Need advice

5420 Views 36 Replies 8 Participants Last post by susan davis, Aug 6, 2016

shasha123

Discussion Starter · Jul 25, 2016

Hello, I am new here! I posted a few days ago but it won't let me post in any other forum, but I really need some help!

I took my little guy home about 2 weeks ago, he was 10 weeks. He was great the first week, he ate and played. He got a clean bill of health from my vet, his stool sample checked and got his first shots along with another round of de-wormer to be on the safe side.

3 days later, I woke up by hearing him yelping and he was passing out! I knew this meant hypoglycemia, rubbed Karo on his gums and rushed to the ER vet. He spent the day there and on fluids/dextrose. He came home with me in the evening, where I continued to syringe feed him every 2 hours. There has been his dry food, which his breeder fed him, to free feed but he has not touched it. (I had been leaving it for him to free feed, I am assuming he did not eat any the night before I found him unresponsive, even though I thought he had been eating)

Since then, I have been feeding him every 2-3 hours. It is going on day 6. He has definitely improved and seems stronger, his stool is forming more. He is interested in what I'm doing, etc and wants to sit next to me. But still doesn't want to eat! And he seems to be having a little cough when I try to syringe feed him. He did seem stuffy for a few days, but I thought it was a side effect of his de-wormer since that was done intra-nasally and it seems to be improving.

In the syringe, I mix Royal Canin R/s recovery with Nutri Cal and warm bone broth to make a "milk shake". I have also given unflavored Pedialyte mixed in with his water.

Please, any suggestions? I am wondering if his little tummy hurt and he just didn't want to eat, but because he is so small that sent him into hypo. I am not sure what it could be, though. Please help.

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susan davis

· #2 · Jul 25, 2016

Oh Geeze! Just what you need! Hypoglycemia usually can be treated easily? This has been going on for 6 days. There is a recipe somewhere on this forum for "satin balls" which are a great way to get sick dogs to eat. I have never heard of giving a de-wormer intranasally? I wonder if the vet gave him a kennel cough/or other vaccination? The 'cocktail' you are using is great. Keep that up. Sometimes puppies get sick after their vaccinations. It should clear up quickly though. I would keep up what you are doing for now, and if in a few days it doesn't clear up, then another vet visit may be in order.

I had a tiny puppy that didn't want to eat (figured out she needed her litter mates competition) and we went nuts trying to get her to eat. To this day she takes her time to eat! Sometimes breakfast is eaten at 5 pm. She is 10 years old! My point in this, is he will grow up! Keep us posted, as others may have some more ideas!

Reactions: 2

shasha123

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jul 25, 2016

I'm sorry, you are right--it was the bordatella he was given intranasally. The dewormer was Nemex! I don't know why I got those mixed up, but no sleep...

I will look for the "satin balls". Yes, tomorrow will be a full week. I have put warm water in his food, put it on a plate vs a bowl, left it down for 20 minutes then put up, literally everything I can think of! He didn't even want to lick any peanut butter off my finger

susan davis

· #4 · Jul 26, 2016

sometimes pups get really 'off' after a vaccination. I'd wait a few more days, dosing him up with your 'cocktail'. After that, IF the vet finds nothing wrong, I'd feed him at let him get hungry if he decides not to eat. You HAVE to be vigilant about low blood sugar though. I would hope others would have some ideas on the forum?

Reactions: 1

shasha123

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jul 26, 2016

Thanks so much!

Tonight he actually wanted a piece of lettuce, which made me want to dance with joy, as well as chewing on his teething ring.
If I let him get hungry, how do I maintain his blood sugar? Just rubbing Karo or Nutri Cal on his gums?

Dorothy's Mom

· #6 · Jul 26, 2016

susan davis said:
I had a tiny puppy that didn't want to eat (figured out she needed her litter mates competition) and we went nuts trying to get her to eat. To this day she takes her time to eat! Sometimes breakfast is eaten at 5 pm. She is 10 years old! My point in this, is he will grow up! Keep us posted, as others may have some more ideas!

Yes, some dogs are just not food motivated. Dorothy is also like this. There are actually days she doesn't eat anything - zero! And then other days she'll eat two or three times.

I always say she's like a toddler who goes on a food strike one week and then eats you out of house and home the next.

Reactions: 1

shasha123

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jul 26, 2016

Thank you!

I was so excited because he wanted to eat some lettuce last night, but we are back to square one today and syringe feeding. He is a little congested. I gave him a tiny drop of benadryl to help with that and we are going back to the vet on Thursday (she is out of town today and tomorrow) No doubt congestion is not helping his wanting to eat!

susan davis

· #8 · Jul 27, 2016

I wonder if a tiny bit of something smelly might help him eat. Like tuna/salmon?? A small teaspoon or so? How about some liver sausage? If you are dosing him with your cocktail, he won't get hypoglycemic.

Reactions: 1

shasha123

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jul 27, 2016

Thank you so much!

I have tried tuna as well as some of my cats Wellness wet food chicken and salmon...I have a bark box that had several extra pungent treats...I will keep trying though. The recovery food is supposed to stimulate his appetite, too! He is definitely improving, walking around more, standing on his hind legs for me to take him out of his playpen...trying to climb out of his puppy carrier (I took him to work to monitor!)

I had my soul mate dog for 10+ years before he passed from CHF and I never ever had a problem with him not wanting to eat, even if he didn't feel well he still wanted treats or anything I was eating, so this is very new to me! I appreciate you trying to help!

zellko

· #10 · Jul 27, 2016

Some chis love hard cooked egg.

Reactions: 1

shasha123

Discussion Starter · #11 · Jul 27, 2016

Thanks! I tried that today, actually, ran to the salad bar at work & tried hard boiled egg, lettuce again, carrot, cheese, ham, turkey...also a few goldfish crackers...along with offering his puppy kibble with warmed bone broth poured over. That is a good idea though, this pupper has gotta eat!

K8emcgee

· #12 · Jul 27, 2016

I was told if a pup is congested he may refuse to eat if he can't smell it. Maybe he can't even smell the extra pungent food and even if he can smell it a little it maybe it doesn't smell appetizing with his congestion and that can be from the intranasal vaccine maybe some side effects. I know their appetite is scent motivated which is why alot of kibble has that chemical to make them think it's appetizing when they sniff it when without it they wouldn't want it. Someone here told me that or I read it during recent research. But I do remember reading about most dogs and cats not wanting to eat while congested or having a cold that made them stuffy or runny bc I recently dealt with the same thing with two kittens. It's good you have an apt set up hopefully your chi will get his apt back before but either way the apt will give you clarity and put you at ease to know instead of assuming. Keep us updated of you don't mind I'd like to know what caused his appetite problems for future reference. My girl Padme is a really weird eater too sometimes she eats three times a day regularly sometimes she will leave it all day and eat it all at once at night other times she just nibbled throughout the whole day but she's going through a weird puppy growth spurt and looks all lanky and looks too thin except for right after she eats she also lost all her puppy fur that made her look thicker but since this growth spurt her appetite has been off and she seems really picky I have to add water to barely coat her food on days she doesn't seem interested so maybe he's going through an odd stage if it isn't the congestion or maybe both.. I hope it goes well though and he's eating soon and back at 100%.

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susan davis

· #13 · Jul 27, 2016

I feed my pups a 4-5 star kibble to which I add chicken/beef broth, just to cover. One of my chi's is a very picky eater. She USUALLY eats in the am; but other days breakfast is eaten around dinner time! She used to vomit bile when she was younger. I finally let her be, eat or be sick. If I put her meal on the floor, she would guard it, but not want to eat. So I will tell you, that dog is 10 years old now. Still is quirky about eating, but now I don't stress too much over if she is going to eat.

As for the congestion, yes that can be something that puts off the eating. Cats especially don't eat if they can't smell.

woodard2009

· #14 · Jul 28, 2016

You can try boiling a pot of water on the stove with some salt and sitting with the pup on your lap over the water under a tented blanket to expel the congestion or run a hot shower. You also could run a humidifier with the liquid vicks vapor to open up the sinuses. Have you tried giving puppy formula? Since she's not eating, the puppy formula is a filler packed with vitamins that she's lacking from not eating.

Reactions: 1

shasha123

Discussion Starter · #15 · Jul 28, 2016

Thank you for your advice!
I have not tried the boiling water under a towel! We are going to the vet today so that's something I can try when we get home. I do have a can of Esbilac that I have been mixing into his milkshake on and off.

Wish this tiny angel luck!

susan davis

· #16 · Jul 29, 2016

Let us know what the vet says. We all care very much.

Reactions: 1

shasha123

Discussion Starter · #17 · Jul 29, 2016

Thank you so much...

I dropped my baby of this morning and he has pneumonia!

He is at the ER vet overnight on an IV for fluids and antibiotics. He wasn't coughing? He did have some sniffles. It's aspirated pneumonia, so something got stuck down there whether it was from intranasal vaccine, syringe feeding, or something he randomly inhaled. He seemed very energetic and wanting to play when I picked him up from my primary vet and transferred him over, send him some good vibes if you've got any to spare

susan davis

· #18 · Jul 29, 2016

Aspiration pneumonia can be from a lot of things, among them 'megaesophogus" (sp) This can be diagnosed with x-ray. If it is this, then he will need a special chair to keep him upright after he eats for 1/2 hour or so. Several people on this forum have had dogs with this syndrome. Keep us posted. I'm sure he'll recover from the pneumonia quickly.

shasha123

Discussion Starter · #19 · Jul 29, 2016

Thanks...he had x-rays today, and it doesn't look like megaesophogus. I will search the forums for it though. I've never had a pup have pneumonia before, especially such a tiny fragile little baby.

Tink

· #20 · Jul 29, 2016

I"m so sorry you're having this trouble with you puppy.

You keep referring to him as tiny. How much does he weigh?

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