I adopted an 8 week old puppy from a shelter where I live in Brazil. She was fine when I got her-Tuesday Jan. 9 but then two days later she had a runny nose and then the following day she had what seemed to be congestion in her chest. Thinkins she had a cold, I took her to the veterinary hosp[ital and they told me they are almost positive she has distemper or cimonose as they call it here. She had to spend 2 days at the hospital with IV antibiotics and electrolyte replacement. She is now home but is resistant to eating even though I purchased the Science Diet A/D formula canned food.
She has not gotten to any neurological damage that we can tell. She is small-only 2 pouns 3 ounces. What are her chances-her name is Harley-she is a Black/white terrier mix ? She is on antibiotics and coygh medicine as well as a multivitamin with lots of iron. Is there any food she may be willing to eat?

This is an exception to my usually advice to wait out a non eating dog. You have to forget the good balanced diet the Science would provide. Open the refrigerator and try what you find. Avoid milk and other dairy products containing lactose, pork, and anything with too much salt. Cheese is fine. Chicken, hamburger, etc. Feeding raw meat could easily bring on food poisoning even though many suggest it. Certainly don't let any lay around uneaten and clean up good including a careful washing of your hands.

Thanks Labman! I found a recuperation diet of cooked rice and either boiled chicken or chopmeat. So I did that and even put it in the blender for her. She turned her nose up at that but I put a little in her mouth and then behold, she decided to start eating her dry food which was right there next to the rice mix! Now all I can do is wait and see -hopefully she does not throw it up1 The vet here suggested that if she does throw up again to use a quarter of a pill of Plasil which is an anti vomit medication used for children. I hope she makes it1 She is my first dog in more than 4 years and I would hate to see her die.

Well Harley seems to be improving slowly. Today was a good day-she ate well-interesting that she prefers her puppy kibble to the science diet a/d wet food. Her nose has little to no discharge but she still has a little cough. Still no signs of seizures! The vet wants to see her tomorrow to deworm her again and to give me some vitamin B drops for her. I will report back tomorrow!

Great to see more progress!

I was too concerned about her health to thank you for adopting a puppy from a shelter. I don't know about Brazil, but here we are slaughtering dogs and cats by the millions for lack of homes. Since I am giving my time to help dogs, I try to encourage people to adopt from rescues and shelters and to discourage poorly informed people from adding to the problem. The latter isn't always popular.

Poor little bug - I hope she continues to progress.

-Beth

Beth- what kind of dog is yours? Harley loos like the picture u have up-a little anyway but she's a tricolor whatever-probably some terrier in her. Will Harley's appetite come and go like children's? Today she does not seem interested in food. By the way, Labman, here in Brazil many places do not kill animals unless they are extremely sick or have a very bad case of Lechemanioso-not really sure what that is in English. Here is a definition.

(leishmaniasis (lēsh'mənī`əsĭs), any of a group of tropical diseases caused by parasitic protozoans protozoan (prō'təzō`ən) of the genus Leishmania. The parasites live in dogs, foxes, rodents, and humans; they are transmitted by the bites of sand flies. There they infect the very white blood cells that normally would defend the body from such invaders. There are two forms of leishmaniasis. The more serious, called kala-azar or visceral leishmaniasis, affects the internal organs, causing fever, anemia, splenomegaly, and discoloration of the skin. Untreated, it can be fatal. The second, or cutaneous form, leaves deep, disfiguring sores at the site of the bite. Treatment is with amphotericin B and other drugs. Leishmaniasis is rarely seen in the United States, but is prevalent in South Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of the Mediterranean.

I got involved with this on shelter because I recently found a litter of 6 puppies not 30 days old-on the street in a box, no mother. Unfortunately they all died but I saw this one puppy there that stole my heart-that is Harley.


Is it possible for an animal to be getting better and yet lose weight? Harley seems to be doing better but has lost weight.

That photo is my Jack Russell Terrier, Connor. And yes, I would expect his appetite to come and go... but I don't like the sound of weight loss !

-Beth

I was surprised at her weight loss too-she has been eating well the last few days. Today somehow she has not been interested in food. I weighed her at the vet this morning(the vet was supposed to see her to prescribe some vitamin B in liquid form in addition to deworming her again but made a mistake with her schedule so I have to take Harley back this afternoon) and she has gone down like 100 gms. Sonce Friday. Not sure though what her weight was after she was vomiting for 2 days though.

It is quite rare, some say never, for a healthy dog to fail to eat enough to maintain, or in the case of a young puppy, gain weight. It could be a reaction to all the medication. Stay in touch with the vet. Don't hesitate to use that rice diet if she has more digestive upsets. Variations of it are a common fix.

Thanks, Labman! Will post after we see the vet this afternoon.

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Originally Posted by fitart

I adopted an 8 week old puppy from a shelter where I live in Brazil. She was fine when I got her-Tuesday Jan. 9 but then two days later she had a runny nose and then the following day she had what seemed to be congestion in her chest. Thinkins she had a cold, I took her to the veterinary hosp[ital and they told me they are almost positive she has distemper or cimonose as they call it here. She had to spend 2 days at the hospital with IV antibiotics and electrolyte replacement. She is now home but is resistent to eating even though I purchased the Science Diet A/D formula canned food.
She has not gotten to any neurological damage that we can tell. She is small-only 2 pouns 3 ounces. What are her chances-her name is Harley-she is a Black/white terrier mix ? She is on antibiotics and coygh medicine as well as a multivitamin with lots of iron. Is there any food she may be willing to eat?

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When my dog(barkley-half black lab half german sheperd) gets sick, all she eats is stuff that's not good for her but she eats. Lots of meat and sweets, the docter says if it's the only thing she will eat, it's okay.

Here is the latest on Harley: She is highly anemic, with low protein as per the blood workup among other things. Plus she is dehydrated again. It seems she is not showing classic signs of Distemper but we are still treating it as if it were(could be pneumonia). This means she will now be on more medications several of which are vitamins: Aminomix, Multivitamin with a high concentrate of vitamin C and Zinc, B complex drops, Vitamin E. The rest are an antiemitic(against vomiting) a syrup to protect her stomach from vomiting,antibiotic and cough medicine. Oh and I forgot the electrolyte solution! My kitchen is beginning to look like a pharmacy! We will repeat bloodwork on Friday. Through all this she is still animated to a point and friendly-taking all this like a trooper! Plus believe it or not she has already gotten the idea of her crate training and potty training.
I appreciate all the moral support all of you are giving me! Thanks!

The only problem with Harley not eating is that she is not the size of a lab or shepherd but more the size right now of a Chihuahua! The good thing is that she is drinking the elctrolyte solution on her own-alot so that's one less thing I have to give it to her via syringe

Update on Harley-the sick 8 week old puppy. She seems to be holding her own. There are no neurological symptoms! She has not lost any more weight, she is rehydrated. I did have to feed her today with a syringe, but I fed he a homemade"chicken soup" with rice put in the blender. I also added some of the Science Diet recuperation canned food in there and since this morning at 10 am she has not had diarrhea. All of you please continue to keep us in your prayers!
More people should go and adopt a pet from your local shelter! Help give an animal a home!

Does anybody know a recipe for homemade physiologic saline for dogs instead of buying the packets and dissolving them in water? I know it's salt water and some people put sugar as well but I don't know the ratios. Thanks

Originally Posted by fitart
I adopted an 8 week old puppy from a shelter where I live in Brazil. She was fine when I got her-Tuesday Jan. 9 but then two days later she had a runny nose and then the following day she had what seemed to be congestion in her chest. Thinkins she had a cold, I took her to the veterinary hosp[ital and they told me they are almost positive she has distemper or cimonose as they call it here. She had to spend 2 days at the hospital with IV antibiotics and electrolyte replacement. She is now home but is resistant to eating even though I purchased the Science Diet A/D formula canned food.
She has not gotten to any neurological damage that we can tell. She is small-only 2 pouns 3 ounces. What are her chances-her name is Harley-she is a Black/white terrier mix ? She is on antibiotics and coygh medicine as well as a multivitamin with lots of iron. Is there any food she may be willing to eat?


I don't think the news is very good-Harley seems to be showing some neurological signs now-chewing gum syndrome, clumsiness(lack of balance) bowel incontinence. She also looks at times as if she has to try hard to hold her head up. I am heartbroken! This is not the first time I have adopted an animal from a shelter however it is the first time here in Brazil. Even though we are bombarding her with vitamins and antibiotics, etc. her tiny body does not seem strong enough for the fight. I will keep the posts up to date.

Just to say that it sounds bad, but still new enough that there could be some recovery. I'll pray for the little pooch.

I had to take Harley to the vet again today because I thought she was having neurological symptoms. Turns out that she was in respiratoy distress! Also based on a follow-up bloodwork, she may not have distemper but what she may have isn't much better. Yes she is recuperating from the pneumonia,but she is acutely anemic plus they believe that she may have a disease caused by ticks(not Lymes). She was given a blood transfusion, oxygen and phsyiologic saline with a glucose addition. They were also going to do an x-ray to see if she had pulmonary edema. They said that at this point it really depends on hoe she can fight back.

Harley passed away this morning-she was on oxygen all night but just could not fight anymore.