It is not uncommon, as previously mentioned, for septicemia to develop as a sequel to a navel infection. The germs enter the navel area, and if untreated, they spread throughout the puppy via blood circulation. Puppies between four and 40 days seem to be most susceptible.
However, the more common entry point of germs is via the mouth, and from there to the alimentary canal (stomach and intestines [gut]). In other words, the germs which could later cause a general infection enter the mouth – even while the pup is nursing from its mother. Indeed, this milk (especially the milk produced during the first few days after giving birth) is rich in defence chemicals (antibodies) which protect the pup and give it immunity from those diseases, which the mother dog had encountered during her life. But just as these immunities-giving chemicals in the milk can be absorbed by the membranes coating the pup’s intestines, so too can germs entering the stomach, bowels and bloodstream via the infected mother’s milk. This is a major cause of puppy septicemia.
Once these germs are in the bloodstream, they spread rapidly. The movement of the germs into the blood circulation goes through the intestines, and the symptoms are mainly located in the abdominal cavity. Since the infected milk is the main cause of septicemia, the symptoms at first will be listlessness, and the pup cries continuously, with saliva coming from the mouth (drooling).
Bloating and diarrhoea are the most obvious symptoms. The bloat comes from the gas produced by the germs in the infected milk. The more gas produced, the more swollen the abdomen becomes, and the more rigid and hard to the touch. Of course, all that gas in the abdomen pushes against the diaphragm, thus compromising the latter’s movement, which in turn reduces the diaphragm’s ability to assist in breathing. The pup is not getting to breathe out the waste gas (carbon dioxide), and is hampered in its ability to suck in fresh oxygen. The skin of the puppy takes on a dark red or bluish tint.
At this stage, the young pup is uncomfortable, dehydrated, and exhibiting symptoms of pain and inappetence (loss of appetite). Since the pup is not eating, it loses weight. So, you now have a skinny pup with a greatly distended abdomen. If professional veterinary services are not sought, the pup will surely die. When things have reached this stage, I am not so sure that even the vet can help. The vet may get the “bad name” when the pup finally succumbs, even though it may have been you (the caregiver) who should have brought the pup in as soon as the first symptoms exhibited themselves. Do not be fooled to believe that the problem will go away on its own; some owners even decide to introduce their therapy – not seldomly on the advice of a well-meaning friend or neighbour who is equally non-knowledgeable.
Treatment
In addition to placing the focus on the infection, you (and your vet) will have to tackle the symptoms. The dehydration has to be addressed. This means that the animal must be rehydrated with fluids (young coconut water, oral rehydration salts, drip administered by the vet). The diarrhoea has to be stopped. If only one pup is infected, remove it from the litter (keep an eye on the other puppies), and hand-rear it (we will discuss this later). Your vet will decide and advise on the course of an antibiotic treatment, and if such is at all necessary.
WORLD VETERINARY DAY
Yesterday, to mark the occasion of World Veterinary Day, April 27th, 2024, the Guyana Veterinary Association, the Guyana Veterinary Board, the Ministry of Agriculture, local Humane Societies and indeed animal caregivers throughout our 83,000 square miles joined in the recognition of this year’s theme “Veterinarians being Essential Health Workers”.
Increasingly, scientific studies are confronting human health issues which are emerging in our fast-moving social world, and in which veterinary input is becoming more and more meaningful. I refer to ailments relating to anxiety disorders, selective mutism, etc., where the use of animals as therapeutic agents in abnormal human mental conditions is achieving encouraging healing results. Under this rubric fall the areas of recuperation for war veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD), as well as the recovery process of patients (not only the elderly) from serious and life-threatening pathologies.
I extend fraternal greetings to my colleague veterinarians. May the care and treatment of our non-human wards, which provide for a more humane and compassionate society, bring you continued great satisfaction and contentment.
