Sick 9 week old GSD

Hi folks, I just came across this board while searching for some help for my sick german shepard pup. I bought an eight week old female GSD last week (she'll be 9 weeks on friday). I am in Arizona and I purchased her from a breeder in mississippi. When she got here last saturday night she was just fine and on sunday she was as playful as ever. But on monday i began to notice that she was not eating and had the runs. I called the breeder and she said it was probably coccidia from the stress of flying and that one of her liter mates that had flown out a day prior had been diagnosed with it. She said to make sure the vet gives her some Albon since she had started her on it prior to the flight as a preventive measure and she knows it works. Well, my boyfriend took her to the vet tuesday morning to find out that yes she had coccidia but she was also infested with hookworms. He also said she was about 50% underweight. needless to say i was not happy to get the news. He also said that there was no way the breeder did not know about both of these issue. He put her on albon and other mnedication. When i got home last night she was a different pup. Extrememly active and jumping around the entire house. I was told to give her some white rice and ground beef which i did and she devoured it. I am assuming this is a good sign since her stool is also beginning to harden. She has also been drinking pedialite to help with any dehydration. Thank god during this entire time she continued to drink water. So now I have to go back to the vet in three weeks to have her rechecked. Oh and did i mention he started her shot all over again because he said that its obvious that the ones she was given were no good. So here I am at my wits end hoping my pup gets better. The breeder has a no refund policy as do many breeders. She said if she does not get better she would exchange her. But seriously would i want another puppy from an infested liter!!!! I just dont want to pay more on treatment than i did on the puppy...any advice on food or making her comfortable would be great. Also I was told that i coud also feed her bland (no seasoning) chicken and rice. But my boyfriend says you shouldnt feed dogs chicken. Any opinions?

 

I am hearing puppymiller here....hope you were given a health guarantee.
Coccadia is not from stress it is passed from mother to pups....this "breeder" (and I use the term lightly) could tell you anything you want to hear since you probably didn't go see the parents/pups.
Have the hips checked out as soon as possible....soon if possible.
Please spay this dog as you have no idea what her background is.
I bought a German Shepherd from a BYB 11 years ago....before I knew such things existed. If it were for my beloved Sadie I'd be driving a Lexus rather than a 5 year old Kia Sephia...but she's my dog and my responsibility. I'd like to choke the woman that bred those dogs cause my dog has so many genetic health issues it's totally unfair.
If this breeder was reputable she'd be paying your vet bills right now

 

you can give dogs baked chicken...buy the boneless/skinless chicken breast. I mix it with my dog's prescription food everyday and have for years.
Also if you continue with the ground meat buy a low fat one and boil it rather than fry it.

 

Thank goodness i did get a health guarantee. When i heard what it was i did some research and found out that coccidia can be triggered by stress but i'm sure it was more than that. I am glad to say she seems to be doing better but i pretty much told her that if something happens I will contact her vet and find out all the details about the pup. It just makes me upset when she is not feeling well....

 

That's the thing I hate about "guarantees" where they say they will exchange the pup. Or even if they will take it back! It's not like it's a car or something. You get attached to the animal and you don't WANT another one - you want to help this one get well but you can't afford it!

Anyway, I'm sorry this is happening to you. It's a hard way to learn about irresponsible breeders.

Chicken is fine. Cooked bones can be very dangerous, though, so if you are cooking it be sure it is boneless.

 

Sorry your pups been so sick. Chicken is good when you need to give a bland diet, Id prefer that over the ground beef but as Jamiya said not cooked bones, and leave the skin off, Ive always boiled it, mix it with rice, you can also add some low fat cottage cheese and a spoonful or 2 of chicken broth although if the pup is eating well with what your giving now then I would stick with that as a complete diet change can cause diarrhea whichyou want to avoid, also get a good quality puppy food and when the pup is ready to start eating that I'd start by mixing in some rice and chicken (or ground beef if thats what your using). Coccidia can kill pups if its severe enough so its great that you caught it, as for the hookworm, the 'breeder' (also using the term loosley) shuold have been on top of that long ago, its common in dirty living conditions in breeding kennels, at least from my experience.
With the hip x-rays, unless there is a real obvious sever problem already you wont get a true picture of what the hips are like until the pup is at least 18 months old, GSD's are pretty well known for growing in spurts and often have a 'gangly' look, one I had years ago, during his 'growth period' his tongue was too long to fit in his mouth for a few days, his tail dragged on the floor for about a week because that had grown but his legs hadnt quite caught up, I was convinced his hips were shot because of awkward gait but they turned out fine.
I dont know what 'shot' your talking about but if its vaccines, I wouldnt trust anything this so called breeder says they did.

 

Hi i am sorry to hear your pup has been sick.

This what really gets me is that since this little one was burdened with hook worm indicates that the mother was never wormed during her pregnancy or 2weeks after the litter was born, Also shows these pups where not wormed at 2weekly intervals before the litter went to there new homes.

One in the infestation is dealt with pups usually go back to being normal bouncy pups this is due to the worms not feeding off everything the pup eats.

I have just had the same problem i rescued a rottwieller cross last week and she was heavily burdened with worms she was underweight and small for her age, I treated her for worms and is now thriving.

Chicken and rice is best also if you put ground fresh garlic in there food this helps with digestion and also helps prevent worms from living in the intestines, Also since the garlic is absorbed into the blood it helps prevent fleas.

I love german shepherds but i would say that as i am a breeder, I love all animals my house is like a zoo at the moment hahahahah.

You will find within a couple of days you will notice she is the way she should be.

good luck with the pup and i hope that she brings you many years of happiness and pleasure.

Mike

 

How much garlic do you put on a pup's food, Mike? I also give garlic to my dogs to ward off mosquitoes and ticks, but you do have to be careful because too much garlic is harmful. It is in the onion family and can cause hemolytic anemia (the red blood cells burst), although it takes a lot more garlic than onion to do this!

Anyway, sometimes it is hard to find a "safe" dose, so I was curious how much you give your pups since obviously they have never had a problem with it!

 

First of all thanks to all of you for all the good wishes. I am very happy to say that Jazmin is doing great . She is being a good ol brat. She got a bunch of new toys yesterday and cant decide which to play with first. It really was as if 1 dose of meds really turned her around and she has been doing better ever since. When i said shots yes i meant vaccinations. And of course i trusted the breeder since she sent her health record with the dates and stickers of what was given. But then again she could have gotten them from anywhere. Hoefully it will all be in the past and she will just do great.

She has been eating great and even took a treat yesterday (which she hadnt the day bfore) she is back on her Iams puppy food. And her stool is solid again. Hopefully when we go back to the vet he will give her a clean bill of health.

The funny part is that since i know she was sick I cant even get mad at her when she is a brat and bites my pant legs and wont let go (when im already late for work :shock: )

I agree that breeders seem to be out for the money when they say no refunds. I mean if they sell you a sick puppy why would you want another one from them..it seems they just dont get it.

 

Unfortunately they do get it....and theyre making bank by this form of deception, scam if you like, all they care about is the money, they play on peoples emotions, counting on them to become attached to the pup and choosing to pay for the health of that pup themselves rather than return it.

As for the biting on your pants, I know exactly how you feel but keep in mind that by letting the pup get away with this now will 'create a monster' (I say that in a nice way), this age is great for laying down the basic rules, theyre absorbing everything and some lessons learned at this time will be with them for life....and youll be the one trying to change the rules later, but that doesnt mean you need to get mad, attention withdrawal works very well at this age, sometimes a stern 'NO', (if you say anything at all)walk away and as soon as puppy...Jazmin, has stopped biting on your pants (or doing any other behaviour you dont want) then give prasie and attention...and a toy to bite on, Jazmin will learn really quick which behaviours get attention, positive or negative...its still attention and they thrive on it, there is a product called Bitter Apple that I use on consisitant biters, has the instructions on the bottle, its safe and is all natural, Ive seen some hypersalivation occasionally but have never heard of nor seen any other side effects (Ive been using for years), Id try the attention withdrawal first though.

Personally nothing makes me happier when a puppy who has been so sick suddenly turns into a bratty little monster...it means theyre feeling better.

 

Do you know where i can get the bitter apple? I have been saying NO. But i'm not sure Jaz understands what that means yet....LOL. I have been throwing one of here toys when she starts to distract her and it seems to work. Unless im in a room without her toys. Then I try the NO and peeling her off of my leg. She is not happy be eventually she gets it that im not happy when she does that... But yes I am also very happy she is feeling better.

 

You can get bitter apple at just about any pet store. There are all sorts of similar products to discourage chewing.

When you say NO, make your voice low and firm. Don't shriek it. I usually also stretch it out. Try to keep anger from it as well.

 

Thanks. Ill have to go look for some.

I usually cant get angry since she is pretty funny when she does it (which doesnt help) But i will definitely try that stuff. I have read a bunch of different articles explaining why they do it and that it is natural. But I am certain if you let it go on it will just get worst. And besides she has got some sharp little teeth :cry:

 

This is my favorite article on bite inhibition: http://www.jersey.net/~mountaindog/berner1/bitestop.htm

Any of Ian Dunbar's puppy books are well worth the read, as well as Pat Miller's Power of Positive Dog Training. I wish I had read them BEFORE I got my puppy.

 

I get cloves of garlic i chop one little clove in half and put that in the food.
You can also boil garlic allow the water to cool and put into a water mist spray bottle and spray this onto the dogs fur and brush through this repells fela.s ticks and other bugs.

Mike

 

I blew me away when you said your pup was 50% underweight! What kind of a "breeder" was this? That would feed a pup that little? Obviously, you can make more money on puppies when you spend less on their food. Disgusting. Also, coccidea is NOT caused by stress. As mentioned earlier, its passed from the mother to the pups. Sounds like the breeder is trying to feed you a crock of bull. Also, the hookworm infestation is an indication that this "breeder" was too cheap to even have fecal tests done on her pups.

And what kind of vaccines did the "breeder" say she gave the pup, that your vet doesn't approve of? Did you get a list of vaccines given, and the dates? So many so-called breeders either give way too MANY vaccines, or they don't give nearly enough. You'll be amazed at how much weight your puppy will put on in a very short time.

One other thing - please don't feed Iams! They do cruel research (among other horrendous things) to dogs, and the food has many by-products. I feed Chicken Soup, which has NO by-products and all natural ingredients. I know Iams advertises heavily, making the general public think its a good food, but it isn't. Many vets believe is a good food as well. Research online and you'll find out the real story. Wellness, Canidiae (sp) and Eagle Brand are some other foods that have no by-products. I believe California Natural is another good brand. I think Chicken Soup is around the same price as Iams, so why feed your dog who knows what (and I've heard some very disturbing comments about what goes into these low quality foods) when you can read the label, and know you are feeding your precious pooch a high quality food that he can actually USE? If you research online, you'll know what to look for on the label when you go dog food shopping.

 

Whatever your opinion of the quality of Iams foods is, please do not perpetuate the lie that Iams does cruel research. The facts are that the so called cruel research was committed at an independant facility Iams had contracted to do the studies. The individual who was hired by Iams to oversee the research was a PETA plant who not only allowed said research to be done in an inhumane manner, she encouraged it. Makes for better press that way.

When the Iams company was made aware of the situation at the facility, they fired the facility and the PETA scam artist who perpetuated the abuse.

I'd view ANY claim made by PETA about anything as suspicious. They have a horrible track record of lies and fabrications.

 

Ive said in a few threads what I think of PETA, their a bunch of sick extremists....sorry though shine, the comment about Iams is not a lie, there have been problems over Iams doing animal testing, vivisection...cruelty since long before PETA were ever involved, they are still testing on animals when there are non-animal related tests available that appear to be much more accurate....they are also part of Proctor and Gamble which is pretty bad for animal testing on household products.

http://www.uncaged.co.uk/news/2005/iams.htm#chicks

(Uncaged seems to concentrate more on anti-vivisection, I dont know too much else about them yet, what Ive read about them so far I wuold put them in the 'activist' group and not a 'twisted, out of control, extremist' group)

I will say though, I myself have always fed my dogs Pedigree or Purina, both companies do animal testing but from what Ive read Purina in particular is stopping a lot of it and going for non-animal testing.

That said, while I now will be looking for other foods for my future dogs from companies (and I have a list) that do not 'test' on animals. I dont believe that dogs should live on vegetarian diets....they are carnivores so as sad as it is, for me to have a dog there will always be some level of animal cruelty that I am contibuting to...incidentally, the foods I found listed in Uncageds website, while they are against testing there is meat meal in the food, didnt see any beef products, mostly its chicken and lamb.

 

and the animal testing done is something that Proctor & Gamble is famous for and they own Iams pet food line. Proctor & Gamble continues to use animals for research all of their products from shampoos, soaps to household cleaners...it's not just the pet food

 

Thanks you guys, for backing me up.