PLEASE READ... Our New Yorkie Pup is Sick!

[nsleik]

Hello Everyone,
We have read many posts and value everyone's opinion on YT. Please… We’re welcoming ANY and ALL suggestions that could help us with our puppy?

We bought Phoebe from a breeder last Sunday morning (11/22/09), and unfortunately, she endured a 9-hour car ride home. She was not interested in food or water on the way home and vomited twice. We just assumed it was car-sickness but called the breeder on the way home to make sure it was safe to continue. She told us that Phoebe was probably not enjoying the car ride and to keep supplementing her with NutraCal. She assured us, “When she gets hungry, she’ll eat”. That same night we got home (around 10pm) and offered her moistened food from the breeder (Nutrisource Small Breed mixed w/ Warm Water) and sure enough by 4am we were relieved to hear her eating and lapping up water. We wished our new puppy would be a little more playful, but the breeder told us that she was a quiet pup – that her sister was more of a player and that ours was more of a cuddle-monster. Our “Well puppy” check went really well on Tuesday afternoon, but the Vet was a little taken back that she was not interested in any of his treats. We explained to him what the breeder had told us, and he assumed it was just her temperament. Over the next day or so, her appetite slowly began to diminish to eating mostly in the morning, some in the afternoon and very little for dinner. On Thanksgiving, she would not eat anything past 1:30pm, so we supplemented her with NutraCal. Our hearts sank on Friday morning when she suffered a seizure and we rushed her to a 24-hour ER vet. They gave her a bolus of dextrose and kept her there all day Friday. They told us it was safe to take her home since her blood sugar was remaining stable and she was eating every hour on the hour. We were scared, and wanted to see this with our own eyes… So low and behold she ate from our very own hands. They had weaned her off the I.V. and had her eating Gerber Stage 2 baby food (Ham flavor). Scarier than ever, when we got her home – Phoebe reverted to not eating. We were instructed to start force-feeding her via syringe with A/D food the vet gave us. That Saturday, she started having diarrhea and our personal vet kept her at his facility to see if she would eat and he was worried of a possible liver shunt (but blood glucose was pretty stable). By Sunday, her diarrhea worsened. Also, her lab results came back as positive for Coccidia. When we tried giving her the prescribed Albon, she started vomiting. She continued the diarrhea and vomiting through the rest of the night. Monday morning she was hospitalized again for dehydration. We went to visit her today and everyone’s concern is that she still won't eat ANYTHING. She is on an IV drip (50% dextrose) to maintain fluids/electrolytes, but she can’t keep that up forever. The Vet is questioning whether or not she has some other underlying infection, so he has her on some strong antibiotics.

We don't know what to do! The breeder stated that she has always been quiet and only played really when her sister would play. I just feel like something is REALLY wrong if my puppy has been hospitalized twice in eight days. The vet is really impressed on how well we have maintained her blood glucose and her force feedings. I just want her to want to eat. We've tried everything!

[livingdustmops]

Have they thought about a Liver Shunt? This must be so hard for you.

Is your breeder offering to help with the bills?

[Hedley]

This is very distressing for you and your pup. Its difficult to know what to do isnt it?

I have had a trying time with my pup who has had diarrhoea on and off since we got him a few weeks ago. We have been to the vets and his fecal sample came back with giardia (a protozoan parasite) and he is having treatment for this. We worry that he had this when he arrived but have failed to get in touch with his breeder.

He is well now, but we have had a real problem finding a food that doesnt go straight through him! I cant help you with foods, as I am in the UK, but good luck, and keep us posted as to Phoebe's progress.

[nsleik]

Since she's on an IV (and has not eaten for 12hrs or more) she has technically fasted. So they've done an Bile/Acid Test for a Liver Shunt and those results won't be in till tomorrow morning (12/02). The vet doesn't suspect it, but he wants to rule it out. We're so scared and upset. We don't know what to do? We just don't understand how things could be fine for 3 days, then suddenly she goes downhill in less than a week! Her CBC from yesterday came back today with fairly normal values. Her White Blood Cells were slightly elevated with a "Shift To The Left"? Her Albumin (protein levels were low), but the vet thinks it is simply due to her lack of nutrition. Other than that... Phoebe's vitals, lung-sounds, heart-sounds, are all great.

[nsleik]

Livingdustmops & Hedley,
Thanks for your replies. We'll keep you updated on Phoebe's status. As you can imagine, we're sick to our stomachs reading everything about "liver shunts" in anticipation of tomorrow's bile/acid test result. We don't know what to do? The Vet says that the WBC "Shift To The Left" means that she's fighting off some sort of bacterial infection in addition to Coccidia. We're seriously concerned that they are not treating her with her Albon right now as they say the Coccidia is NOT the top priority at the moment. They're currently focusing on this infection and treating her with Cephalexin in addition to an IV drip of 50% Dextrose. Her dehydration was bad due to the severe amounts of vomiting and diarrhea. Phoebe went from weighing 1.97 lbs to 1.6 lbs in a matter of 2-3 days!

Livingdustmops, to answer your question... We're refraining from asking for financial assistance from our breeder until we get tomorrow's test result. Unfortunately, when we initially brought the idea to her, she thought we were crazy stating, "I've never had a pup with a liver shunt in 18 years of breeding."

[YorkieLovin79]

Did they test for parvo? I'm so sorry your puppy is so sick

[ladyjane]

Someone else on YT just went through this. I don't know if she will post it, but perhaps she can PM you. I am going to bring her attention to this thread.
She had her puppy for three days and he started refusing all foods and vomiting. After doing lab tests and an xray, they finally found him to have coccidia. It took a couple of days of Albon before he started eating again.
Hopefully this will be the case with your puppy.
I hope he is well soon!

[Darlene68]

I am sorry your new puppy is sick, I hope that she starts doing better soon! I wish you all the best.

[lindula]

I hope Phoebe feels better soon. Please keep us posted

[Patti]

I am so sorry you puppy is so sick. Hopefully they can get the infection cleared up and she will start eating and feeling better. I hope the cocccidia can be treated soon to as that weakens them further.

[nsleik]

YorkieLovin79, ladyjane, & Darlene68,
Thanks to ALL of you for your Kindness and Support!

YorkieLovin79... Our Vet originally treated our little girl as an isolation "Parvo" pup, but ruled it out due to lab values and the fact that she has not run a fever.

ladyjane... I would love to hear from someone who has been through this same dilemma, so Please - If you can, point her in my direction - or me toward hers.

Thanks again!

[nsleik]

lindula & Patti,
Thank you for your support!

Patti... I'm really hoping they can begin treatment for the Coccidia soon. It only makes logical sense in my opinion that the parasites are multiplying while treatment is postponed. For what it's worth - Phoebe did receive 1.25mL of Albon on Sunday, but she threw it all up. We thought it may have been due to medication on an empty stomach, so we syringe fed her a/d, NutriCal, and PediaLyte followed by a repeat dose of 1.25mL of Albon. Ten minutes later she threw it all up again. We called the Vet back and explained the situation and he said to wait an hour, syringe feed her and see if she keeps it down. She did, so then we split the dose in half .6mL of Albon with a NutriCal chaser (our Breeder's recommendation) to cover up the unlikeable taste of the Albon. She kept that down but threw everything up when we gave her the second half of the dose an hour later. Since then our Vet has been replenishing fluids, hitting her with Cephalexin and postponing Albon treatment.

[Patti]

I wonder if they can give her the albon in her IV? Also, when we got Cali and she wouldn't eat I found the only thing I could get her to eat was Cesar's. Even though it is a poor quality food I had to get food in her and when she was better I switched her food to a premium food.

[chattiesmom]

Nick, I am so very sorry to hear that your precious little Phoebe is sick. I will keep your family in my thoughts and prayers. Coccidia is a nasty little varmit - but it is one that you can beat. You might try some baby rice cereal (the dry kind that comes in a box) mixed with a little homemade chicken goo - cook a skinless/boneless chicken breast with water until done. Puree the chicken and broth until you get a thick gooey gravey (hence chicken goo). Mix a small amount of chicken goo with bit of the baby rice and enough warm water to make a gruel. Just a lick or two every few minutes may help get something in her stomach and settle it down enough to get the meds to stay down.

Sending and your way.....

[lillymae]

Originally Posted by Patti

I wonder if they can give her the albon in her IV? Also, when we got Cali and she wouldn't eat I found the only thing I could get her to eat was Cesar's. Even though it is a poor quality food I had to get food in her and when she was better I switched her food to a premium food.

If she can't keep anything down then YES she needs to have the antibiotics through her IV. I cannot stress this enough. She cannot get better without the meds. This makes me CRAZY that vets do this, send them home with meds that they can't keep down. So unnecessary and such a set back for the puppy. Very often DEADLY.