poop if he has them. They tend to be kinda plump looking at that age anyway.

 

[Purple-Hops]

I didn't know puppy breath had anything to do with worms? Pudgy puppy tummies are the best!!

 

[My3Dogs]

Thanks! We were up taking him out to potty every hour or so last night, it was miserable for him and for us. My husband took him to our vet this morning. They took a stool sample and also did a blood panel. No worms or intestinal parasites, and all blood work looked great. They said that the diarrhea is most likely due to the stress/excitement of being in our home, being separated from his brother, etc. We are feeding him the same thing his foster family was feeding him so they want us to keep feeding that but mix in a bit of the bland food. The food they gave us is Purina Veterinary Diets® EN Gastroenteric® Canine Formula. They gave him 2 injections at the office and sent us home with meds. The medicines they gave him are Aminopentamide Hyd Sulf 0.2mg (0.4mg every 12 hours) and Albon liquid 5% (1.25ml every 24 hours) His poop a little bit ago was less watery. Definitely not formed, but not pure liquid like it was. He is a lot happier today, MUCH more playful and we can at least tell he's feeling better. Hopefully the diarrhea subsides soon!!!

 

[wishbone]

So glad to hear all is well and he is negative of the worms. What is he eating? Maybe look for healthier food out there, more like raw diet which is very essential not only in nutrients but on chewing, and for better tummy health.

 

[Purple-Hops]

Raw diets should ONLY be tried if there is a nutritionist there to help you out. Trying to go on a whim and give him raw food without proper and extensive research will only lead to health issues. Probably malnutrition as many people don't really understand the benefits of certain ingredients.

 

[My3Dogs]

No worries, I have absolutely no plans on feeding any of my animals raw meat. I've followed up this journey in a different post also

 

[Sasami]

Raw diets should ONLY be tried if there is a nutritionist there to help you out. Trying to go on a whim and give him raw food without proper and extensive research will only lead to health issues. Probably malnutrition as many people don't really understand the benefits of certain ingredients.

I don't know about that, it's really not that difficult. You definitely need to research but a nutritionist isn't necessary. Homecooked diets and BARF diets require supplementation and more ingredients so maybe in that case it'd be a good idea. But prey model raw is pretty simple and no supplements are generally required.

For me, kibble was more difficult since I had to be so careful about what I fed with my dogs' allergies and the constant recalls.

 

[Purple-Hops]

True, I meant that if that is the route you want to take then you'd better be prepared to supply everything the dog needs. I know it's a good idea to people who want to take the time to learn about it and want to prepare it and all that stuff. I just meant that the majority of people will toss down a chicken and expect their dog to gain all the nutrients it needs from it. :/ Maybe a nutritionist would be extreme but at least have a resource to touch base with.

 

[Dragonrain]

Feeding raw is more complicated than throwing down raw chicken and that's it.

However it's not really that difficult to feed raw if you do some research first - no nutritionist needed. I think even BARF and home cooked are pretty easy to figure out if you just take the time to do your research first. There are a lot of great websites/forums/books out there where you can get a wealth of information on different types of diets.