I got my new dog Brian from a rescue centre at the weekend, they told us just as we were leaving that he'd picked up a bit of kennel cough but it was nothing to worry about and it would pass.
Well 36 hours later he was admitted to doggy hospital with bronchitis - a very sick puppy! (Well huge 18 month old Bull Mastiff cross!)
Anyway - he came home from hospital yesterday afternoon - he'd been eating and drinking at the vets and they were happy with his progress.

Now at home he suddenly won't eat or drink again. Now he has a very snotty, bunged up nose right now so it could be he has very little sense of smell or taste but you'd think he'd still be thirsty!
Just took him for a walk but he only had a wee sip of water when we got back.

Any ideas to interest him in at least drinking some more? Would like to avoid another stint at the vets as it's very distressing for him after all he's been through.

Thank you for any advice. Obviously if this continues I will be taking him back to the vets so don't worry about that.

Anyone?

Cheers!

Brian's mum

lalo1988

Scense your dog has a a snotty noes he wont be able to smell his food if it doesnt smell good he wont eat it, sense he cant smell he cant eat. Your home is probably to cold that might be the reson for the stuffy noes. U should take him out side let him cach some sun warm him self up maybe some warm water also. If he continues like this try feeding him through a bottle like a puppy

RubyPitbull

Thank you for choosing to adopt that big boy. Did the vet give you medication to clear up the kennel cough and anything else that he might be suffering from? Quite often, when we adopt a dog, they usually pick up one thing or another at the rescue. Kennel cough, giardia, worms,... Anything and everything is possible, and he may be suffering from more than just kennel cough. Only time will tell. It took me a few months to get my dog healthy after adopting her. I was back at the vet's every week. Once I got a handle on one problem, some other issue would come to the forefront. I would suggest that since you have brought him into the vet's office, give them a follow up call and tell them exactly what is going on now with his appetite and the excessive congestion. Since this is a follow up to the same issue, they won't charge for a phone call, and they should be notified of what is going on now along with giving you direction on what to do. Ask them if feeding him some chicken broth with a bland chicken & rice diet would be adviseable to tempt him to eat and drink. Let them guide you was to what you should try and if it might be a good idea to bring him back in. I know you don't want to cause him any more distress, but as long as he is sick, he is uncomfortable. The quicker you can get him healthy, the happier you and he will be. If they advise you to bring him back, ask them if you should bring in a stool & urine sample.

Please let us know how he is getting along.

labman

It is very important to get some water into him. The food can wait a few days. I think it is a terrible idea to suggest taking a dog that isn't drinking outside in the heat. Keep him in the house if he wants to be in. If he is panting, wet him down to reduce his need for water. Try offering him ice cubes. Many dogs have learned to love them. Call the vet and report that he isn't eating or drinking. The vet should give you some suggestions for free as part of the follow up.

Read through the sticky at http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/in...tml#post254171

Brians mum

labman - don't worry - there's no chance of me taking him out in any heat - the weather here is lousy right now - quite chilly in fact! (In the UK - midlands - not in US).

lalo1988 - the house is a normal temperature - but they did warn us that he will still have a stuffy nose and cough for a while. As I mentioned in my earlier post his kennel cough turned to bronchitis - so he's not going to be 100% for a while yet - poor puppy!

I tried him on icecubes this morning and he quite liked them but quickly gets bored - lots of licking involved and he hasn't quite mastered crunching them up yet without them shooting out of his mouth and across the living room! LOL Then I just get the look - so I have to go and retrieve them for him!
I'm not too worried about him not eating so much - I think once his nose clears he'll be far more into his food - I'm more concerned about him not drinking again. The few icecubes he gets aren't enough to sustain a big dog like him. He needs at least 2 1/2 litres a day - he's taking in about a pint or so right now - not enough.
I'll give the vets a call and see what they say.
He's relatively bright - compared to how he was at the weekend - but I don't want it to spiral down again.

Thanks everyone for your input - Rubypitbull I'll definitely keep you updated on his progress.

Brian's mum.

labman

Try breaking up the ice cubes.

Brians mum

Ahh - that's a good idea - I'll try that with him.
I did manage to get him to dirnk a little bit more by cupping my hands, filling them with water, which he started lapping at and then I slowly lowered my hands into the bowl - and he carried on drinking for a short while.
So - still a work in progress and he's snoozing right now - but once he's awake again I'll see if he'll eat crunched up icecubes.

Brians mum

Hi! Just thought I'd give you an update on Brian!
He's much much brighter now and is starting to eat and drink a little bit more so I'm reasonably happy with how he's doing now. I'd like to seehim drink a bit more but he's drinking a lot more than he was so I'm hoping he'll continue to increase his fluid intake over the next couple of days.
He ate loads of icecubes yesterday - I had to hand feed them to him so my hand was numb but burning - if that makes sense.

He has his follow up vet's appt tomorrow morning - I think she'll be pleased with his progress.

He also ate out of his bowl for the first time today. Well - not strictly his bowl - he's scared of his doggy bowl - it's shiny stainless steel. So I've been using my mixing bowls instead and he seems ok with them.

So today the sun was out for a little bit and he lolled around in the sunny spots in the garden - with a big grin on his face - a much happier puppy.

Thanks for all the advice and concern.

Brian's Mum