sick puppy

My sister has a 5 week old puppy and she just start not eating or drinking and is pretty lifeless.

She has a hard time standing almost like a front paw hurts but she is sick. She has thrown up and she was at the animal hospital and had 104 temp.

They put her on antibiotic, dewormed her and gave her some fluids. She is going to her vet later today. Do you have any idea what this could be and any suggestions on how to help her?

Thank you



Hi
I'm so sorry to hear about your sister's puppy, she does sound sick, but the good news is that she did the right thing by getting the pup seen by a veterinarian right away. Dehydration is a major problem in sick puppies, but at least this little one has had some fluids already.

It's vital that she see her own vet asap and get a proper diagnosis for what's causing the problem. There are a few possibilities, but my inclination is to say probably Parvo-Virus.

Parvo is one of the very serious, contagious dog illnesses that puppies are susceptible to. It's often fatal in young puppies, but early and aggressive treatment and supportive care gives the best chance of survival.

You can read about Parvo on my Canine Parvovirus page. It tells you about the symptoms, method of transfer, treatment and so on.

There's not much that you can do yourself for a puppy with Parvo, generally the care includes a stay at the veterinary hospital with IV fluids and anti-biotics to combat the secondary infections that accompany this virus.

There are of course, other possibilities and it's possible your sister's pup has an upper-respiratory tract or a GI (gastro-intestinal) infection. However, only a vet can give an accurate diagnosis and administer the appropriate treatment.

I wish you all the best of luck, and I hope this little puppy is one of the lucky ones and is feeling better soon.