Poorly puppy, any advice? :(

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MissJael

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My 5mth old bichon frise went rapidly downhill from yest afternoon, wouldn't eat but would drink and was toileting normally, just very down.

Same again this morning, except he wouldn't drink. Took him to the emergency vet who said he has a very low temperature and fluid on his lungs. She gave him an antibiotic shot and a diuretic jab to get rid of the fluid. She told me to keep him well wrapped up and warm with a hot water bottle which we are doing.

It breaks my heart to see the little man so poorly :( He did drink a little after the vet but nothing for the last few hours. She said not to force it as he isn't dehydrated.

He's going to my usual vet first thing in the morning again but is there anything I can do in the meantime? :(
 
Did the vet query some sort of blockage? Any chance pup could have eaten something he shouldn't have?

Does his wormer cover lungworm?

I know not what you asked for but forewarned is forearmed and all that x
 
Hi lui, he's just ate a slice of ham which is great :)

CC, his wormer doesn't cover that, vet didn't question anything about anything digestive, it all seemed related to his respiratory system. He had been pooing normally which led me to think all was ok in that respect. He has a heart murmur which clearly isn't helping. I could kick myself for taking on and getting attached to a pup which is obviously going to break my heart and my bank balance. :( x
 
Just an update for anyone interested
My vet took bloods and did a chest xray this morning which has showed his heart is very enlarged. She is doing a scan this afternoon to see what's going on but she said she is very concerned. His back end and stomach is very tender and I suspect he may have a blockage, vet said this may be causing his heart to be so enlarged.
Am sat here in floods of tears expecting the worst :(
Any vibes would be appreciated
 
Oh you poor thing, that is dreadful, hope the vet can sort him out, maybe he has eaten something he shouldnt and its got stuck. Lots of vibes to you both and keep positive he is in the right place.
 
Vibes for pup x

Bichons can have heart issues - tell me to bog off and mind my own but what sort of place did he come from? In terms of, if it does turn out to be a hereditary heart issue, would it be worth informing his breeders, or indeed warning other potential buyers :(
 
Of course I won't tell you to bog off :)
It was a private breeder and I did try to do my research - family setting, three young kids, they own mum and dad and this was their first litter. They are absolutely genuine, I've no doubt about that.
I have already told her about what's going on and she seems pretty concerned, I got in contact last night in case any of the others were having any problems but it looks like my wee fella is the only one.

If a vet says she is very concerned, should I take that as a "prepare yourself for the worst" scenario? I have already, mind you.
 
Poor you, lots of luck with your pup. I had a similar incident with Harley a month after I had him, (not a pup though). He was really poorly not eating, drinking and very low temp. looking extremely sorry for himself. After X-rays, an operation and a night on a drip at vets came home without anyone really knowing what was the matter, 3 or 4 days later did a large poo with lots of bits of blue rubber bone in it and perked up immediately.:):) So I do hope it's something similar with your pup, fingers crossed. Oh, and I had a bill for £700:eek:
 
Maisie2, Glad to hear Harley was unscathed :) I'd gladly take a £700 bill at the moment if the wee man was going to pull through!
 
Any updates, are the vets thinking this is heart related? is this the puppy you bought with a heart murmur (apologies) if not I can faintly remember someone asking advice re a puppy with a heart problem.
((HUGE VIBES))))
 
Hi Cayla, yes that's the pup you're thinking of. Vet said his heart is very enlarged and from what I can remember (my head is all over the place) she said it was something he was born with. She also said (I think) a blockage could be causing the heart to enlarge, does that sound right??

She said she would call me back about 4pm to let me know how the scan went, I'm just hoping that it's something they can operate on or control with meds :(
 
Does`nt sound right to me,if he has fluid problems it may mean his heart just is`nt working well..hence the enlargement.Presumably his heart was checked at both vaccination visits? Is he insured? If so,I watched a Westie pup on the new series about Glasgow(?) vet school,he needed a blood vessel tying off.It is supposed to happen at birth (is`nt nature fantastic?) but had`nt,so it was corrected surgically.
It amazes me what can be done for dogs surgically these days,and the new drugs for things like heart problems are mind blowing.
 
I think that was one of the things I advised on in the 1st post EK, my main worry was the OP may not get the puppy insured for the heart as the problem was already diagnosed before purchase.
As suggested though and esp for heart related issues we have advanced massivley in regard to treatment/surgery and the Edinburgh (im sure thats the one we use) school is the best place for this, we have taken a good few rescue up there with heart problems.
 
Sometimes a heart murmur disappears as the puppy grows,and if we do get a diagnosis at first vax time the puppy stays here until it does so. Guess you`d need deep pockets to buy one with an uninsurable problem.
 
Eastkent - I know of a number of pups and dogs with heart murmurs who have not encountered any problems or have grown out of it, which helped me come to the decision to take this pup home. I don't have deep pockets by any stretch of the imagination, but I was willing to give the pup a great home and provide for him for however long he has, regardless whether it's two months or 12 years.

The vet has said the right side of his heart is enlarged, and has referred us for an ultrasound scan with a cardiologist on Wed. In the meantime she is beginning meds tonight and continues to give him diuretics and fluids.
The decision as to what happens will be made on Wed after hearing what the cardiologist has to say i.e if surgery is an option or not.
My main concern is rmaking sure that what happens is in the pup's best interests. I don't want him suffering unnecessarily.

Thanks for all your nice comments and vibes, I know Jake will appreciate them x
 
Sadly the decision was made for Jake and I earlier this evening and he slipped away while at the vets.
You won't be forgotten wee man.

Jake026.jpg
 
Oh crikey... I'm so shocked!!!
So so sorry for you losing him, but take some comfort knowing you gave him a happy and loving chance at life - tragically cut short.

Take care x
 
:( I am so sorry to hear that, I have no words of comforts as they will do little, but know that you offered him a fantastic life even if it was only for a short while. xxxxx sleep tight little baby boy xxxx
 
Thanks for all your kind words, the vet believes his heart just wasn't up to its job and the resulting enlargement was what took him in the end.

I'm happy that if he was only to have five months to be in the world, then he had a blast with me.

He's coming home today to be buried in the garden where he loved chasing around after my lab Troy (in my sig) even though he was 4 times the size of him.
 
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