sick shih tzu???

by Stephanie
(Indiana)

Hello. I recently got a baby shih tzu. She was around 4 weeks when i got her, now she is about 7 weeks. She eats soft pedigree puppy food and drinks water on her own.

The girl i got her from said she had been wormed, but i'm starting to worry. Last night she started dragging her butt every few steps that she would take. Then she would turn around and "dig" at it. A few minutes later she threw up what looked like her puppy food, but when i cleaned it up, it smelled 100% like feces.

Every now and then she defecates in her cage, but i'm usually very quick to clean it up. I'm not sure if i can worm her again, or just wait until she gets her first shots. I called a veterinarian nearby and he said around 8 weeks for the first shots. If she wormed her at around 3-4 weeks, can i worm her again at 7.5??

I've had 2 other shih tzu's before, and i've never had this problem with either of them. Oh and sometimes her stomach makes this weird "gurgling" noise.

Is that normal?? Please help!!!





Hi Stephanie
This little girl was much too young when she was taken away from her momma and that can make the first few weeks in her new home a bit more problematic. It can also potentially cause some other behavioral issues such as excessive puppy biting and/or fearful behavior and difficulty interacting with other dogs.

However, as you've owned dogs before and seem to have got her to the 8 week stage without major problems hopefully you'll be able to deal with anything that arises.

As for the deworming, yes she will need to be treated twice more. I'd recommend having your veterinarian deworm her when she gets her first set of puppy shots, or you could use a reliable product called Panacur C - Canine Dewormer. Don't try just any over-the-counter dewormers that you buy at your local petstores though, they can have unwanted side effects and are generally not very effective.

I'd recommend getting her onto a premium dry puppy food, perhaps soaked in warm water for 10 minutes or so before giving it to her. This is better in terms of nutrition than the canned food. Her tummy gurgling could be due to a sensitivity to ingredients in the food she's eating now. I'd recommend taking a look at my Best Puppy Food Choices and Puppy Food Reviews pages as they'll help you pick a quality food that is right for your puppy.

It doesn't sound as though your puppy is sick, just has a few minor issues to resolve. However, I'd definitely have her checked over fully by your own veterinarian to make sure that she is healthy and that there aren't any underlying problems that need to be taken care of.

Hope this helps, best of luck with your new little girl.