Archive for the tag 'Frenchie puppy'

Frenchie Vet Follow Up - Bloated French Bulldog Puppy

admin July 21st, 2008

I posted two weeks ago about my puppy, Stella, getting so bloated after eating.

It’s two weeks later, and while the bloating is still
there, it is also combined with projectile diarrhea - which basically
looks like yellow split pea soup.  I have had numerous trips to the
vet, we have tried flagyl, amfarol, and now she is on Panacur.

However, no tests have shown anything in her stool.  On our breeders
suggestion, we also have her eating rice, chicken, yogurt.  We are
also giving her some FortiFlora and Nutrical.  Her stools have been
very soft since day 1 (we’ve had her for 4 weeks), but now on this new
diet (it’s been 2 full days), her diarrhea is the worst I’ve ever seen
it.  Her attitude and spirit is still wonderful.  No lethargy, loss of
appetite, or strange behavior.  She doesn’t have any accidents in the
house or in her crate overnight, but when she goes outside, it’s like
an explosion.

She is also constantly scooting her but on the ground
b/c I can only assume it’s irritated.  Any insight?  Our vet has been
great, but only through consulting other vets (he’s never worked with
a Frenchie before).  I just am so upset because I’m afraid I have a
sick puppy and nothing seems to help her.

Advice?

Dr. Lori writes -

It sounds like you are doing all you can, one suggestion I have is to pick one food and stick with it, preferably a bland dry food, as canned foods tend to loosen stool.  It could be all the switching of the food is making it worse.  I am not sure what “tests” have been done on her stool, but if you haven’t done a culture, I would suggest that.  I would definitely keep up with the probiotic.

Although I know the diarrhea is disturbing, from your description she sounds healthy and in good spirits, just loose stools.  Do keep us posted and good luck with her.

Lori Hunt, DVM

We just received this follow up from Stella’s mom -

Hello!!!

She’s sooooo much better.  After a round of Panacur and some Tylosin, she is totally fine.  That was such a scare.

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Ask the French Bulldog Vet - Struvite Crystals in Frenchie Pup’s Urine

lorihuntdvm July 8th, 2008

I came across the “Ask the Frenchie Experts” while researching the following situation:

A weekend ago, our 13 week old Frenchie suddenly started having lots of small pee-ings (as opposed to going regularly or having a normal “accident”). So my wife thought he might have a bladder infection. She got a urine sample to the vet that day, who saw — I assume under a microscope because I wasn’t there — traces of blood in his urine. So the vet put the puppy on an oral antibiotic.

This last weekend, my wife took him back to the same vet, who saw the same results. So the vet sent the most recent urine sample to a lab, which returned a result of 7.5 pH and moderate crystals in the urine (as well as an elevated white cell count…). The vet wrote a prescription for Hill’s c/d, as well as to keep the puppy on antibiotics for another week.

Concerned about the growing nutritional needs of the puppy, and to get a second opinion, today I asked the puppy’s normal/local vet what to do. He looked at the faxed lab results, and suggested that we put the puppy back on normal canned food and bottled water, and to stop the antibiotics since it’s been 10 days already.

I would like to go with the second opinion because feeding a low calcium, non-puppy food like Hill’s c/d to a growing puppy seems like a bad idea. But having struvite stones form is equally bad (never mind the return of the uncontrolled small voidings).

The one thing I failed to mention is that the water at the weekend location has a lot of water softener in it because my wife’s father adds it. Thus I am hoping that could be the culprit here. (Although our 7 year old Frenchie living with him is fine)

Any advice in general would help, and maybe a tip on the most nutritious canned puppy food to get would be great.

Dr. Lori writes -

This is a puzzling situation, but I do agree with you that c/d is not an ideal diet for a growing puppy.  I am reading all these results, and while I see mention of blood and white blood cells, I don’t actually see any evidence of bacteria or cultures being done?

I would suggest starting there to see if there actually IS an infection.  If so, a culture would be in order.  I agree with your second opinion and at this point would stop all antibiotics and go to normal food for a while.  If the problem still exists in a few weeks, I would do a culture and sensitivity at that point, and take it from there.

Crystals can be somewhat normal in male dogs especially and probably have to do more with pH than anything.  I would encourage him to drink lots of water, even if it means “flavoring” it to get him to drink more, adding chicken broth to water will do wonders to attract their interest, or ice cubs can be a fun toy as well as help hydrate them.

Give an update when you can and good luck with your little boy

Lori Hunt, DVM

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