Just got new puppy - worried

[FrenchieLuv]

Hi all, this is my first post, and I wish it wasn't - but it is.

Now, he's not my first Frenchy. I have a couple others. Trust me - I'll be calling the vet first thing in the morning. I got him yesterday and I didn't feel anything warranted a call to the vet and I still don't think it does but I am concerned.

When I got him I noticed he felt "grimy" so I took him to the groomers and he happened to be covered in fleas . Poor guy. Since getting him he hasn't seemed to want to eat. Today I finally got him to eat a piece of American cheese, a leftover chicken nugget, and a couple animal crackers. I think he ate a couple piece of boiled chicken. I've tried to entice him with cottage cheese, a piece of satin ball, rice, a milk bone, and kibble - I don't really want to feed him what the "breeder" sent him with - Pedigree. I did get him to eat a calcium supplement that is flavored.

Until this afternoon he hadn't pooped or drank water. His poop had so much grass in it. I know he didn't eat that here because I've been watching him when he goes outside.

I took him to the water and finally splashed water IN his mouth then he drank a few sips.

Anyway, one of my main concerns is his lack of muscle tone - in his hind end especially. I think he was kept kenneled most his life probably and he just has no muscle compared to my other frenchy his age (5 months). When he tries to stand on his hind legs he has difficulty supporting his weight and when he tried to stand on two front legs and one rear leg and then use one rear leg to scratch he wobbled over. It's like he's weak.

Will time and good food with protein instead of corn solve this or is this a major problem? I am worried for him.

His front feet are also splayed like he was standing on wire.

Please help. :nervous: :*(

 

[FrenchieLuv]

Update: I left his bowl of food that I had given him (boiled rice with broth and chicken), kibble, Dyne, a little cottage cheese, and a small scoop of satin ball - I decided to leave it with him for hours this time and he finally picked through it and ate everything except some kibble and the cottage cheese.

So, I'm thrilled.

Also, when I took him outside he drank plenty of water, peed, and then did a poo that was solid with no foreign substance in it. Yay!

Still taking him to the vet for a health check, though.

 

[Honeys Owners]

I would keep him on the Pedigree for now (or home cook for now) and gradually introduce a better food. Even though Pedigree is full of fillers like corn starch it's still what he's used to. I would kill the fleas rapidly by giving him a capstar tablet, and put him on a topical flea agent ( since he's not eating much ) .

 

[2bullymama]

Place him on the bland diet... trash whatever the so called breeder gave you. Dawn dish soap will kill any fleas on him and not harm his skin or fur. Get to the vet to make sure he does not have worms or parvo.

please keep us posted... sending prayers for the little guy

 

[FrenchieLuv]

Place him on the bland diet... trash whatever the so called breeder gave you. Dawn dish soap will kill any fleas on him and not harm his skin or fur. Get to the vet to make sure he does not have worms or parvo.

please keep us posted... sending prayers for the little guy

Thank you

I have an appointment this afternoon. I think I'm going to get a fecal, maybe a heartworm test to be safe. Maybe even a blood panel. Not sure. We'll see what the vet says.

He's drinking water finally and it looks like he ate some more food this morning too. Not a lot but, some. I gave him some boiled chicken with rice, Dyne, a little chunk of satin ball, and a little high quality grain free canned food. He seems to need his time to eat. My other dogs all just dig right in but he needs his space.

He had been to the groomers the same day I brought him home where they bathed the heck out of him and seemed to get all the fleas off him. It didn't occur to me until late last night - "what if they used a flea shampoo on him? I certainly didn't authorize that but, maybe they did anyway..."

Maybe his tummy was feeling off from it and that's why he didn't eat until last night.

Of course, they aren't open today so I can't call and ask. I ordered some topical flea medicine but I won't put anything on him until I find out what they used.

Thank you everyone for your kind wishes. He absolutely loves running around and playing with my other dogs.

Last night he was standing on his hind legs at the door pawing to be let in so he can stand on his hind legs when he wants to.

 

[Alice Kable]

Sounds like your little guy is doing better, he must have been miserable with all those fleas!

 

[FrenchieLuv]

Went to the vet and two vets looked over his hips, watched how he walked, and examined his hips and could find no sign of problems, weakness or injury in his hips.

The vet I spoke with said it could be one of a couple things - she said he may have been weak from having so many fleas on him or it could have been that he was weak in the rear from having so many on him and trying to get to them and being so itchy and it just appeared that he was weak and he never was. She said he doesn't have as much muscle tone as she would expect but that good diet and exercise will compensate for that with time. She said I could give him a vitamin but it probably isn't necessary.

We are doing a full blood panel, heartworm test, and fecal.

Everything else checked out fine though so we are waiting on the results of those. I am expecting he will have some type of worm but I was planning on worming him anyway.

I can't imagine after having all those fleas he wouldn't have worms.

 

[2bullymama]

Please keep us posted


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[FrenchieLuv]

The vet called this morning and we got his blood results back.

His white blood cell levels are elevated across the board. She thinks from all the fleas so we are going to put him on an antibiotic.

She said his liver enzymes were slightly elevated and we had two options. We could either run a liver panel on him or we could wait a month after deworming him and giving him the antibiotics and run a mini panel to check his enzymes and see how he is then.

The vet said that it could be that he has a shunt but that it also could be that it's just stress from being in a new home, having fleas, and not eating well the past few days. Personally, I'm going to remain optimistic and hope he doesn't have a shunt and that it's just stress since his liver enzymes weren't very elevated.

He did test positive for Giardia but negative for heartworm which is "good". So, I'll be giving him some wormer once he decides to start eating his food (I use Panacur granules but, if I have to I'll use the liquid).

This morning I gave him some Nature's Domain grain free I had and he seemed to like it better than TOTW so he actually ate a little. Still hasn't eaten as much as I would like him to but...he is slowly eating.

 

[Cbrugs]

My only suggestion, if you aren't already doing this, is that since he will be on antibiotics to give him a probiotic. Even when he is done with the antibiotics, a probiotic is good to give.

 

[FrenchieLuv]

My only suggestion, if you aren't already doing this, is that since he will be on antibiotics to give him a probiotic. Even when he is done with the antibiotics, a probiotic is good to give.

Yeah, I was going to give him one. I just have to find one that the stinker will actually eat.

 

[Cbrugs]

Yeah, I was going to give him one. I just have to find one that the stinker will actually eat.

I use Benebac Plus which has pre and probitiocs. It is supposed to be a good one especially when giving antibiotics. I just get it on Amazon and it's in a powder form. Jax is not a picky eater at all so I don't have any problems.

 

[Mavis]

So happy you love your little guy and are seeing him through this. From what I have read on the forum, I would be most focused on ridding him of the giardia. Sounds like he is on his way to wellness and you are doing all the right things.

 

[FrenchieLuv]

Well, I'm still worried he's not eating enough. I've always read that a dog won't starve themselves but...sheesh what gives?

Yesterday he ate about a cup and a half of kibble. He is a big guy - he weighs almost 26lbs. But, maybe he wasn't eating much before and isn't used to being allowed to eat more?

This morning so far I gave him one cup of food (I wanted to measure what he ate) and he ate about 2/3 of it so then I gave him another cup because I want him to eat.

All my other dogs if I put a bowl of food in front of them will eat their food right up. I'm not used to this. Idk how I'm going to give him Panacur granules if he won't eat.

I guess I might have to get the liquid. Boy, he'll hate me then.

 

[Cbrugs]

You can mix the Panacur with a little chicken stock and then mix it in with the kibble. Or get a little wet food and mix it in with that and top off the kibble.

 

[FrenchieLuv]

You can mix the Panacur with a little chicken stock and then mix it in with the kibble. Or get a little wet food and mix it in with that and top off the kibble.

Yeah, you would think he would eat wet food but NOPE. I tried the wet food I have - Nature's Domain Turkey and Pea - wouldn't touch it. Barely eats chicken and rice cooked with broth mixed with Dyne. Wouldn't touch cottage cheese.

He was eating crap food so I think he's used to "junk" food. He likes American Cheese and he'll occasionally eat one of my kids chicken nuggets. But, mostly he will go for American Cheese.

He is pooping though so I wonder if because he doesn't have much muscle mass he is taking in what he needs?

I will closely be watching his weight and body though to make sure he isn't dropping.

I might actually ask the vet for the appetite stimulant she asked if I wanted. I'd rather know how much he is eating on his own terms but...I'm so befuddled by what he isn't eating more.

Is he just *that* picky?

 

[Jakeyjake]

Did your vet mention that perhaps it is the giardia that is causing loss of appetite or nausea? I would try to make sure he gets the panacur. If that isn't possible then you could try flagyl tablets wrapped in cheese. Hopefully he will feel better soon.

 

[FrenchieLuv]

Did your vet mention that perhaps it is the giardia that is causing loss of appetite or nausea? I would try to make sure he gets the panacur. If that isn't possible then you could try flagyl tablets wrapped in cheese. Hopefully he will feel better soon.

No, she didn't. That hadn't occurred to me. I just looked it up and that is one of the main symptoms.

 

[Jakeyjake]

No, she didn't. That hadn't occurred to me. I just looked it up and that is one of the main symptoms.

Ya that's why I would see if you can get the medicine in him and see if he feels better. He could also be a picky eater on top of it. I have one of those and it amazes me what she will not eat. Good luck!

 

[FrenchieLuv]

Ya that's why I would see if you can get the medicine in him and see if he feels better. He could also be a picky eater on top of it. I have one of those and it amazes me what she will not eat. Good luck!

Well, I called the vet to see what wormer they have that I could get in him that may not be granule and the vet had suggested maybe using an appetite stimulant. I want to see what it is so waiting on a call back.

I have some yummy venison in the freezer he might go for.