Continued from last week
Puppy diseases
So far, we have been looking at the caring of the newborn puppy. Today, let us begin to focus on actual diseases with which puppies can be afflicted.
Toxic Milk Syndrome (TMS)
On occasion, the mother’s milk can actually be detrimental to the newborn puppies. For example, if the dam (mother) has an infected breast (mastitis), then the infected milk glands will have a deleterious effect on the puppies. They will be poisoned by the toxic properties of the infected milk. Similarly, if the womb (uterus)
of the mother is infected (especially just after giving birth – when the womb is very vulnerable to bacterial invasion), a disease that has the technical name of Acute Post Partum Metritis emerges. What happens is that poisons contained in the infected womb could actually lead to toxic milk. Furthermore, research tends to show that in some cases the milk from the lactating mother dog contains substances which could be inherently toxic to the puppy. Strange, if true. This is not something that one would expect.
Symptoms of TMS
Toxic Milk Syndrome usually affects puppies from birth to two weeks of age. The pups become listless and tend to whine (cry) incessantly. In many pups, right after nursing, there is an increased salivation (drooling). In most cases, the pups develop a diarrhoea accompanied by a distended abdomen (bloating). Since the diarrhoea has an acid quality, it burns the pup’s anus, and a swelling and redness result at the rear end.
Since the pup is being ‘poisoned’ by the toxins (bacteria) in the milk, the entire body becomes infected. This totally debilitating and dangerous condition is now termed ‘puppy septicaemia.’
The treatment is obvious. The first thing to do is remove the pups from the bitch. Secondly, you will begin to feed them the way we advised in previous articles (October 27-November 10). Of course, steps have to be taken to counteract the diarrhoea. This has to be undertaken following veterinary advice. That advice would incorporate the introduction of antibiotics and a rehydration exercise (the diarrhoea leads to dehydration).
Puppy Haemorrhagic Syndrome (bleeding)
A tendency to bleed easily is present in most puppies until three to four days of age. It is due to lack of prothrombin, a clotting factor in the blood, which depends upon Vitamin K for its synthesis.
The symptoms are those of bleeding from the body openings. Minor degrees of trauma, such as those occurring during whelping and shortly thereafter, may lead to internal haemorrhage. Spontaneous bleeding also occurs. Usually, the cause is not discovered until an autopsy.
Treatment
When one puppy bleeds, all the puppies in the litter should be treated with an injection of Vitamin K. In litters where bleeding has been a problem in the past, the administration of Vitamin K to bitches during the last weeks of pregnancy should prevent bleeding in the newborn puppies.
An aside
These blast(ed)ing squibs
This ‘aside’ has probably more current importance than the substantive text dealing with the TMS ailment (see above). I am heartened to notice that all daily newspapers carried articles/pictures/cartoons/letters/interviews by and with concerned citizens denouncing this abomination of continuously using explosive devices (irrespective of whether one calls them squibs or fireworks or firecrackers or bombs) close to animals and scaring them to the point of involuntary suicide. On every occasion when there is a celebration (Mashramani, Easter, Diwali, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, etc), veterinarians are confronted with animals which have injured themselves, sometimes lethally, trying to escape the noise. Dogs have been known to take flying leaps to their deaths from high verandahs, or impale themselves in security fences. We have experienced cases where dogs from Kitty are found wandering aimlessly in the Houston area – in varying states of shock. Such mentally disturbed dogs are extremely vulnerable to uncaring vehicle drivers.
Not so long ago when the ban on these explosives was introduced and implemented, there was a discernible decrease in the squib/firecracker nuisance. Now the police, etc, need to become more vigilant again. The GSPCA will again raise the issue with the police – of this I am sure.
Please implement disease preventative measures (vaccinations, routine dewormings, monthly anti-heartworm medication, etc) and adopt-a-pet from the GSPCA’s Animal Clinic and Shelter at Robb Street and Orange Walk, if you have the wherewithal to care well for the animals. Do not stray your unwanted pets, take them to the GSPCA’s Clinic and Shelter instead. If you do not wish your pet to have puppies or kittens, you may exploit the GSPCA’s free spay and neutering programme. If you see anyone being cruel to an animal, or if you need any technical information, please get in touch with the Clinic and Shelter by calling 226-4237.
