Puppy congestion

by Vanessa Trujillo
(Ingleside, TX, USA)

I have a 3 week old shorkie who has a congestion problem. I've taken her to the vet where they prescribed her some antibiotics, however when i try to give it to her from the syringe, she pushes it out with her tongue.

When she eats she makes this congested noise and I've tried using and aspirator on her nose but nothing comes up. She's still very active but I'm not quite sure what the problem could be. Also, her eyes have not fully opened.

What should I do to help her?




Hi Vanessa
If your vet prescribed antibiotics and your pup sounds congested, chances are the problem is in her lungs rather than her nasal passages.

She may have a respiratory infection, and this can turn into pneumonia in little puppies, which is something your vet may be concerned about - hence the antibiotics.

If she isn't taking the medication you need to get her back to the veterinarian. He could administer the antibiotics as an injection if necessary.

Tiny puppies are quite delicate and can get very sick very fast, in this situation I don't think there's very much you can do at home other than make sure she eats properly and is kept warm. The fact that she's still active (and feisty enough to push away the meds!) is good, but it's always better to be safet than sorry so I'd recommend talking to your vet again.

You might find my New Born Puppies and my Puppy Development pages helpful.

Best of luck with this little girl.