Terrier Lover

Puppies need to be watched closely for the 1st few weeks.

You must make sure they’re eating well, running around, playing and sleeping.

Puppies, as I have said before, should sleep 80% of the time, but when they’re awake, they ought to be playing around.

With changes in temperature, air pollution and everyday stresses, it is imperative that you watch your puppy for signs of  coughing and/or nasal discharge.

Coughing and nasal discharge can be signs of kennel cough!

Kennel cough is like the croup in children, and is very common.

If you happen to notice coughing or nasal discharges, you will need to act immediately to take care of the situation! DO NOT WAIT!

Follow these directions exactly ad call your veterinarian or breeder immediately if you have any questions.

Directions for a Vaporizer:
1. Get a vaporizer (not a humidifier – it’s not the same thing) and Vicks Vapor Steam.

* Tip: If you don’t have a vaporizer, go to your nearest “super store” and purchase the cheapest one they have.

2. Fill the vaporizer with water and pour in the directed amount of Vicks Vapor Steam.

3. Put the puppy in a crate and place vaporizer about 12-15″ from the front of the crate.

4. Cover up the crate and vaporizer with a sheet, but be absolutely sure to leave the back-side of the crate uncovered so it doesn’t get too hot for the pup.

5. Leave the puppy like this for 30 minutes. Do this at least 2-4 times per day!

The purpose of the vaporizer is to break up the congestion and therefore, the puppy will cough more.

* Tip: Coughing is good because they are getting the “crud” out of their system.

Directions for Nose Drops:
1. Buy nose drops (Nasal Decongestant) at your nearest “super store”. At WalMart, the “Equate” brand is the cheapest and works as well as the name brands.

* Tip: Buy NOSE DROPS, not nose spray!

2. Tilt the puppy’s head back and place 2 drops in each nostril 2 times per day.

Directions for Cough Medicine:
1. Buy Robitussin DM or buy Tussin DM at your nearest “super store”.

2. Give the puppy 1 c.c. of cough medicine. Give the cough medicine every 6 hours for about 4-5 days (1 c.c. = 1 ml; 5 ml = 1 tsp).

Directions for Chicken Livers:
Your puppy must eat well everyday even when they’re not feeling well.

1. To make sure your puppy is eating well, you must go to any grocery store and buy fresh chicken livers. They are located in the frozen meats section.

2. Boil them in a small amount of water for about 20-30 minutes and let them cool for 15-20 minutes.

3. Let the puppy eat small amounts of the chicken livers 2 times daily.

* Tip: Puppies that can’t smell will not eat, and that’s why it is very important to fix these for your puppy. They have a very strong smell that any puppy with a stuffy nose will still be able to smell.

Continue mixing the chicken livers with their dry food until the puppy feels better.

Follow all of these directions for 4-5 days.

So long as your puppy is running, eating and playing, the cough and nasal dishcarge shouldn’t be a problem if you adhere to these instructions.

* If nasal discharge turns green, or you think your puppy is not eating enough, call or book an appointment with your veterinarian or call your breeder immediately!

Even if your puppy needs an antibiotic, you will still want to follow these directions to help treat their symptoms. If you don’t follow these instructions, your puppy could possibly get pneumonia, which is very serious, and it could be fatal to them.

Act immediately so that this doesn’t happen to your terrier puppy!

* More information on your puppy with kennel cough and what we did to help ours:

How to Help Your Terrier with Kennel Cough

***

I hope you found this Terrier Health post helpful on Terrier Lover! Until next time…

Love Your Terrier,

Kimberly Edwards

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