Respiratory Infection In A Puppy - Worried

[Brindles]

I promise I wouldn't post non-grey stuff here if I wasn't genuinely concerned. Hoping someone can offer some advice or words of wisdom.

 

Backstory:

Saturday the 11th Diego (my 17 week old Great Pyrenees puppy) woke up with bilateral nasal discharge, yellow in color. Took him to the vet first thing and came home with a week's worth of clavamox. His temp was 102.5, which Doc said was borderline mild fever.

 

Saturday the 18th he had finished his clavamox and there was improvement but he was not 100% better. The following days he remained the same; no better, no worse.

 

Today (9/22) his nasal discharge was marginally worse in the morning, and a little more trouble breathing through his nose than before. We visited the vet again and did bloodwork for a CBC. Lung sounds are still clear. Temp of 102.3.

 

Option 1: Take a twice daily temperature to monitor for fever and watch the infection to see if it progresses.

Option 2: Prescribe a stronger antibiotic (a fluoroquinolone) and risk damage to cartilage and impaired growth. In a giant breed, this is an issue.

We went with option 1.

 

At this point, the vet is unsure of what it might be.

It's probably not distemper because he was vaccinated on time.

It's probably not kennel cough because there's no coughing.

It's probably not canine influenza because that's highly contagious and my other dogs are not affected.

 

Right now, at night, the discharge is just as it was on the 11th in volume and color. Maybe because he's been sleeping? He is more lethargic today than he has been since we started the clavamox. That makes this day 12 of infection with (ultimately) no improvement.

 

The only symptoms he is presenting are bilateral nasal discharge, sneezing, and mild lethargy. He is eating fine, drinking fine, playing with toys, no coughing, hacking, etc. No fever as of right now. Everything else is normal.

 

Thoughts?

Questions I should ask when I call again?

Should I risk the potentially serious side effects to administer a good antibiotic?

 

I am not the type to freak out over trivialities, but this is really bothering me. I've got a whole lot of dog experience under my belt but never have I dealt with a respiratory infection.

 

Thanks in advance GT.

[kamsmom]

You could also go a holistic way... I had a puppy once with a respiratory infection and the vet gave me vit C to mix in the food along with silver something?... We also had some kind of herb. I know I am not much help but it was really good for her. The vet also had me give it to my other pets as well to help keep their immune system up. Maybe ask if there are some vitamins you can be giving in conjunction with another round of antibiotics. Good Luck.

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

My whole litter of puppies had this exact same thing at the tender age of 2-3 weeks. With no treatment other than nursing off their mother, they were absolutely fine in a matter of a week or two. My greyhound puppy has avoided it, and none of my adults have it. However, many shelter dogs in poor health that I bring home (non Greyhounds) tend to get it. I ignore it, and it goes away. I have always wondered what it could be- the discharge, breathing, but no coughing. My core pack never gets it.

[Brindles]

Thank you. I had thought of that, but completely forgot to ask the vet, so thank you. I will ask him tomorrow. Maybe it's as simple as just not getting enough vitamins in the diet? That sure would be nice!

 

I feel so bad for him and feel like it's my fault. Maybe I socialized him too early. I just want to fix it and make him better.

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

It's not your fault. These things happen. Socialization is vital! And he's almost past the most important window of socialization time anyway.

 

I would just be sure to refrain from neutering until at least two years, if ever, as that will greatly help your joint situation.

[Brindles]

My whole litter of puppies had this exact same thing at the tender age of 2-3 weeks. With no treatment other than nursing off their mother, they were absolutely fine in a matter of a week or two.

 

That's definitely encouraging. What were they like around day 12 though? Better, I'd assume?

 

We're fast approaching the two week mark and he's nowhere near better. I'd be shocked (but thankful!) if he improved that fast.

 

I would just be sure to refrain from neutering until at least two years, if ever, as that will greatly help your joint situation.

Actually, thank you for saying this. The vet also told me this and he said it is fine to hold off until Diego has reached maturity. I do want to neuter, though, but I don't want to push it. He is a cryptorchid, and even though the other testicle is right under the skin, it needs to come out eventually.

[krissn333]

Maybe try Zithromax? I know that's good for snot

 

I don't have MUCH experience with URI's in puppies, but I have A LOT with kittens. At the shelter we would give them children's benedryl (don't freak out when they foam at the mouth a bit - that's normal) and would run warm steam humidifiers for them while we were there. It seemed to help loosen up the crud

 

Hope your little guy is feeling better soon! It may just be a case of "wait it out" as long as the snot doesn't turn green

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

The course of antibiotics that were not quite strong enough may have prolonged his length of illness, maybe? I'm not sure.

 

You could remove the one testicle now... massage it down, you might succeed!!!

[GeorgeofNE]

Crazy thought--if his only issue is nasal discharge--did the vet look up his nostrils??? It is not impossible to think he got something stuck up there.

[Guest mcsheltie]

You have some good advice here. Foxtails can cause a lot of damage if they get into the sinuses.

 

I would not give Baytril, especially to a large breed puppy. There are other families of antibiotics that are more of a "big gun" than Clavamox. Zithromax is an excellent suggestion.

 

Have his teeth checked to make sure there isn't an abscess causing this.

 

Keep monitoring his temp twice a day. If it goes up I would be back at the vets ASAP.

 

kamsmom - that was colloidal silver

[Brindles]

Pupdate:

 

The vet called to check on Diego yesterday (how sweet is that? ) and since there's no improvement still, we're putting him back on the Clavamox. I have a ten day supply, and if he isn't better by the end of it, he said he'll prescribe more. Hopefully another round of antibiotics will do the trick.

 

Crossing my fingers! Thank you for all your help.

Edited September 24, 2010 by Brindles

[Brindles]

Well, we have completed four days of Clavamox with minimal improvement if any at all. Called the vet to ask him some more questions and he said he is bothered that Diego isn't getting better. I also told him that when I got Diego he was covered with ticks. He said a tick borne disease is certainly possible but usually they present with different symptoms.

 

Vet wants to run another CBC (complete blood count) just a week later to see if the levels have changed. There was nothing alarming about the first one; just a slight indication of a chronic infection, which is why he's at the vet in the first place.

 

I asked the head vet where I work (very smart, very experienced, but large animal) what he thought about it, and he said as long as Diego is eating and gaining weight and still acting normal, it's probably not anything to be concerned about, and another CBC so soon is probably not necessary. He said some dogs catch things that take four weeks to go away.

 

One vet is concerned, one vet is not. Pulling my hair out over this.

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

Kennel Cough and similar can definitely take weeks... hang in there.

[Guest BiancasMom]

I agree with GeorgeofNE. Have they done a chest xray to see if it is even respiratory in nature? Maybe it is something up his nose?

[Batmom]

In your situation, I'd probably do a quickie white count rather than CBC and see if anything's changed.

 

Kennel cough shouldn't take weeks to go away -- within 10 days is more like it.

[Brindles]

I agree with GeorgeofNE. Have they done a chest xray to see if it is even respiratory in nature? Maybe it is something up his nose?

It's not likely something up his nose because the discharge is on both sides. We have not done a chest x-ray because his lung sounds are clear.

 

In your situation, I'd probably do a quickie white count rather than CBC and see if anything's changed.

That sounds like a good idea. Is there a specific name for that test?

 

Kennel cough shouldn't take weeks to go away -- within 10 days is more like it.

That's what I've heard, too... but it threw me off when the doc said there are things that take four weeks to get over.

 

I'm just worried it's fungal and pumping him full of antibiotics is making it worse. Then again, the Clavamox did work the first time around...

 

Thank you so much for your replies. If you feel like I'm needlessly worrying, PLEASE feel free to say so!

[Guest krystolla]

IMNAV (I am not a vet) but I was wondering if you've had x-rays done of his sinuses? I have a kitty with chronic nasal issues due to a nasty run of URI (and assorted parasites, and feline herpes) when she was a kitten. Her sinuses and throat are a bit warped from the issue, or possibly the issue was caused by a pre-existing weirdness. We don't know.

 

She's a Maine Coon, the heavy duty antibiotics that kept her alive did stunt her growth -- or maybe it was the illnesses -- but she wouldn't have lived through the experience without them. Way more than a runny nose issue . . .

 

I'm wondering whether your pup might have a polyp or physical difference that is causing some sort of irritation that leads to the runny nose.

[Brindles]

Vet called this afternoon. There has been a confirmed outbreak of canine influenza virus at the local humane society. I haven't been there recently but there's a good chance that a dog at the doggy daycare had.

 

CIV takes 10-30 days to run its course and is highly contagious with a very low mortality. Diego has all the symptoms of a mild case (except he's not coughing). The virus basically just has to run its course, and secondary infections need to be treated, which is what we're currently doing.

 

Still not sure why Dazzle and Echo don't have it, though. but THANKFUL!

 

Interesting piece of info for greyhound owners: CIV mutated from a strain of equine influenza and was first seen in racing greyhounds in 2004 in Florida. Vet said when it hits greyhounds it hits them hard.

 

ETA: Both of my dogs were on the track in 2004, albeit not in FL. Maybe they were exposed and gained immunity?

Edited September 29, 2010 by Brindles

[Batmom]

Ah, hopefully that's all it is and he'll be over it soonest.

 

If your vet can do some basic bloodwork in house, usually they can just draw blood and run the WBC count right then and there so you know whether the antibiotic is doing anything for him. You can send out for that too but you'll probably get RBC/WBC/differential on that..