How do I know if my puppy s food is making him sick
How do I know if the food I'm giving my dog is making them sick?
The best way is if your dog gets sick, either through vomiting or diarrhea. Granted, there could be a lot of reasons. It may not just be food. If your dog gets sick in the stomach, it could be something else. It could be an intestinal bug, like a virus or a bacterial infection causing the problem. It could be stress. It could be any number of things. But if we do see a dog that does get sick or we make a sudden change in their diet or something of that nature, and they don't seem to be able to digest it very well, then yes. So it certainly could be the case.
How to Spot a Sick Puppy: Signs and Symptoms to Look For
With a litter or two on the ground,a breeders hands are full of cleaning, weighing, handling, and much more. Having so much to do, it can be hard tocatchthe beginning stages of a sick puppy.Despite extensive research, firsttime owners maynot know the warning signs of certain illnesses and how a sick puppy might look or behave. Recognizing the signs of a sick puppy can help ensure action is taken before any illness becomesworse. Heres our tips to help breeders and their new puppy owners catch the signs of illness early.
Lethargy
While puppies do need a significant amount of sleep, doing nothing but sleeping is a concern. After the first few weeks, ifa puppy isnt engaging in play with littermates or curious about exploring the world, they may not be feeling their best. A puppy who just lounges around and lacks enthusiasm should be examined further to ensure they arent starting toshow symptoms of beingsick.
Coat& Skin
Check puppiesdaily by running your hands overtheirbodiestoconfirmthere are no ticks, fleas, insects, or wounds.Puppies can be clumsy and are still learning how to play safely withothers. Accidentssuch as scratches and scrapes can occurthat may need attention.If a puppys coat loses its luster or becomes patchy, a visit to the veterinarianisin order.
Appetite
Puppies eat a lot!Big life changes, such as a puppy moving to their new home, may cause a temporary lapse in appetite. But once theyre settled, they should be happy to chow down.While the amount and type of food that a puppy should eat changes based on age, if a puppy isnt eating as much as usual or is vomiting, its time to visit your veterinarian.
Ears
If a puppy is scratching or rubbing their ears, shaking their head, or you notice a foulodor coming from their ears, he may have an ear infection.While adult dogsgenerallyexperience ear infections due to bacteria and yeast growth, ear infections in puppies are typically due to mites. If you suspect anear infection in a puppy, visit your vet. Theyll do an examination, clean out your puppys ears, and recommend a medicated ear cleaning solution for your use at home.
Eyes
A puppys eyes should be clear and free of goop. There are severaleye conditionsthat can cause issues,such as pink eye and dry eye. If a puppy is squinting, excessively blinking, pawing at their eyes, or hasdischarge, you should visit the vet right away.
Diarrhea
Since puppies are known for eating things they shouldnt,puppy diarrheais, unfortunately, a common symptomofvarying issues. Reasons a puppy mayhavediarrhea include diet change, bacterial infection, viral infection, ingestion of foreign bodies, parasites, or stress. A puppy with diarrhea should be observed,andthe vet should be called. You can explain any additional symptoms to thevet,and he cantellyou if the puppy should be brought in for a visit.
Weight
Many breeders track the weight of puppies at minimum through the first two weeks of life. Ensure that puppies are steadily gaining weight and receiving proper nourishment. This is the best way to help them become strong enough to fight off illness. Once a puppy heads home, new owners can track weight by teaching their puppy tositor standon a scale or by understandingbody condition scoring. Losing weight and reduced interest in eating is another concern. In this case, the puppy may be sick and should be taken to the vet right away.
Behavior
As the caretaker of a litter or an individual puppy, you should know the routines of your dogs. Be aware when behavior deviates from normal. A puppy who usually is bright and active when handled might suddenly become quiet and nonreactive if theyre feeling sick. If a puppy suddenly becomes more vocal, with increased whining or whimpering, they may be trying to let you know that something is wrong.
Common Puppy Illnesses: Signs, Symptoms, Treatment
Raising a new puppy is exciting, but it can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to keeping our puppies healthy and safe. If youre worried about keeping your dog healthy, Dr. Jerry Klein, AKCs chief veterinary officer, says that prevention is the best cure. Proper vaccination and parasite eradication, as well as good nutrition, should help to give your puppy the best chance to avoid these most common and severe illnesses, Klein says.
While vaccinations and proper nutrition are critical, its still important to know the signs of common puppy illnesses so youre able to respond appropriately if your dog ever shows symptoms. To help you navigate these illnesses, we talked to Dr. Klein about the most common puppy illnesses, including treatment, prevention, and common symptoms.
Parvovirus (Parvo)
Parvovirusis a highly contagious and common disease that can be deadly. If you have a puppy or are planning to get a puppy, you should know about the symptoms of Parvo and how to treat it.
What is it?:This disease affects the stomach and small intestines. It spreads through direct contact with an infected dog, or through indirect contact with a contaminated object. Your puppy can be exposed to this disease by sniffing, licking, or consuming infected feces. Your dog can also be exposed if they encounter a contaminated object like a leash or toy.
Puppies between six weeks and six months are most likely to get parvo. However, if you follow your vets vaccination protocol, puppies are vaccinated against the virus at 6, 8, 12, and up to 16-20 weeks with yearly boosters.
Symptoms:If your dog has parvo, theyre likely very sick. Typical symptoms include bloody diarrhea, vomiting, fever, lethargy, anorexia, weight loss, weakness, dehydration, and depression.
Treatment:While there is no cure for parvo, vets will offer supportive care and treatment for symptoms. This virus is potentially fatal, but most dogs who survive the first three-to-four days are likely to make a complete recovery. Dr. Klein notes that it usually takes one week for puppies to recover.
Prevention:Make sure your puppy gets the full parvo vaccine, and only socializes with fully vaccinated adult dogs in a private environment. Avoid public places until your dog is vaccinated.
Kennel Cough
Kennel Coughis a highly contagious disease thats typically contracted at places with a lot of dogs, such as boarding facilities, daycares, dog parks, training groups, and dog shows.
What is it?:Also known as canine infectious tracheobronchitis, Kennel Cough is a respiratory disease thats very contagious. Like human coughs, this disease is spread through airborne droplets, direct contact, or contaminated surfaces.
Symptoms:The most obvious symptom of kennel cough is a strong cough that may sound like honking. Other symptoms include a runny nose, sneezing, lethargy, loss of appetite, and low fever.
Treatment:For mild cases, a couple weeks of rest is recommended. However, for more intense cases, a veterinarian may prescribe an antibiotic and cough medicine. Dr. Klein says that recovery time is around seven to 14 days.
Prevention:A vaccine is available, and many training, boarding, and daycare facilities require proof of vaccination.
Influenza
Another common illness in puppies is thedog flu.Most cases arent fatal, but its important to keep an eye out for symptoms.
What is it?:The dog flu (also known as canine influenza virus) is a respiratory disease thats caused by an influenza A virus either H3N8 or H3N2. Like human flus, the dog flu is spread by airborne droplets through coughing, barking, and sneezing.
Symptoms:Typical symptoms of the dog flu include coughing (both moist and dry), sneezing, nasal discharge, runny eyes, fever, lethargy, and difficulty breathing.
Treatment:If you notice any of the above symptoms, make sure to see your veterinarian. While there is currently no cure for the dog flu, your veterinarian will likely offer supportive treatment to help with symptoms. Your vet will also provide appropriate quarantine restrictions to prevent the further spread of the disease.
If you think your dog may have the flu, call your vet ahead of time, because your vet may ask your dog to wait outside to reduce the chance of spread. Most dogs recover between seven to 21 days.
Prevention:Vaccines are available for both the H3N8 and H3N2 strains of the flu. Another way to prevent your dog from getting the disease is to avoid public places or kennels that have had recent cases.
Distemper
If you have a dog, youve likely heard ofdistemper. Its one of the most serious, fatal, and contagious diseases your dog can get. Thankfully, its preventable.
Distemper is very serious and its signs can be respiratory, gastrointestinal, and in severe (and often fatal cases), said Dr. Klein.
What is it?:A paramyxovirus causes distemper. It is related to measles and rinderpest viruses. The disease causes illness in multiple body systems, making it hard to treat. Dogs can get the illness through direct contact with an infected animal or object, airborne exposure, and the placenta. All dogs are at risk for distemper, but especially unvaccinated dogs and puppies under four months old.
Symptoms:Dogs with distemper experience an array of symptoms, and there are usually two stages of symptoms. During the first stage, dogs experience fever, clear nasal discharge, purulent eye discharge, lethargy, anorexia, coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, and inflammation of the brain and spinal cord.
As the disease progresses, it attacks the central nervous system, and symptoms may include head tilt, circling, partial or full paralysis, seizures, nystagmus, muscle twitching, convulsions, and death.
Treatment:There is no cure, but vets can offer supportive care for symptoms. Most vets will recommend hospitalizing and separating the dog from others to prevent spread. The survival rate depends on the strain of the virus and the dogs immune symptoms. While some cases resolve in 10 days, some dogs will have symptoms for months.
Prevention:Get your dog the full series of distemper vaccinations, and avoid any gaps in vaccinations. Only socialize your puppy with other fully vaccinated dogs.
Parasites
Every pet owner should be on the lookout for general warning signs that your dog may have aparasite such as worms.
What is it?:Dogs can pick up parasites in a range of ways. Worms may be picked up from another dogs stool and contaminated soil. Other dogs can also carry the parasites and give them to your pup.
Symptoms:Each parasite affects dogs differently. However, some general symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss, vomiting, poor coat appearance, pot-bellied appearance, lethargy, dehydration, deficiencies in nutrition and anemia, intestinal blockage or pneumonia, and blood in stool.
Treatment:After diagnosing a dog with a parasite, vets typically recommend deworming medications and preventative medication.
Prevention:Veterinarians recommend yearly testing and year-round administration of prevention medication.
7 Common Puppy Illnesses and How To Protect Your Pup
Bringing a new puppy into your home is always exciting. And when you add a new family member, you want to do everything you can to keep them safe and healthy. Just like human kids, puppies dont have as strong of an immune system as adults, and there are several illnesses theyre more susceptible toespecially if theyre not fully vaccinated.
Heres what you need to know about the most common puppy illnesses your new addition can experience, and how you can help your new four-legged family member.
1. Parvovirus (Parvo)
Parvovirus is one of the scariest illnesses a puppy can getits prevalent throughout the United States, easily transmissible, and potentially fatal.
At its most basic level, parvovirus is a highly contagious, really nasty stomach virus. Its transmitted through feces and can survive in the environment for months or even years. Because of this, its recommended to avoid putting a puppy on the ground in public places or taking her for walks in the neighborhood until shes fully vaccinated.
The symptoms of parvovirus are typically acute (meaning they have a sudden onset) and can be rapidly progressive. If you notice any of these common symptoms, contact your veterinarian:
There is no specific treatment for parvovirus, only supportive care. Ideally, puppies with parvo should be hospitalized to ensure they get adequate care. With hospitalization, survival rates have been shown to be as high as 90%, but this greatly depends on the puppys age, symptom severity, vaccination history, underlying health issues, and the level of medical care provided.
2. Distemper
Distemper virus is another highly contagious, often fatal virus that primarily attacks the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems of dogs and puppies. The virus is typically spread through the air, such as through sneezing or coughing, or from shared food and water bowls. The symptoms of distemper include:
As with parvo, there is no treatment for distemper virus. Supportive care can be provided to your pet, but the disease is often fatal. Recovery is very rare, and dogs that do recover often have underdeveloped tooth enamel, which predisposes them to dental disease throughout life. Also, if your dog developed any neurologic signs during the course of this common puppy disease and survived, those neurologic symptoms usually remain for life.
3. Kennel Cough
Kennel cough, more formally known as canine infectious respiratory disease, is one of the most common upper respiratory illnesses in both dogs and puppies. It can be caused by bacteria or viruses (or both at once!).
Kennel cough is transmitted when your puppys mouth or nose comes into contact with the disease. This is why the common puppy illness is associated with places that have a lot of dog traffic, such as kennels, shelters, grooming facilities, dog parks, and veterinary hospitals.
Kennel cough is easy to recognizeyour dog will be coughing but seem otherwise healthy. Shell be eating well, drinking well, and have good energy, though she might also experience some nasal or eye discharge.
The good news about kennel cough? Treatment is often not needed, as the symptoms are generally mild and self-limiting. However, in some cases, antibiotics, steroids, and cough suppressants might be prescribed by your veterinarian, so its important to have your pet checked just to be safe. Most puppies recover within 10 days.
4. Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection typically transmitted through infected urine. Dogs often pick it up from exposure to water sources, soil, food, or bedding that has infected urine on it. Once infected, the bacteria primarily target the kidneys and liver.
In the U.S., leptospirosis is most commonly found in the Midwest, East, and Southeast. Dogs that are more exposed to livestock and wildlifeas well as dogs in a shelter settingseem to have an increased risk of acquiring the disease. Telltale symptoms of this common puppy illness include:
Unlike the other illnesses listed above, this disease can be transmitted to people. For this reason, its important to wear gloves and wash your hands when cleaning your dogs urine until theyve finished their course of treatment, which is typically done through antibiotics. But leptospirosis can be fatal, and some dogs require more aggressive fluid therapies. Even after surviving the initial infection, dogs can develop chronic kidney failure and chronic liver disease.
5. Vomiting and Diarrhea
While not illnesses themselves, vomiting and diarrhea are symptoms of an underlying illness and are indications your puppy should be assessed by a veterinarian. Some of the more common causes of vomiting and diarrhea in puppies include:
Treatment for vomiting and diarrhea varies depending on the cause and can range from outpatient therapy to surgery and/or hospitalization.
6. Parasites
Parasites are organisms that live onor ina host and get their food from or at the expense of the host. Puppies are more predisposed to parasites due to their underdeveloped immune system, and there are several different types of parasites that can affect them, both externally and internally.
Common internal parasites include:
Common external parasites are:
Symptoms and treatment vary greatly depending on the type of parasite. To protect your puppy, stay up to date on dewormers and routine flea and tick prevention.
7. Adenovirus
Though not as common as other puppy illnesses on this list, canine adenovirus, also known as infectious canine hepatitis, is a viral infection in dogs. It is typically spread through contact with an infected animal or a contaminated fomite (an object that encountered an infected animal). The virus primarily attacks the liver and the cells that line blood vessels.
Fortunately, this virus is part of a combination DAPP vaccine that protects against distemper virus, adenovirus, parvovirus, and parainfluenza and has been used to effectively control the disease, making the condition rare. That said, it can still occur in unvaccinated dogs.
Symptomsof adenovirus include:
Fever
Decreased or no appetite
Lethargy
Depression
Vomiting
Diarrheausually bloody
Coughing
Eye and nose discharge
Weakness
Difficult breathing
Like most viruses, there is no specific treatment for adenovirus, but supportive, symptomatic care can be provided through IV fluids, blood transfusions, liver supplements, and more.
The survival rate for adenovirus ranges from 1-30%, which is why its so important to get your puppy vaccinated. Dogs that do recover are at risk of chronic liver disease.
How To Keep Your Puppy Healthy
While many of these diseases may sound scary, there are vaccines that can help prevent many common puppy illnesses.
Vaccinate Your Puppy
One of the core vaccines in puppies is DAPP (sometimes labeled DHPP), which stands for distemper, adenovirus (or hepatitis if labeled DHPP), parvovirus, and parainfluenza virus. This vaccine is administered every 2-4 weeks until your puppy is 16-20 weeks old.
There is also a vaccine for bordetellosis and canine influenza, which are two common causes of kennel cough, as well as a vaccine for leptospirosis. These vaccines can significantly reduce the risk that your puppy will acquire these diseases, which could save her life.
Work To Prevent Parasites
Regarding parasites, its important to have your pup on flea, tick, and heartworm preventatives, which typically come in the form of monthly chewable tablets. Its also important to have your puppys feces tested for intestinal parasites that, if present, can then be treated with an appropriate dewormer.
And while some of these preventative measures may seem to add up financially, they can ultimately save you a significant amount of money when compared to treating the diseases themselves.
Many of the common illnesses in puppies can be easily prevented when the appropriate vaccines and preventative care protocols are followed. Its important that you consult with your veterinarian to see whats recommended for your pet.
References
Decaro N.1st ECVIM-CA Congress Infectious Canine Hepatitis - A Re-Emerging Disease. 2011.
Langstom C. Atlantic Coast Veterinary Conference. Leptospirosis. 2010.
Sullivan LA. Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care.Canine Parvovirus. 2016.
Venn EC, Presisner K, Boscan PL, et al: Evaluation of an outpatient protocol in the treatment of canine parvoviral enteritis. J Vet Emerg Crit Care 2017 Vol 21 (1) pp. 52-65.
Featured Image: iStock.com/gollykim
Decaro N.1st ECVIM-CA Congress Infectious Canine Hepatitis - A Re-Emerging Disease. 2011.
Langstom C. Atlantic Coast Veterinary Conference. Leptospirosis. 2010.
Sullivan LA. Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care.Canine Parvovirus. 2016.
Venn EC, Presisner K, Boscan PL, et al: Evaluation of an outpatient protocol in the treatment of canine parvoviral enteritis. J Vet Emerg Crit Care 2017 Vol 21 (1) pp. 52-65.
Featured Image: iStock.com/gollykim
WRITTEN BY
Brittany Grenus, DVMVeterinarian
Dr. Brittany Grenus graduated from Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in 2018 with her doctorate in veterinary medicine and a...
