Help Me!! im so scared!
by Becky
(oregon)
I got a papillon/maltese mix puppy about a week ago. He is thirteen weeks old. He has NOT had his parvo shot yet, But has had all the rest of his shots. I'm really worried about him.
About 2 days ago I noticed him having Bad diarrhea, it smells horrible. He is not vomiting, and is still eating, drinking and playing like nothing is wrong. But he is dropping weight bad.. And this morning his stomach was making really weird noises!
I am getting so scared, And it's like the past two days when he sleeps it's hard to get his attention to wake up... I'm so scared he has parvo, i've heard about it and am freaking out!!! and i don't have the money to go to the vet right now!!!
So his symptoms are... Just to make it clear
Really bad diarreha
dropping weight
weird stomach noises
Deep sleeps
But..
he is eating, drinking and playing like nothing is wrong with him
P.s he just went poop... it smells horrible!! But it was a lil harder this time... It was a greenish and a lil yellowish color.. It also looked like after he pooped a drop of bright red blood came out.. I went through poop and there was no blood in poop. Please help me.. Im so worried
Hi Becky
Firstly, panicking isn't going to help! I know how scary it is when your beloved pet is sick, but he's relying on you to take care of him, so you have to stay calm and think straight.
If your puppy has had 3 sets of shots, then he has probably had the Parvo vaccination. Generally puppies are given a combination vaccine which protects against Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza and Parvo. They only get the vaccines individually if it's been specifically requested.
From what you're describing, I'd say your puppy definitely has an infection of some sort, it could be bacterial, viral or parasitic. I'm not a veterinarian and can't give you a professional opinion, and obviously it's impossible to diagnose with any certainty via the internet even if I was qualified!
However, I personally think this may not be Parvo, as Parvo usually gets worse very quickly, includes vomiting, lethargy, loss of appetite and so on. A puppy with Parvo doesn't usually eat, drink or play. They are very, VERY sick. Of course, every pup is different and I could be wrong, but that is my personal opinion.
Although this is a good thing, it doesn't mean your puppy isn't sick. He obviously is. He could have another contagious viral or bacterial canine illness, worms, or what I think is perhaps more likely ... Giardia or Coccidiosis . These are caused by tiny parasites that 'set up shop' in your pups digestive tract and cause diarrhea and other symptoms including vomiting, lethargy, low grade fever and so on.
Giardia in particular can cause loss of weight, or an inability to gain weight. Your puppy could also have roundworms or tapeworms as well - unless he's been dewormed regularly by your vet.
These conditions all require treatment including specific antibiotics. I can tell how much you love your puppy, and it's very important that you take him to a veterinarian asap. Left untreated these conditions (and others) could make him very sick. It's easier, quicker and less expensive to treat anything earlier rather than later.
Meanwhile, making sure he gets enough fluids is very important. Recurrent diarrhea can cause dehydration in puppies quite quickly. You can add Pedialyte or Gatorade to his water if he'll drink it, that helps replace some of the salts and minerals he's losing.
Don't give him any 'human' or over the counter medications. These can do more harm than good.
An examination and medication shouldn't cost you a huge amount, and it could be life-saving for your puppy. Some vets will work with you to set up a payment plan if finances are impossibly tight, so if your own vet won't do this, try calling around other local ones.
So, overall my advice is ..
Don't panic
Make sure he is drinking plenty of fluids
Get him to a vet as soon as possible
I wish you the best of luck, and hope your little guy is doing much better soon.
