Potential Medical Issues with your new puppy

Dehydration - keeping your puppy hydrated is your #1 priority. Weaned puppies need 1-2 oz of water per pound of body weight per day. Lack of proper water intake can cause dehydration. When puppies relocate to their new home, they can be stressed and forget to drink water. A puppy needs to be encouraged to drink often in their new environment and taught where to find the water bowl independently. Puppies have an increased risk of dehydration if they have other digestive problems (ie worms or parasites) and may need to be given water by syringe. Severe dehydration can lead to kidney and other organ failure so checking for skin elasticity often is a good test for dehydration if you don’t see your puppy drinking much water. When you gently pull up the skin between the puppy’s shoulder blades and let it drop, it should spring back. If it falls back slowly, the puppy is dehydrated and should be given water until the skin springs back quickly.

As with any biological organism, life’s systems sometimes succumb to illness, either from injury, a pre-disposed condition, poison, infection or congenital defect.  If you suspect your new beagle puppy is suffering from any kind of illness or infection, contact your Veterinarian immediately, and notify your breeder about what is going on with your puppy as soon as you and your Vet determine the problem.  Hopefully your breeder will have offered you some kind of health guarantee.  In any event, they need to know what is going on with your puppy to ensure it’s not happening with the siblings of your puppy.  Give your breeder that courtesy of knowing what is going on with your puppy.  A good breeder will welcome feedback, both positive and healthy, and negative and unhealthy.  A big expectation most people have is that their puppy be free of disease.  Your puppy should ALWAYS come with a written vet record of care, a written record of all vaccination shots to date administered, and a schedule of dewormings to date.  Heart worm happens from an infected mosquito bite.  The worm is brought into your dog by the bite of the infected mosquito.  The infectious bite metabolizes into a worm that resides in your dog’s heart.  Heartworm will gradually, most assuredly, kill your dog if left untreated.  You should receive a record of treatment and / or your puppy’s first dose of heartworm from your breeder.  If not, contact your vet and develop a prevention plan to mitigate heartworm. 

“Deworming” is the process of removing worms from your puppy's intestinal tract. They are generated from bacteria spread in fecal matter and then ingested.  Most puppies have intestinal worms.  This is easily treated with oral medication that is commercially available, or can, of course, be administered by your vet.  You should have obtained a schedule of your puppies worming(s) with his or her health record.  If not, contact your breeder and obtain that information so you and your vet can develop a good treatment plan for your new puppy.  Intestinal worms will not necessarily kill your puppy, but they can and often, when untreated, stunt physical growth, affect immune and other systems and/or cause lethargy, or, at worse, compound other health issues.  If you see worms in your puppies stool, this should be considered normal, but you should consult your vet for treatment and bring a sample of the worm found to your vet in a sealed zip lock bag. 

Parvovirus is a highly contagious virus that can affect all dogs, but unvaccinated dogs and puppies younger than four months old are the most at risk. Dogs that are ill from canine parvovirus infection are often said to have "parvo." The virus affects dogs' gastrointestinal tracts and is spread by direct dog-to-dog contact and contact with contaminated stool, environments, or people. The virus can also contaminate kennel surfaces, food and water bowls, collars and leashes, and the hands and clothing of people who handle infected dogs. It is resistant to heat, cold, humidity, and drying, and can survive in the environment for long periods of time. Even trace amounts of stool containing parvovirus may infect other dogs that come into the infected environment. It can be transmitted from place to place on the hair or feet of dogs or via contaminated cages, shoes, or other objects.

Some of the signs of parvovirus include lethargy; loss of appetite; fever; vomiting; and severe, often bloody, diarrhea. Vomiting and diarrhea can cause rapid dehydration, and most deaths from parvovirus occur within 48 to 72 hours following the onset of signs. If your puppy or dog shows any of these signs, you should contact your veterinarian immediately.  If your veterinarian's office is closed, this is a case for emergency care.  Waiting until the next morning may prove too late to treat the parvovirus successfully.

While no specific drug is available that will kill the virus in infected dogs, treatment consists primarily of efforts to combat dehydration by replacing electrolyte and fluid losses, controlling vomiting and diarrhea, and preventing secondary infections until the dog’s immune system is able to fight the virus. Early detection is the key to surviving the parvo virus.  Due to the highly contagious nature of parvovirus, infected dogs must be isolated in order to prevent the spread of the infection.  The lowering of the white blood cell count in puppies by the parvovirus is often fatal.  Although puppies who survive being infected with Parvo can, and may develop lifetime resistance to the disease itself, the subsequent infections induced by the symptoms of Parvo can have lifelong negative consequences for the puppy.

The best way to prevent the parvo virus is through good hygiene and vaccination. Make sure your puppy has been vaccinated, and that your adult dogs are kept up to date on their parvovirus vaccination. Talk to your veterinarian about a canine parvovirus vaccination plan that is best for your pet. Until a puppy has received its complete series of vaccinations, puppy owners should use EXTREME caution when bringing their pet to places where young puppies or dogs with unknown vaccination histories congregate.

Coccidiosis, commonly referred to as “coccidia” is a parasitic type of infection, caused by the coccidium parasite.  This infection happens when your puppy ingests the feces of an infected animal during a period of high stress, or when the immune system is weakened, (i.e. new environment / new home / relocation). and/or not fully developed immune system; (i.e. your baby puppy).  Coccidia commonly causes watery, mucus-based diarrhea in dogs. In severe cases bloody, uncontrolled mucus-like stool will be present and your puppy will be very weak with no energy at all.  If coccidia is not treated, over time it can cause damage to the lining of the dog's intestinal tract, or in an untreated puppy, severe dehydration and death.  With treatment your puppy can go on to lead a healthy life and fully recover from coccidia.  Vigilance is the key, checking your puppy and their health, daily, including their stool and urine is a necessity.

Fleas and your puppy 

Many puppies, depending on the region and environmental conditions will experience a flea and/or a tick problem.  The best way to combat fleas and ticks when your puppies are less than six months of age is with a flea and tick shampoo specifically formulated for puppies.  You can also use a lightly concentrated shampoo on your dog using Dawn dishwashing liquid soap.  The fleas can’t handle the soap, but it is entirely safe for your puppy.  You will find the fleas and/or ticks come off readily in the soap and die quickly.  If the concentration is weak, you can simply pick off the fleas and/or ticks as they are weak and unable to jump or move.  You can crush and kill them with your fingers by rapidly rolling your fingers over the fleas and or ticks.

Feedback to your breeder

As previously stated, any breeder who is a conscientious breeder, will welcome your feedback, both good and bad.  Take the time to get to know your breeder.  Meet the Mother and Father of your puppy if at all possible.  In the process of getting to know your breeder, make mental notes of the facility where your puppy is being cared for.  Check the presence of excessive fecal matter, dirty water and general cleanliness.  Check the owner's dogs for anything out of the ordinary.  Injuries, loss of hair, open sores, weeping eyes; these are all warning signs you should heed.  This is when the adoption process should begin, not where it should end up.  At Quail Ridge Pocket Beagle Ranch we welcome your feedback, and that includes your feedback on this information.  Please do not hesitate to contact us for any reason whatsoever, either by phone, mail or through our website.  Thank you for taking the time to read through this information.  We hope you and your new puppy will have years of love and enjoyment to share!