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Have a 7wk old walker coondog puppy that hasn't had a normal puppy-like appetite since I purchased him and now he isn't eating at all, has black tar-like diarrhea, and has become very lethargic over night. He has been wormed and had shots. Not sure what else to do for him??
Optional Information: Type of Animal: Treeing Walker Coonhound Gender: Male Age: 7wks Name of Dog: roach Already Tried: worming, all shots for age
Hello, I am Dr. Peter a licensed Veterinarian. I would like to help. I need to ask you a few questions to be well informed and give you the best advice. There is no additional charge for information request.1- Take a look at his gums and see if they are pink or pale?2- How long has this been going on?
gums are pale. I just purchased him on 5/6, since then hasn't had the normal puppy appetite, but has been eating some. has also been high in spirits with normal puppy energy until today. Now he is very lethargic and almost off-balance acting and not eating at all.
1- Is he vomiting?2- How much does he weigh?
no vomiting ,3-5 lbs average for age ? again black tar like stool has never finished all of his food since i got him figured it was whelping issues saw him drink water yesterday dont know about today absolutly no interest in any kind of food as of today
Black-tar like diarrhea is consistent with bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract. The reason why the blood is black instead of red is because it has been digested. Possible causes could be infections (parvo virus), ingestion of a foreign body, parasites, etc. Having pale gums is not a good sign, it is a sign of either anemia, decrease cardiac output or blood pressure, poor circulation, etc. to name a few causes. The symptoms and history your puppy is showing are life threatening. I would strongly recommend you have checked immediately by the nearest ER veterinary facility. If you do not have an ER facility this is what you can do until you get him to your family veterinarian in the morning:1- Start him on Pepcid AC (famotidine) 1mg every 12 hours. You can find Pepcid AC over the counter in any pharmacy. If you do not have pepcid ac leave him without anything. Do not give pepto bismol it will make the bleeding worst. 2- Give water with a dropper directly into his mouth. 3- Blend rice (50%) and boiled boneless chicken or ground beef (50%) and force feed him small amounts (1 tablespoon) 5-6 times a day. 4- Follow up with your family veterinarian first thing in the morning. Hope the above helps, if you have additional questions I will be glad to answer them. Dr. Peter
Experience: 12 years of internal medicine, surgery, and preventive care.