When we ship our puppies. Occasionally we'll get feed back that the puppy has a bacteria infections. It's never been one that has been picked up. And it is only 1 out of the litter. We sanitize daily and our place is very clean. What is the reason for the occasional bacteria infection and how can we improve? The last puppy was diagnosed with Campylobacter Enteritis, he
Hello-
As a breeder who ships routinely, what your clients are probably seeing we refer to as "stress colds". In all likelihood, they are viral and not bacterial in nature, and will clear up on their own within a week to 10 days - although most vets will go ahead and treat with antibiotics in case there is a secondary infection brewing. What is somewhat disturbing is that then the client says the antibiotics cleared up the infection, when in all likelihood, the antibiotics had nothing to do with the recovery at all. When a puppy or kitten is taken from their mother, that is extremely stressful physically. Add to that, a trip to the airport and a new environment, and their immune system suffers. What you are seeing is something we advise all new pet owners they may see when a kitten is shipped and let them know that we do advise a trip to the vet within 72 hours of receiving their new pet , especially if they see the beginnings of a "cold".
Camphylobactor is very common in puppies - below is an excellent article on the disease. About 1/3 of all puppies have it, even if they show no sign of the problem, and it can be treated with medication by the vet. They can pick it up from their mother, or from food or water-
http://jcm.asm.org/cgi/reprint/35/12/3351.pdf
Please let me know if I can help you further in any way.
We brought this puppy to the vet for Health Certificate on Tuesday May 26th they all looked great. Shey shipped on Wednesday the 27th. They brought puppy to the vet on Thursday and everything looked great. On Sat they emailed me and no complaints. Later they told me that Sat. evening he wasn't eating so they switched food (I am totally against switching food and send all my customers that advise) Sunday he had diarahha and vomiting and they brought him into the emergency Sunday Vet Clinic, they sent me the bill and so far it's $1345.Yikes i almost had a heart attach I could of flown to NY and taken care of the puppy myself for that much. Poor thing being in the vet cage for all day without someone loving him... I contaced all the other 6 people who had gotten puppies and they all said they were doing great! The only differences I can tell is that he's the only one that flew continental and they fed him new food.
I'm in total agreement with you on the sudden change in diet. That alone, can cause diarrhea in puppies and any vet would confirm that. I would definitely request documentation of all veterinary bills as well as final diagnoses from their vet. Many new owners (IMO) jump the gun as to going to the ER with a puppy, and if they did that before checking with you, that is an expense I (personally) wouldn't cover. If the pup was given medication, then yes, I would cover the expense of that. I would also develop clauses in your contract to cover vet checks, etc. within the first 30 days of receiving a puppy as well as for genetic issues that could crop up (if your breed is one that has know genetic issues). Be fair with your clients, but don't let their panic put you in a position that is unfair to you. I can't IMAGINE what they could have done that would have cost $1300+ in one visit.....very "iffy" in my mind.
Just talked to the vet she said that the bacteria showed up in the fecal. that being said the main question is why he got the bacteria infection and how can we prevent it on our end.
Hi. Campylobactor is transmitted in animals via ingestion or direct contact with a contaminated source such a feces. It's difficult to deal with in kennels because if the dogs have access to the outdoors, they will pick it up from the soil, or dirt if they have contact with the ground. You can try treating all animals in the kennel, but even then, some can remain carriers even if they show no sign of the disease. If you feed a raw diet, those animals tend to have a higher incidence of campylobactor also.
http://www.provet.co.uk/health/diseases/campylobacter.htm
Here is an easy to undestand link -
http://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/uploads/file/M1%20Campylobacter%20-%20Kids(1).pdf
and one that discusses camphylobacter in humans.
http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/dfbmd/disease_listing/campylobacter_gi.html
This bacteria lives normally in the gut and only when there is an overgrowth (in most cases) do the pets develop diarrhea. In your puppie's case, I believe the problem came from the change in diet and/or stress from moving to a new home. I would be highly suspicious that none of the other pups had the problem. It's nice to see breeders that are wanting to correct problems that may occur in their breeding programs. It sounds like you are on the right road....
Experience: Qualified by many years of healthcare & experience in breeding dogs
Do you know what meds are used to treat it?
Erithromycin or clindamycin are the drugs of choice in people and in dogs. Erithromycin can cause upset stomach and vomtiting.