# puppy ate a lot of newspaper



## Halion (Apr 15, 2012)

My puppy ate a lot of newspaper, 4 sheets of it doubled up. He hasn't passed it yet and it's been three days. This morning his poo is runny and a weird tan color. He pooed on my floor when I got up and it looks like he was trying to pass the paper. I did take him to the vet and they said I needed to wait til he passed it all or they can do xrays, but then they said they wouldn't be able to see anything. 

What do I do? :l


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

wait until he makes an editorial comment?

Get an x-ray. Get another vet. He has given you very little help. 

Three days without a stool is bad . The weird tan colour is an indication that the pancreas is working over time pumping out enzymes trying to digest this ball of paper.

Can you give him tiny bit of non bulky food, yogurt , baby food puree with DIGESTIVE ENZYMES --- go buy some Prozyme -- so that you help him break down the paper fibres (cellulase) . 

You do not want this paper causing necrosis of the intestine . 

Some papers are glazed - shiny -- non digestible .

Do an x-ray. 

I would question this vet -- he should have given you more help.

Carmen
CARMSPACK.com


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## Twyla (Sep 18, 2011)

I am surprised your vet said they wouldn't be able to see anything with an xray. Woolf had a thing for eating stuff he isn't supposed to for a while and it caught up with him. The vet did xrays and the mass clearly showed up. It was the barium (white chalky stuff) xray they used.

I am tempted to say insist on the xrays to locate the newspaper and its position. While he may be passing a bit of it now, it could still become lodged in the intestines. 3 days is a long time for the newspaper to just be sitting there.

If they still balk, consider another vet.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

I have had a pup eat paper - which comes out like goat poop. But that was with no interuption of normal potty habits . Four pages -- that's a lot.
You didn't mention how old your dog was .

Carmen
CARMSPACK.com


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

I agree with the xray suggestions, three days is too long and that's a lot of paper


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## Halion (Apr 15, 2012)

He is 4 months old and 30 lbs. Eating and drinking regularly. He has been pooping normal the last couple of days, but yesterday he also threw up an undigested meal from 2 days after it was fed to him. The newspaper incident happened the night before the feeding that was thrown up. A friend told me to feed him pumpkin, so I am. I also read that sticking a sulfur match up the butt helps, but I don't want to take it that far.


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## Halion (Apr 15, 2012)

Oh, He threw up because he gets car sick, but it was undigested. :l


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## Twyla (Sep 18, 2011)

Halion said:


> He is 4 months old and 30 lbs. Eating and drinking regularly. He has been pooping normal the last couple of days, but yesterday he also threw up an undigested meal from 2 days after it was fed to him. The newspaper incident happened the night before the feeding that was thrown up. A friend told me to feed him pumpkin, so I am. I also read that sticking a sulfur match up the butt helps, but I don't want to take it that far.


He needs to see the vet ASAP. If your current vet will not xray, change vets. Is that the only meal he has had so you are able to confirm the food was from 2 days ago? If food is not digested after 2 days, there is something going on in there; partial blockage may change to a full blockage and could require surgery.

Forget the match idea.


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## Halion (Apr 15, 2012)

Twyla said:


> He needs to see the vet ASAP. If your current vet will not xray, change vets. Is that the only meal he has had so you are able to confirm the food was from 2 days ago? If food is not digested after 2 days, there is something going on in there; partial blockage may change to a full blockage and could require surgery.
> 
> Forget the match idea.


No, he has been eating and drinking normally since eating the newspaper. After the two days from the other feeding that was thrown up he has been eating normally. I'm going to see what the pumpkin will do today and if he hasn't crapped it out then it's time for my old vet.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Get him to a new vet at once.


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

The pumpkin can firm his stools, you don't want to do that when there's a strong possibility of an obstruction.

Seriously, vet today, now.


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## Halion (Apr 15, 2012)

UPDATE: Saw a new vet, said paper is definitely digestible and the reason it wasn't seen was because it was digested into poop. Also said he should definitely be done passing it. 
Poo is normal except sometimes since I switched him onto Nutro Ultra Large Breed Puppy from Purina Puppy Chow. I switched him slowly. 
Koda has been a healthy eater and drinker until yesterday. He came down with Rhinitis and was prescribed 125 mg Clavamox. 1.5 tablets twice a day. He said it should pass in two weeks and if not he'll need further treatment.
His nose is so gross, but there is no coughing. Well, not anymore. I had a kitten and he started coughing like crazy when I got her. I gave her to a friend the next day and I noticed he has a snotty nose and his coughing was going down.
Yesterday he coughed 3 times. Today he has not coughed but didn't want to eat.
Vet also said that at 4 months old he should be over his current weight which is 29.8 lbs. He was that exact weight on the 10th when he went in for his last round of shots til next year. I am giving him an egg for protein, wet food and dry kibble all mixed in so he'll eat along with a splash of olive oil for his dry skin. 

I want to be sure I'm doing everything right, but I have such a tight budget and the vet visit definitely wiped me out til the next paycheck after this one on Thursday.


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## Halion (Apr 15, 2012)

Also, vet suggested to free feed instead of schedule feeding.

Here's some pics of him (and my diaper wearing duck [they are supervised when together, separated when no one is home])

10 weeks









last week

















TODAY


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Where did you get this puppy? Is his nasal discharge green?? Is there eye discharge??
Vaccine status??

Clavamox can make them lose their appetite. Are you giving it with food?
If the rhinitis discharge was clear, (not sure on that??) why would they prescribe an antibiotic? Benadryl would help for allergies and just plain TLC and time will help with "kennel cough".


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## Halion (Apr 15, 2012)

msvette2u said:


> Where did you get this puppy? Is his nasal discharge green?? Is there eye discharge??
> Vaccine status??
> 
> Clavamox can make them lose their appetite. Are you giving it with food?
> If the rhinitis discharge was clear, (not sure on that??) why would they prescribe an antibiotic? Benadryl would help for allergies and just plain TLC and time will help with "kennel cough".


I got him on Craigslist when he was 9 weeks old, he is now 17 weeks. He had all 3 boosters done, rabies distemper, parvo and bordetella. His last set was done by the vet at my local Humane Society. First round was done by the woman who sold him to me, his second was by me and I decided to just start taking him to a regular vet.

Nasal discharge is yellowish green, no eye discharge. The vet didn't tell me Clavamox can make him not eat, but I made sure to give it to him with food as is says so on the directions. He'll eat wet food. He loved the combo I made for him this morning.


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## Halion (Apr 15, 2012)

He is slightly lethargic, but I assume that comes with being ill. I am wondering if he caught it from the kitten immediately (though the kitten has no signs of infections) or if he had gotten it from a dog when I had to wait 2 hours at the humane society and it just now started showing signs. Vet said it can take time to build up or it can even be instant.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

> Nasal discharge is yellowish green, no eye discharge. The vet didn't tell me Clavamox can make him not eat, but I made sure to give it to him with food as is says so on the directions. He'll eat wet food. He loved the combo I made for him this morning.


I think you may need to find a new vet. It doesn't instantly become bacterial and then not clear up within 2-3 days on clavamox.
Does this puppy have a fever? Did the discharge start clear??

The reason I ask...distemper can cause thick nasal discharge but there's usually eye discharge too.
Home vaccinations are discouraged for many reasons, improper storage is one of them. Plus a vet check is _never_ a bad idea.

The "usual" course of Kennel cough - not sure if the vet thought that was it - is that they cough some, hack a bit, and sometimes - not always - get a secondary bacterial infection, which is when you see the colored discharge. 

Slightly lethargic? That puppy is underweight too. Has he been dewormed at all?

Can you take a pic of the nasal discharge?


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## Halion (Apr 15, 2012)

msvette2u said:


> I think you may need to find a new vet. It doesn't instantly become bacterial and then not clear up within 2-3 days on clavamox.
> Does this puppy have a fever?
> 
> The reason I ask...distemper can cause thick nasal discharge but there's usually eye discharge too.
> ...


I just got the Clavamox last night, probably should've added that. He said to keep him on it for 14 days and if it hasn't cleared up then do another 7 days then if nothing bring him back in. His temperature was checked and he is normal.

I vaccinated him at 12 weeks and administered it right after it was taken out of the fridge at the feed store. 

I thought the Bordetella vaccine prevented them from getting kennel cough? I think there was a dog that had kennel cough at the humane society but Koda was given Bordetella that same day.

I asked the vet on how I can make Koda gain weight and he just told me to free feed until I realized raw eggs are a great source of protein. He is also now on the Prozyme supplement. Do you have any suggestions on gaining weight? I know he's underweight and it's scaring the **** out of me. He was dewormed again last week before he saw the vet for eating newspaper.


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## Halion (Apr 15, 2012)

I've been wiping his nose, but he hasn't been leaking any liquids out of his nose since the last time I wiped unless he's been licking them off.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Hm. Does it become clumped up on the front before you wipe it off?
Can you take the puppy's temperature??



> I thought the Bordetella vaccine prevented them from getting kennel cough? I think there was a dog that had kennel cough at the humane society but Koda was given Bordetella that same day.


No. And you should avoid it, it's useless and can actually make a dog sick.

As for weight - he's probably dehydrated right now, if not feeling well. That will make them seem bonier than they are.
Syringe fluids, just water is fine. Maybe add a pinch of salt, and a pinch of sugar (like in a cup of water), but even if you don't, plain water will help.

Ultra is not a great food. What else is available to you?


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## Halion (Apr 15, 2012)

msvette2u said:


> Hm. Does it become clumped up on the front before you wipe it off?
> Can you take the puppy's temperature??


It doesn't really clump, it's like when he have runny noses. It's mostly clear but when I look into his nose with a flashlight it's yellowish green. I don't have a thermometer to take his temp. I can get one after work but I don't come home til 12 a.m.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

oh boy, I hope things turn around for you.

Pumpkin , can that !

Looks like his immune system has taken a hit .

You'll have to do something aggressive so that this does not develop into some serious respiratory problem.

THEN you have to be serious about rebuilding this dogs health and immune health . That through some serious nutrition. 

As to the vet -- not all paper is digestible , especially not when in a ball -- or when there is glazed paper (shiny adverts- magazines ) . At least a digestive enzyme high in cellulase would have helped. Pumpkin is a block -- AND pumpkin is HIGH in cellulose , a fibre , difficult for dogs to digest , which is why it is useful in diarrhea and solidifying stools.

Carmen
CARMSPACK.com 

Carmen


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## Halion (Apr 15, 2012)

msvette2u said:


> Hm. Does it become clumped up on the front before you wipe it off?
> Can you take the puppy's temperature??
> 
> 
> ...


Alright, so no more Bordetella vaccines. vet checked his skin for dehydration and so have I and he isn't dehydrated. I'll mix that solution up now and give it to him. And when you say a cup of water you mean a measuring cup?


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## Halion (Apr 15, 2012)

Basically every quality food is available to me. An employee of Pet Supermarket suggested Nutro Ultra to me. I just bought a big bag of it and he likes it. What do you suggest?

He hasn't gotten pumpkin anymore, just one tablespoon then I stopped. He had no glazed paper. All the glazed paper gets thrown out.


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## Halion (Apr 15, 2012)

Sorry. Koda is my first dog and I'm clueless to everything except the basic care of watering, feeding and vaccinations.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Well, then ask here 

For puppy food - we tell folks to avoid corn, wheat, soy and by-products.
You don't have to go all $$$. 
We actually feed Kirkland from Costco (our own dogs and fosters), or Diamond Naturals if you are not in a state affected by the Diamond recalls.

Yeah...like Carmen I am suspecting the puppy may be partially blocked or something else. 
But the nasal discharge concerns me too. 

You can give plain water, or yeah, a cup (measured, at least 1 c.) and put a pinch each of salt/sugar. If the puppy is drinking a lot and urine is pale yellow, don't worry about it.
If the urine is dark or puppy is not drinking much water, then start syringing.


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## Halion (Apr 15, 2012)

msvette2u said:


> Well, then ask here
> 
> For puppy food - we tell folks to avoid corn, wheat, soy and by-products.
> You don't have to go all $$$.
> ...


You know, I thought store brand foods were crap like Ol Roy and Publix brands, but Costco's is good quality? The closest Costco to me is actually 45 mins away. The closest pet food store is 5 mins away and they carry a ton of stuff, even the Diamond products. After reading the recall I'm scared of the food that comes from the Diamond plants. I was thinking Blue Buffalo but it's really pricey for me (only making 8.10 an hour part time ~30 hours a week + tax deductions). I JUST switched him 100% onto Nutro Ultra, so if I were to switch him onto something else, I would just switch him gradually again? Or should I wait a couple of weeks so he gets used to his new food?

His pee is also pale to a medium yellow. It's not dark.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Read the label and decide for yourself. Soy, wheat, corn and by-products are the cheapest ones out there.
When you're paying more for a bag of corn or soy, then you are for real meat, that's a problem, IMO.

Costco is a good brand, yes. We are not near the recalls but are keeping an eye on things and with some 20 dogs to feed, we can't feed BB or one of the "nicer" brands. However, many people on here use Kirkland, Diamond NATURALS, or even 4health(?) which are Diamond products and all about the same ingredients.

So far our dogs are doing great, if there's a problem closer to us, we'll change but for the time being, watch and see is my motto 

BTW, where are you located?


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## Halion (Apr 15, 2012)

msvette2u said:


> Read the label and decide for yourself. Soy, wheat, corn and by-products are the cheapest ones out there.
> When you're paying more for a bag of corn or soy, then you are for real meat, that's a problem, IMO.
> 
> Costco is a good brand, yes. We are not near the recalls but are keeping an eye on things and with some 20 dogs to feed, we can't feed BB or one of the "nicer" brands. However, many people on here use Kirkland, Diamond NATURALS, or even 4health(?) which are Diamond products and all about the same ingredients.
> ...


I am in Florida where the recall hit.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

eee, I just keep seeing kibble as a source of problems especially after most , almost all, relying on vitamin pre-mixes from China or India - China being the big problem, not a good track record at all.


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## Twyla (Sep 18, 2011)

Another option for food that is less then BB is Nature's Recipe, available at both Petco and Petsmart, less $$ at Petsmart though. They have a grain free formula and all stages large breed formula that uses oatmeal and barley, no corn, wheat or soy. The grain free has 2 varieties, chicken and salmon; the large breed is chicken. My 2 have done very good on these foods... except for the salmon - they ended up smelling like fish lol


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## Halion (Apr 15, 2012)

When I woke up this morning I noticed Koda had yellowish eye boogers coming out. Its consistency is normal for what comes out of the eyes, but is the color normal? I'll be able to take a pic if it comes back. I called my old vet and she said if we were to do the distemper test now that it could be too late to save him. The only things he has wrong is loss of appetite (for his food at least, eating satin balls I made), skinny, semi lethargic (doesn't want to get off the couch but will, sleeping right now), his runny nose is getting better, less clump that it was two days ago. My old vet recommended that I give him 25 mg of Benadryl a day along with his Clavamox and use the bathroom as a steam room or a nebulizer which I can't get my hands on.

After going to Banfield and him being diagnosed with Rhinitis, I am completely wiped out and may only have 130 this Thursday for a vet trip back to my old doc.


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## Halion (Apr 15, 2012)

I will have his temperature reading here in another hour, bf is getting a thermometer for me.


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## Twyla (Sep 18, 2011)

Just in case you find yourself short and your pet needing vet care, check into Care Credit - credit card for vet costs.


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## Halion (Apr 15, 2012)

I've tried applying for CareCredit and they denied me twice. I have no past credit history. It's like no one wants to give you a credit card to build credit if you don't already have previous established credit. Makes no sense to me.

But I will take pics of his eyes throughout the day considering they get worse. it's not like pus, it's not water. It's like eye booger consistency but I don't even know if I've even seen it to be yellowish green.


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## Halion (Apr 15, 2012)

Also, when he's outside all he wants to do it play and run around. Especially when my boyfriend is here, he plays with him, so maybe it's just a moderate infection? There is no redness of the eyes, no foaming at the mouth, no twitching like I saw in videos of puppies with distemper. His pads are still soft as well.


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## Kev (Sep 11, 2011)

My dog gets eye boogers when he wakes up. Usually it is clear and sometimes brown.
Overall, he's healthy.


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## Halion (Apr 15, 2012)

He is going to my old vet right at 3 today. Will update asap.


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## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

I was denied by Care Credit the first time. Do you have someone willing to cosign for you? That's what I had to do. Then one LASIK procedure and cat hit by a car later, I had charged and paid off enough to give my credit a HUGE boost.


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## Halion (Apr 15, 2012)

My grandfather is paying for it on his credit card and I'll be paying it off as much as I can. His temperature is 101.7


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## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

That's good. You still might want to go ahead and get the card if he or someone else is willing to co-sign for you. It's great in case of emergencies.


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## Halion (Apr 15, 2012)

Anitsisqua said:


> That's good. You still might want to go ahead and get the card if he or someone else is willing to co-sign for you. It's great in case of emergencies.


I'm going to give him 2nd ownership of the dog at my vet office and access to my apartment, so in case of an emergency he can get him. He is always home since he is becoming very elderly, but he can still drive luckily. I only live a few blocks away, too. I'll talk to him about the CareCredit co-signing. 

How do I go about establishing credit for myself? I'm only 20 and I have no idea. I'm paying off my own medical bills right now, too. I thought credit companies took that into account since it's on file?


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## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

Well, I was in your exact situation. I had always paid bills on time and been very responsible with my money, but had never had a credit card or loans of any kind (I was saving up my checks and only buying things I had the money for...like a responsible person.).

But when I needed that Care Credit card, and got denied, I had to have my mother co-sign for me. I put all medical and vet bills on it, and paid them off as quickly as I could. Within a year, BAM! Good credit.


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## Twyla (Sep 18, 2011)

Halion said:


> How do I go about establishing credit for myself? I'm only 20 and I have no idea. I'm paying off my own medical bills right now, too. I thought credit companies took that into account since it's on file?


Check for a bank or credit union (preferably a credit union) and see who offers a secured card. The amount of credit you would have on a card is in direct correlation with the amount you place in a savings account with them. Once you have proven your credit handling skills they will drop the savings account requirement and change it to a standard card. 

Some credit unions will let you open a savings account for as little as $5. Do some research and see what the requirements are for each one in your local area.


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## Halion (Apr 15, 2012)

Thanks a ton for the credit info. Once I pay off my grandfather I'll get a secured card from my company, Wells Fargo. Their secured cards are $300.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

from what can be seen on the picture I don't see red inflammed conjunctiva , the white is clear and white -- dog may be clearing debris - pollen , some air borne particle . Temperature is normal for dog.

An old time remedy is boric acid eyewash .

here is some information on that How to Use Boric Acid to Treat a Dog's Infected Eye | eHow.com


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## Halion (Apr 15, 2012)

My old vet said that I need to keep him on the Claramox for his Rhinitis, it's not Distemper, Stool sample will be put in tomorrow for giardia and worms. He is 4 months old and only 30 lbs, she said that sheps grow fast and stay lanky for some time and not to worry about his skinniness unless something is revealed in the stool sample.


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## Halion (Apr 15, 2012)

Fecal sample has been sent into the office. Vet wants to see if he has giardia or worms due to him not gaining weight. If he doesn't improve on the weight we will test for EPI.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Why not do a barium swallow to see if there's a partial blockage somewhere?


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## Halion (Apr 15, 2012)

I'll ask her about that tomorrow when I get the test results back.

He is eating normally and drinking normally today. Poop was normal as well. The other vet I saw failed to mention the side effects of Clavamox which includes loss of appetite and drowsiness.


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## Halion (Apr 15, 2012)

Koda is indeed free of worms, giardia and coccidia! Eating a lot more now, poo is a nice brown normal consistency, too. Hopefully his Rhinitis goes away fast with the help of his meds! I can't be any happier to know my little boy will be just fine.


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