Eye Problem in Puppy or Secondary Infection

Reader Question: Is My Canine Suffering From A Simple Eye Problem or Is It Something More Serious?

We have a 10 week old dachshund puppy that has been ill. He was seen by two vets, which included our vet and the pet store vet. We brought him home on a Sunday. Truly, the puppy looked dehydrated and tiny, but we thought with nourishment and TLC, we could improve his life. Unfortunately, the puppy would not eat and was vomiting and had green clear diarrhea and became somewhat lethargic as the day went on. We took him to our vet in the morning to this regard. The doctor indicated that he appeared to be dehydrated. All blood tests and stool samples appeared normal except for his blood sugar, which was at the lowest end of normal.

They force fed the puppy some recovery food and gave him IV fluid. Within an hour the puppy was eating and running after our feet. However, by bedtime, he began to get sluggish again. Throughout the next day, he drank less and less water and would not eat food on his own. By the evening he was extremely lethargic so we called the pet store. The pet store was great and said to bring him over right away. They agreed to work with him during the night. The next day, the store made a vet appointment with their vet. She determined that he perhaps had some type of infection (perhaps auto-immune) and prescribed clovomox (?), steroids and vitamins.

The vet felt that remaining at the pet store was in our puppy's best interest as the person who takes care of the dogs is quite knowledgeable and good with animals. We have been back to see him for the past two days with improvement noted although, he still wants to crawl into our arms and sleep. While I am pleased with his progress, today a new development occurred. His one eyeball looked like a cloudy blue. The pet tech called the vet who said he probably bruised his eye or was scratched (he has been in the cage with a feisty Yorkie who really is a warm companion). They administered eye drops. Can you think of anything else that it could be? Should I insist that they take our puppy back to the vet to be seen again?

Thanks,

Suzanna

Vet’s Response for Treating Readers Dog's Eye & Secondary Infection

Hi Suzanna,

It’s impossible for me to say exactly what might be going on with your puppy’s eye without first performing a physical exam, but I am worried that he may not be getting the level of veterinary care he needs at the pet store. It does not sound like the cause of his gastrointestinal issues has been uncovered, and a puppy’s condition can deteriorate rapidly if he or she has diarrhea, vomiting, and is not eating and drinking well. Also, eye problems can quickly go from bad to worse without an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.

If you are already attached to this puppy and your finances allow, I recommend that you take him to a veterinarian who will be able to give you a definitive diagnosis and tell you what the best course of action might be.

Good luck,

Jennifer Coates, DVM