# What's wrong with Ace?



## Sammy79 (Mar 6, 2011)

When I went to the vet on Monday everything was great. Then soon after his stool was getting softer and softer to the point now he has sever diarrhea. After I took him out tonight to relieve himself he threw up. I'm really worried. I will take him to the vet in the morning. Is there anything I can give him now? Originally the breeder was giving him Purina Puppy Chow. When I received him I started him on Science Diet. Could this be just a change in Diet? Should I put him back on Purina?


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

how old is Ace? Has he had all his vaccines? Did he get any shots at the vet? Science Diet is a terrible food but I doubt it is hte cause of this. Fast him but make sure he's getting lots of fluid so he doesn't dehydrate.


----------



## GSD_Xander (Nov 27, 2010)

When did you get him?

Was his first vet visit Monday?

Was he dewormed recently?

How fast did you switch foods?

For now what I would do is pull all foods but supply lots and lots of water. Make sure he's drinking fluids and continuing to urinate on a normal schedule. 

If he can't keep water down and the diarrhea/vomiting continues you may need to take him to the E-Vet for monitoring and IV Fluids. 

When you start him on food again do some boiled chicken and boiled rice and then gradually introduce food back.


----------



## Sammy79 (Mar 6, 2011)

I got Ace a week ago from tomorrow. He is 7 weeks old. His first pet visit was on Monday. He was positive for hook worms so they injected him with meds in his mouth. All of his vacs are up to date. He was put on a once every 30 days med from the Vet for heart worms. I started to give him the Science Diet as soon as he came home which was last Saturday. His stool was good until Tuesday. My wife read online to get Pedialyte for now.


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Definitely Pedialyte for tonight. If you have any pumpkin, you could try that to put some fiber in him and try to firm up his stool a bit. Did they give him any vaccines on Monday? It's entirely possible between the dewormer, heartworm med and vaccine that his system is just overloaded. He could have a vaccine induced illness. He could not be adjusting to the food. It's really hard to say. Best bet is to get him to the vet as soon as possible.

You can get a lot better food for less. I would look at the food sections on here to find one. Science Diet really is crappy food with a designer price tag.


----------



## GSD_Xander (Nov 27, 2010)

Jax08 said:


> Definitely Pedialyte for tonight. If you have any pumpkin, you could try that to put some fiber in him and try to firm up his stool a bit. Did they give him any vaccines on Monday? It's entirely possible between the dewormer, heartworm med and vaccine that his system is just overloaded. He could have a vaccine induced illness. He could not be adjusting to the food. It's really hard to say. Best bet is to get him to the vet as soon as possible.
> 
> You can get a lot better food for less. I would look at the food sections on here to find one. Science Diet really is crappy food with a designer price tag.


I agree with everything Jax said...good luck with your little guy.

ETA - with the Pedialyte I would just give a little bit at a time then if he keeps that down he can have more. Just don't let him gulp down a TON of it at once since that could just make him throw up.


----------



## Sammy79 (Mar 6, 2011)

I have his current shot records from the breeder. He was up to date on everything. His next shot is 3 weeks from now. When I went to the vet he only got the meds for hook worms and a 30 day med for heart worms. I guess that kind of makes sense. Everything started to happen right after my visit with the Vet. I gave him some pedialyte in a bowl. He only drank about 1/4 to 1/2 of a cup. He seems really tired. My wife also read something about Pepto bismol for dogs with upset stomachs. Should I give him some of that before putting him to bed? I picked up Purina from the store? I'm going to throw out the Science Diet tonight. Will try to feed him the same stuff the breeder had him on which was Purina Puppy Chow tomorrow.


----------



## robinhuerta (Apr 21, 2007)

Don't use Pepto.....use Kaopectate.
The dewormer for the whip-worms may be the cause of his illness...some puppies don't handle strong wormers very well.


----------



## Germanshepherdlova (Apr 16, 2011)

Sammy79 said:


> I have his current shot records from the breeder. He was up to date on everything. His next shot is 3 weeks from now. When I went to the vet he only got the meds for hook worms and a 30 day med for heart worms. I guess that kind of makes sense. Everything started to happen right after my visit with the Vet. I gave him some pedialyte in a bowl. He only drank about 1/4 to 1/2 of a cup. He seems really tired. My wife also read something about Pepto bismol for dogs with upset stomachs. Should I give him some of that before putting him to bed? I picked up Purina from the store? I'm going to throw out the Science Diet tonight. Will try to feed him the same stuff the breeder had him on which was Purina Puppy Chow tomorrow.


My dog has a sensitive stomach and the first time he developed diarrhea he was 8 weeks old. I called the breeder, and told her that he was sick, she suggested that I give him Pepto Bismol. I did, and I have used it many times since and it works. However, if he is vomiting, I am not sure you should give the Pepto Bismol. The best thing for you to do is give the Pedialyte and withhold all foods for the night, and take him to the vet the first thing in the AM. Also, because he is a puppy, if he can't hold down the liquid you are giving him, you should take him to the emergency tonight, because puppies can dehydrate quickly.


----------



## robinhuerta (Apr 21, 2007)

The reason I suggested Kaopectate is because of the Peppermint flavor in Pepto....any regular flavor of Bismuth is safe for the puppy.
Peppermint can sometimes be over-powering for someone with nausea....
But it does work well with stomach upset.


----------



## Sammy79 (Mar 6, 2011)

He is drinking a little bit of the pedialyte. I'm putting him to bed for now and first thing in the morning I'll head to the vet.


----------



## Germanshepherdlova (Apr 16, 2011)

Sammy79 said:


> He is drinking a little bit of the pedialyte. I'm putting him to bed for now and first thing in the morning I'll head to the vet.


Your puppy is adorable. I hope that all goes well tomorrow.


----------



## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

A visit to the vet is always smart when you have a young, sick puppy. If he is just having diarrhea without vomiting then my bet is on the worming meds. Same thing happened to Massie when she was a young pup. 

I would not recommend fasting a young pup. Instead I would overcook some brown rice (cook it for twice as long in twice as much water) and get some boneless chicken breast. I would mix in a little plain canned pumpkin with it. 

I would also put him on probiotics to help replace the good bacteria that the worming meds and diarrhea are clearing out. 

I would keep slippery elm around and forget about the other stuff.


----------



## CarrieJ (Feb 22, 2011)

I hope everything is ok soon and you'll have your little landshark back to normal.


----------



## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

Hope all goes well for your guy tomorrow.

Also, after he feels better, you should consider transitioning to a better quality food. Purina is horrible quality. 

There are about a billion and a half pages about good dog/puppy food on the forum, so you can go look at a few of those.


----------



## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

robinhuerta said:


> The reason I suggested Kaopectate is because of the Peppermint flavor in Pepto....any regular flavor of Bismuth is safe for the puppy.
> Peppermint can sometimes be over-powering for someone with nausea....
> But it does work well with stomach upset.


I've used the unflavored Pepto caplets for years. They're as easy to give as any pill.
Pepto-Bismol Caplets - Heartburn Relief


----------



## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

Robin, Thank you for the explanation about the pepto. Like Gayle, I have always given my dog the pill form. I was scared there for a minute - well not too scared. The dog is 13, so if it hasn't hurt her by now.....LOL!

To the OP, I hope your pup is feeling better soon. Great suggestions here. And yes - definitely research some of those better quality foods. Please give us an update, when you can.


----------



## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

Could be the worming meds for sure, but sudden severe diarrhea and vomiting would make me worry that it was parvo. I hope your pup is doing ok...


----------



## stephanie.jackson (Apr 7, 2011)

Coming from a vet tech, have them run a parvo and giardia test. Giardia isn't too bad. Parvo is. It takes about 7-10 days for parvo symptoms to show so if that's what it is, he most likely got it from the breeder. I have a feeling it I'd giardia though. My dog had it and had the same symptoms.


----------



## 1sttimeforgsd (Jul 29, 2010)

Any news about Ace, just checking in on him?


----------



## Sammy79 (Mar 6, 2011)

Update! This morning he was extremely playful as if nothing was wrong. He was still drinking the pedialyte and I allowed him to eat the Purina. I got rid of the Science Diet. Took him into the vet this morning. They did a Parvo and Fecal exam. Everything came back negative. They said it may have been the roundworms still coming out of his system or something in the grass he ate. They gave him another round of meds for roundworms just to get rid of anything that may be left in him. Also they gave me some metrondidazole to control his diarrhea, twice a day 0.5 mil liquid form. When he came back home is stool started to look normal again.


----------



## Sammy79 (Mar 6, 2011)

Konotashi said:


> Hope all goes well for your guy tomorrow.
> 
> Also, after he feels better, you should consider transitioning to a better quality food. Purina is horrible quality.
> 
> There are about a billion and a half pages about good dog/puppy food on the forum, so you can go look at a few of those.


When I originally read the topic a lot of people were for Science Diet that's why I originally picked it up for him. Now I decided to go to Purina because the breeders give that to all there puppies without any problems.


----------



## CarrieJ (Feb 22, 2011)

Hooray!

I'm glad he's playful...time for biting and chewing and basic puppystuff!


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

That's wonderful that he's ok and it's just the worms. I would give him some pumpkin to help firm up his stool. A couple tablespoons a day would be good.

Purina is not a great food either. Ask Robin Huerta what she feeds. I think she's one of the breeders that feed kibble rather than RAW. Since he's already having problems with diarrhea, I don't' think this is the time to switch foods on him again and further exacerbate it. Finish out the SD and look for a food while you are waiting.


----------



## Pattycakes (Sep 8, 2010)

Thats wonderful news! Hope he continues to be okay!


----------



## Germanshepherdlova (Apr 16, 2011)

Thanks for the update, glad to hear that your puppy is feeling better.


----------



## Anja1Blue (Feb 27, 2008)

robinhuerta said:


> Don't use Pepto.....use Kaopectate.
> The dewormer for the whip-worms may be the cause of his illness...some puppies don't handle strong wormers very well.


Personally I would not use Kaopectate without consulting a veterinarian first. (Actually I wouldn't use it at all, but some people like to.) The formula has been changed - previously it contained attapulgite, which is an inert clay aluminum. That was replaced by bismuth salicylate, which is an aspirin derivative. Any dogs with sensitivity to aspirin - and there are lots of them - are advised NOT to take this medication. It is also contra-indicated for any dog on NSAIDS or other certain types of drugs. My vet says she never prescribes it. I would look for a more natural, less chemical, solution. (Slippery elm comes to mind.) 
____________________________________________
Susan

Anja SchH3 GSD
Conor GSD
Blue BH WH T1 GSD - waiting at the Bridge :angel:


----------



## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

Geez, I must really be in trouble. I give my dog aspirin too. I guess if the pepto and aspirin haven't killed her in 13 years, I'll just keep doing what I'm doing. Why mess with success?


----------



## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

When you've given your dog things like pepto/aspirin for years with no side effects, well thats one thing..

It's kind of a catch 22 with pepto and things like it with me, I obviously don't want the diarhea, but then again I want them to get rid of whatever 'nasty' is in their system vs plugging them up..

Also having an aussie with an MDR1gene sensitivity, I stay away from all those no no drugs, like pepto, immodium ad, kaopectate..

I would say, it was a reaction to the worm meds and he was ridding his system of them..glad he's feeling better


----------



## GSD_Xander (Nov 27, 2010)

I'm glad to hear he's feeling so much better!

I would switch from the Purina if you can. There are a lot of better kibbles with a wide range of prices. I would try to get the best one that you can with your budget. 
Dog Food Reviews - Main Index - Powered by ReviewPost

This site offers a lot of food reviews that can help you choose a food:

The purina foods are mostly rated one-star:
Dog Food Reviews - All Products - Powered by ReviewPost

If you want a better food on a budget and have a Costco near you then the Kirkland dog foods are rated three-star. They do have a puppy food that, when I got Xander, is what his breeder was feeding. After getting him I switched his food. I think some people have said that the calcium/phosphorous ratio in it is not ideal for GSDs.


----------



## Germanshepherdlova (Apr 16, 2011)

Stevenzachsmom said:


> Geez, I must really be in trouble. I give my dog aspirin too. I guess if the pepto and aspirin haven't killed her in 13 years, I'll just keep doing what I'm doing. Why mess with success?


Exactly


----------



## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Well, this isn't your dog - it is a puppy and a puppy that has had enough diarrhea and other issues - that can lead to things like a colitis that bleeds and a puppy with aspirin on board may have more difficulties with that bleeding. Is it really such a bad thing to warn people that medicines have side effects?


----------



## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I agree with Jean, that pepto may work great for your dog, but it could kill mine


----------

