Question:
Hi,
I just bought a 10 week old English Bulldog four days ago. I took her for her second set of shots/deworming on the 2nd day. She had a minor cough when I took her home from the breeder. However, after her shots, she began to have a runny nose, cough worsened (it sounds like she's heaving as if she has something in her throat, somethimes she'll heave out some liquid... clear color). She also had diarrhea that night with a little blood and what looked like worms. She was playful the first two days we took her home, but she's been sleeping more now. I took her to the vet again (a different one) the morning I found her bloody stool (the 3rd day). The vet said she has a respiratory infection and tested negative for the Parvovirus. She is currently on antibiotics, but is still coughing and seems to be having difficulty breathing. Her stool was more solid after the second vet visit, but again this morning, it looked like diarrhea. SHOULD I BE WORRIED?? Did the first vet visit make her sick?? I've been giving her the medicine everyday, but when will she get better? (Her appetitie is still very healthy and she is intaking water).

Answer:
She could be having a reaction to the vaccinations. Did the vet mention the possibilty of kennel cough?

What are you feeding her and how often?

Have you contacted the breeder about this? What did she/he say about the cough when you picked up the puppy?

I hope you got her from a very reputable breeder, who does all health testing, and has championships on the stud and/or dam these puppies came from. Badly bred EBs are famous for being riddled with genetic and other health problems.

The difficulty breathing is very worrisome. I think she needs to go back to the vet.

Please let us know how she does!

Answer:
Sounds like it may be Kennel Cough and there are so many strains now it can be hard to tell . But I would speak to the breeder and find out what she has to say about the cough and do any other of her pups or other dogs have it. If she does have others with it, most likely K.C. and if she did know. What was she doing letting you take the pup with a cough. Like Lucky said I hope you got your pup from a reputable breeder these dogs are great but can come with a laundry list of health problems.

Answer:
I did call the breeder and quiz him. I was slightly worried because when I picked her up, I didn't see her mom around, but the breeder said that she was with the pup until she was 6.5 weeks old. Then she got her shots. I asked about the kennel cough, and the breeder said that the other pups in the litter are fine. He as well as the 1st vet (which he recommended me to) both said that the coughing was normal for the breed. It seems hard to believe that her heaving is normal though. When I took her to the second vet, she said that her cough might be due to her respiratory infection. I did not ask about the kennel cough but wouldn't she have told me if she thought that was the problem?? Is there anything fatal I should be worried about? THANKS FOR THE ADVICE... I AM A NEW PUPPY OWNER AND AM WORRIED SICK!

Answer:
The vote is unanimous - sounds like kennel cough to me as well. Not sure what the bloody stool could be, but it might not be connected with the coughing.

If it is kennel cough, then I believe it is normal for it to "get worse before it gets better" while on meds. My pup's nose continued running for a couple of days after the meds were done. The vet said that was normal, and she was right - it cleared right up in a day or two (and the call to the vet didn't cost me a dime ).

Difficulty breathing? I'm not a fraction as knowledgeable as the other folks on this site (I bow to your prowess ), but I thought bull dogs were prone to respiratory issues because of their muzzle shape. Is this info incorrect?

Either way, the advice in the previous posts is - as always - excellent. Call the vet to ask if another visit is warranted, and call the breeder to discuss the health of the parents and other pups. If they are a reputable breeder, they'll give you all the helpful advice they can.

Hope your pup gets better soon!

Answer:
I am feeding her Nutro Puppy food. I tried giving her rice and chicken (2nd vet recommended), but she began to diarrhea again after so I went back to Nutro.
I found the breeder in a newspaper ad. He said he's been breeding bulldogs for 6 years.

Answer:
NO reputable and ethical breeders of English Bulldogs would ever need to peddle their puppies in the newspaper. So no championships or heath testing on breeding stock was done?

What kind of guarantee was given?

Yes, EBs are prone to snorting and snoring and heat intolerance due to the extreme flat faces they are being bred to have these days, but heaving and difficulty breathing should not be present.

Have you taken her only to the vet that the "breeder" recommended? If so, I would try another vet if she doesn't improve very soon!

I"m a little concerned at a vet who would vaccinate a puppy who he has told you has a respiratory infection.:(

Answer:
I asked for papers and the breeder said that they are coming in the mail... ??? Shouldn't he have them already? There was no guarantee, but the breeder did tell me that the pup was a champion breed. I took the pup to the vet the breeder recommended me for shots, but another vet (because I didn't like the 1st vet) when I was worried about her cough. It was actually the second vet that told me that the pup had a respiratory infection.

Is her condition a common sickness for puppies or should I be worried?
Are there things I should be looking for in the next couple days?
Do you think the second vet (who told me puppy had a respiratory infection) would have told me if puppy had a kennel cough?

Answer:
I don't wish to scare you, but as it is a bulldog that we are talking about, I wouldn't presume Kennel Cough (i hope that's all it is). I would get a chest X-ray done to rule out Pneumonia; (Symptoms are....coughing, sneezing, rapid shallow breathing, nasal discharge) and to check to see if there is an enlarged heart.
Diaphragmatic Hernia (some animals are born with an incomplete diaphram). This is rare and breathing difficulties will occur after eating.

Unfortunately Bulldogs are prone to numerous defects and disorders, due to selective breeding to make them shorter, stockier and more "squished".
e.g. Heart defects, pneumonia, tracheal problems, allergies, fluid retention (Anasarca), deafness, extra row of eyelashes, cryptorchidism..........

FYI: Bulldogs can not mate naturally. The pups are produced by Artificial insemination and 9/10 births are c-section as the females can't give birth normally. This is why bulldog pups cost anywhere from $1000.00 - $2000.00

Again, don't wish to scare you. But if anyone out there insists on a bulldog....GET HEALTH INSURANCE!

good luck, keep us posted and don't let me scare you away from owning a bulldog. They are very loving, loyal babies. But please do get pet ins.

Answer:
Thank you SSAC for the list of genetic defects common in EBs!

Yes, anyone who wants one, especially from a breeder like this, should either get Pet Insurance or a Vet Credit Card!!

Answer:
If she had pnemonia, would she be really sick-looking and sleeping all the time? She's really playful, and her cough has lessened to only mornings and nighttime after a couple days on the antibiotics.

Answer:
I'm sure your vet would have told you if it was pneumonia.
At some point,I would still recommend snapping a quick chest X-ray (it wouldn't hurt to have a pic of the heart). Normally there would be some lethargy and possibly a fever, but it could depend on the degree of the infection.
But it sounds as if she's on her way to recovering
Keep with the antibiotics, finish them all, even if she seems better (always finish antibiotics). Any doubts, go see the vet again.

Answer: