Bought my bully from a petsttore and he's been sick

[ham3381]

I just recently bought my bulldog from a pet store. its been 3 weeks. I had no idea of the risks of doing so. I was super impatient. I took my dog to the vet twice the same week I purchased him. He had had a lot of diarrhea and i was told he had spirochetes (bacteria in stomach) Four days later i took him cause he was gagging non stop and had yellow mucus coming from his nose. he's been on medication for the stomach bacteria and was he better moving his bowels. So my vet advised me to stop the meds for the stomach and just give him the meds for gagging and what he said was an upper respiratory infection. One week went by and he stopped the gagging and mucus. He was way more playful and active. But just two days ago he starting having a bad case if diarrhea. I recently changed his food from Eukanuba to Wellness Super5 mix but i messed up and switched him cold turkey without doing it little by little. Anyone feed there dog this food? the food is listed on the 5 star list for bullies. Has anyone bought their bully from a pet store? I dont think his stomach has sat well with this new food his stools have been very soft. Im not even sure how much to feed him. Ive been feeding him half a cup 3 times a day but with working almost 10 hours its hard to keep coming on lunch break to feed him at mid day. PLEASE HELP!!!

 

[MamaAndi]

Re: Bout my bully from a petsttore and he's been sick

It's okay! Lots of people don't know about the risks of petstore puppies. I'm sure some people who feed kibble will be along shortly to weigh in. Check the back of the bag...there should be a feeding guideline.

It's gonna be alright A cold turkey switch from one kibble to another usually brings on diarrhea so hopefully that's all it is. Maybe one of the other EBN members can tell you more about the bland diet to calm the pups tummy.

 

[AubreysMom]

Re: Bout my bully from a petsttore and he's been sick

Check the bag for the amount of food to feed daily and add a spoon full of pumpkin with his meals (canned pumpkin, not the pie mix!!). It should help his tummy while he adjusts to the food.

 

[Libra926]

Re: Bout my bully from a petsttore and he's been sick

How old is he? Most of the time..if under 6 months, feeding them more is okay. After a couple of months...feeding them twice daily if just fine. Once they hit 6 months, taper back. Watch the weight on these guys is very very important. It can be a huge struggle also. Just so you know...the bags usually suggest much more than necessary when feeding your dog. I have a 34 pound (3 yrs old) and a 4 1/2 year old who is 55 pounds. Both get 2 cups total each day. Orion tends to be more active than Vegas and she maintains her weight well with this dose. Vegas gets a food called Dog Lovers Gold and Orion gets the Beef Frittata from Fromm. It's grain free and works well for her.

 

[JAKEISGREAT]

Re: Bout my bully from a petsttore and he's been sick

Don't follow the bag guidelines! It is nearly always too much and his little system can't take too much food. Don't feel bad..lots of people buy pet store puppies. We all learn together here. One other though..antibiotics can cause loose stools too..he has a lot going on right now. If he was dong ok on the eukanuba..I think I'd go back on that until he is feeling better and no meds. Then I would slowly...transition to a new food. What is the protein in the new food? The main meat source?? I hate eukanuba...but he seems to have a lot going on. If you feel like you're too far down the road with new food then stick it out. Try the pumpkin...don't over feed...is this new food an all stage food? In other words is it suitable for puppies thru adults? If not..it might be too much for his puppy system anyway. So check your bag..what's the meat? And is it all stages?

 

[cali baker]

Re: Bout my bully from a petsttore and he's been sick

Hang in there! You and Maximus will be just fine. You already got lots of sage advice here, all i can add is that it sounds like you are taking such great care of your little guy. Adding that little spoonful of pumpkin to his meal will help w/the diarrhea, but like Becky mentioned, he's had a lot going on w/his system, like w/the antibiotics, so it will take a little time. Please update as often as you can.

 

[gobronco]

Re: Bout my bully from a petsttore and he's been sick

In my opinion you can cut back a little on the food for a few days. You didn't mention the age. At 10 to 11 weeks a lot of puppies can be cut back to two meals a day. Mila (11-1/2 weeks) had diarrhea when we brought her home. We were told to peed her 2/3 cup 3 times a day. I thought it was too much but I don't like to change things too fast. We brought her to the Vet, for a puppy check and diarrhea, He told us to cut her food to less than half. We cut it by 1/3 total/two meals a day. (he is a little extreme but probably not far off on his weight views). Milia stools hardened up within 12 hours. When Rudy (11 months old) got diarrhea from eating a bunch of rotted wood (damn dogs eat anything) We fed him rice, cottage cheese and boiled chicken for few days. He is all better. Make sure he has plenty of water available.

 

[linda4568]

Re: Bout my bully from a petsttore and he's been sick

Depending on the food and if its for puppy or all stages I would feed 1 cup morning and 1 cup evening ann pumpkin or add about table spoon cottage cheese. When I have sick puppies with upset tummies like that I use something called Primadophilus for Children. My vet turned me onto it long ago. Its very good for their Digestive track. Its healthy Probiotic for children ages 0-5 and works awesome on all my bully pups.It will take care of any diarrhea or Digestive track problems they might have. I put 1 tea spoon in cottage cheese alone and mix and feed it to them. You can find it in normally in the health food section in the refrigerated section. Its live cultures so it has to stay cold. Look for the silk milk in the health food section it should be there. Its made by Nature's way and i give it with every feeding. HOPE THIS HELPS:D

 

[reallyrob]

Re: Bout my bully from a petsttore and he's been sick

My dogs are all fed Wellness...I started out with just for puppy and then switched to core. When I got my Bertie, she was a rescue kind of, not a pet store dog...but she probably would have ended up there if the lady had come back to the vets to pick up the puppies and pay for the c section.
Be careful what vet you go to...make sure that they are experienced with English Bulldogs! I had one Vet that tried to say Bertie had kennel cough and wanted to prescribe antibiotics. Since my grandmother bred EB's, I knew a bit and went to a different vet...he immediately said she did not need antibiotics...she needed her nares opens up a bit and she had an elongated pallet. After surgery, she immediately sounded better. When Bertie was a baby, I divided her food into 4 portions and fed her 4 times a day...little portions, then as she got older, I went top twice a day.

 

[ham3381]

Re: Bout my bully from a petsttore and he's been sick

he will be three months on friday he still a baby...The food's main meat seems to be chicken, and its just for puppy..he's not feeling well again he started again with the gagging and the mucus from the nose.

 

[JAKEISGREAT]

Re: Bout my bully from a petsttore and he's been sick

he will be three months on friday he still a baby...The food's main meat seems to be chicken, and its just for puppy..he's not feeling well again he started again with the gagging and the mucus from the nose.

I would find a good all stage food without chicken..if you have Fromm Beef Fritatta available..that's usually safe. Chicken is so hard on a lot of Bully's.. The mucus and gagging need to be treated. Is your vet experienced with Bully's? I need [MENTION=2291]cowsmom[/MENTION] to help with the food...maybe [MENTION=2]desertskybulldogs[/MENTION] has ideas on food and the mucus problems..

 

[cowsmom]

Re: Bout my bully from a petsttore and he's been sick

oh your baby has been through alot here. i would agree with [MENTION=2092]JAKEISGREAT[/MENTION] that a food change now was probably not a good idea till he was more stable and certainly bullies need their change overs done slowly. wellness while a good food has been known to cause diarrhea and loose stools in dogs. might want to put him on the bland diet for a few days and then back on eukaneuba till we can get him better. the bland diet it chicken n rice or beef n rice. also a probiotic is probably in order. here is some info on it from one of our members.
PROBIOTIC:
Helps control yeast and yeast related rashes and skin problems; Helps maintain a healthy digestion; Helps treat diarrhea and prevent diarrhea and constipation in dogs; Helps eliminate smelly stools and bad-smelling gas; Helps reduce bad breath; Helps counteract the destructive side effects of antibiotic therapy; Helps prevent shedding and scratching caused by stress from digestive imbalances; Improves dog smell overall; Reduces excess gas.

Dog probiotics, like any probiotic, are live cultures and are generally unstable at temperatures over 75 degrees. HOWEVER, the temperature inside the body is well over 75 degrees, not to mention that the probiotics would have to pass through hostile stomach acid and bile to get to the intestine. The answer is to buy a probiotic supplement that contains stabilized strains of bacteria. A probiotic that requires refrigeration is a red flag that it is not stable and will die on impact with the body. Make sure you read the label of any dog probiotics to be sure that the probiotics are stabilized. Also be sure that your probiotic contains prebiotics (or a prebiotic, such as FOS).
Small: 1/4 human dose
Medium: 1/2 human dose
Large: 3/4 human dose
Giant: Human dose

i dunno if refridgeration is good or bad as there are arguments both ways but anything would be better than nothing. im not sure id do cottage cheese or yogurt at this time as milk can be an allergen in dogs. canned pumkin is a good idea also to help firm up stools. a bulldog knowledgeable vet is also a good idea. keep us updated.

 

[Sybil76]

I was impatient myself and bought my baby Tess from a pet store to. I wish I would of this site first but to late for that. Tess is now 9 months and thanks to everyone here they helped us get on the right track. So your in right place


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[Maximus]

What about the possibility of Giardia?? When I bought Maximus, he came with diarrhea ......it was Giardia, and it took months to get cured. Once I got the Giardia treated, I could focus on the diet, but initially his stool specimens all kept coming back positive for the giardia.

 

[Trod1]

I know you're getting lots of good advice but I would treat your pup as if he has a gastritis which is feeding small amounts of a bland diet more often. I would suggest a "human cooked rice and beef" mixture. I would feed very small amounts every 3-4 hours. I would also wonder if Zantac or a similar stomach medicine would help. Good Luck!