Question:
One of my mastiffs my vet believes has gotten Clostridium Septicum or Perfringens. Iwas hopng that maybe someone has dealt with this.
I do have two questions that some one might be able to offer opinions on as for my piece of mind,,and to kinda confim what my vet said.
1. Can my other dogs get it from her?
2. she has a litter of 4 week old puppies,,she hasnt had contact with them since getting sick,,but can they have it without syptoms?

This morning the vet informed me that she has developed gangreen in the rear left nipples.
Any advice to my questions would be great. Thanks

Answer:
1. Probably, because it's a bacteria... I would imagine that anything infected with the bacteria would be able to transmit it.

2. Possibly. If she was contagious before showing symptoms, they might just be in the incubation period.

Either way, I think only a vet would know for sure. If you don't trust yours, get a second opinion.

Good luck!

Answer:
Sadly the choice was mad to put her down:(

Answer:
But if it was a bacteria couldn't it have been treated with an antibiotic And now what about the puppies???

That is sooo sad, I feel very badly for you.

Answer:
Carrie, I'm so sorry for your loss. Was it because of the gangrene? I know that gangrene can be very difficult to treat. With luck, at 4 weeks the pups are already mostly weaned and won't need much supplementation?

Prin, I'm not sure if clostridium comes in more or less virulent forms, but it's a bacterium that resides naturally in the gut but sometimes gets out of control. Our dogs frequently have flare-ups during acorn season--the extra carbs from the acorns they eat (they must be irresistible! ) cause the clostridium to multiply and cause troubles. Usually metronidazole clears it up--but even before meds, it's usually not something that is contagious. (Though, I suppose, if there are more virulent forms of the bacterium, it could be--a vet would know for sure.)

Carrie, please post an update when you are ready.

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