Your vet prescribed heartworm medications for an 11-week-old?

I am not saying this is wrong - I've just never heard of it.

Eric - they can get giardia from standing/stagnant water (puddles, ponds, etc) or dirt as I understand it.

Poor, poor little guy. I really hope he feels better soon.

Your vet should know and tell you that a negative test for Giardia hardly means the dog doesn't have it. Not only that, but cow-hocks equal HD? Anyway...

The Met. is a common thing prescribed for Giardia, however, evidence is showing that it only treats 60% of cases. Fenbendazole is as much as 90some% effective. Plus, it doesn't have the side effects and is (as far as chemicals that kills stuff go) very very safe.

They can get Giardia ANYWHERE. It's as simple to get as walking through some grass and licking their feet. It is hardly discoverable in fecals unless you want to run 3 per day for about 3 months or so due to the life cycle of the protozoa and their cysts.

If it were my puppy, I would finish the antibiotics (because you started them), up the bone intake, keep up w/a bland diet w/pumpkin, make sure he's staying hydrated, and do a round of Fenbendazole. It won't hurt him and will take care of a variety of things that could be causing this. It sure sounds like Giardia to me. Watery diarrhea, some vomiting...mucousy stools after beginning treatment...all of those are key Giardia symptoms.

On the worming protocol...the breeders I have talked to do a dose of Fenbendazole at 3.5 weeks and worm again, sometimes w/a different wormer, sometimes not, again 2 weeks later or at 6 weeks. 2 weeks is pretty young, though I think some old school breeders probably do still do this.

Giardia is common. It's not evidence that the breeder was not doing everything right, and it's not evidence that YOU aren't doing everything right.

The kale and carrots may be a bit much on a very inflammed GI tract. Probably better off with the very bland, overboiled rice and chicken mix, and lots of baited water.

Is there any particular reason you're feeding ground rather than whole prey?

I do occassionally feed a ground mixture to my dog- venison/bison mix. I have watched the butcher make it, and can be sure that he understands well the correct mixture of muscle, bone and organ. I also know exactly what meats go into it. Barring that, I would never feed a pre-made mix.

If the dog has an intolerance to an ingredient, you cannot be sure what it is.

You can also not be sure that the meat/bone ratio is correct. In a young growing dog, this is critical.
When a dog does not receive adequate calcium in his diet, structural problems can result. Oftentimes they are irreversible by the time they become apparent.

At 11 weeks old, he should be capable of handling whole prey. Cornish game hens are wonderful for young pups- perfectly sized, and you can be sure the dog is truly being fed to the whole prey model, when you are literally feeding a whole animal, over time.

Chicken necks and backs should also be right up his alley at this age, and are easily portioned into smaller meals to suit his tummy's size.

A couple of quick questions.

Will he be less prone to giardia or other GI problems as he gets older? Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening again?

I'm not sure how I feel about the heartworm. She said not to start it till he's over this. We are in a mosquito infested area. Do you all give heartworm meds? if not how do you know if your dog gets HW and then what do you do?

I tried to give him some chicken broken up, a bit of broth and some yogurt all mixed togeather. He took one bit of chicken and licked the broth a few times.

As far as future feeding-He weighed in at 17.5lbs so he should be getting 1.8lbs of food a day? divided up into three portions?

I'll get some necks and backs from the store, he just came with the two packages of Raw so that was my main reason for feeding him that first. He was on it already. Didn't want to stress him out.

I'll call the vet and ask about fenbendazole. Thanks
This is only day 4.

It's not that they're less prone to things like Giardia, it's just that they get less sick, and even may not get sick at all or show any symptoms. Some believe that once a dog has Giardia, it's a carrier for life, but it's body keeps the bugs in check. A little pup can't do this yet and is more likely to suffer dehydration and associated symptoms.

Older dogs may have symptoms but they go unrecognized due to subtlety or the fact that they can be transient. Occasional diarrhea, grass-eating, gurgling stomach all can be Giardia symptoms in adults.

I would get something stronger than yogurt. I like Nzymes products for replenishing the gut flora after antibiotic/worming treatment.

Eric, heartworm takes 6 months to mature from larva into actual worms. This is why I hadn't heard of giving pups heartworm meds until they are 5-6 months old. (Just because I hadn't heard of it, doesn't mean it shouldn't be done). Heartworm meds work by killing the heartworms in the dog's system before they can mature (they don't actually prevent infection). Heartworm is a very deadly disease so IMO all dogs (at least over the age of 6 months) need to be on preventative.

You can tell if your dog has heartworm by taking him to a vet for a blood test. (Your puppy can't test heartworm positive before he is six months old, though, because as i mentioned heartworm takes at least 6 months to mature to the point they can be detected). It would be a good idea to have him heartworm tested yearly before the start of heartworm season (which in your area is June to November I believe). So have him tested in May.

So it is safe to wait until your puppy is healthy before giving him the heartworm meds. I certainly would if it were my puppy.

I have no experience with Giardia so I'll let someone else answer that question.

Poor little guy - he isn't feeling well, but do your best to keep him hydrated - offer him the broth and food frequently. If you feel he is getting dehydrated, off to the vet with you!

Just took him out again. More of the same stool wise but much more energy. He went and picked up a toy. Barked at the lawnmower when I tried to move it. I just moved it backwards a few feet when he barked. When he moved in to sniff without barking, I praised. He's back sleeping in the crate.

 Quote: Eric Lesnick

Just took him out again. More of the same stool wise but much more energy. .....

I'm so glad you went to the vet quickly.

 Quote: angela burrell

... Poor little guy - he isn't feeling well, but do your best to keep him hydrated - offer him the broth and food frequently. If you feel he is getting dehydrated, off to the vet with you!

If he doesn't love canned no-salt chicken broth, you can poach some beef in water, chill to harden and remove the fat, warm back to body temp, and offer that. I doubt that he will turn it down. (The "used" meat can be frozen for him for later.)

Just got back from a 24 hour shift. Cap is still not eating too well. His energy level is back up though. Poop is up to chocolate pudding level. I gave him the boiled chick breast, pumpkin, yogurt, and broth. He ate a little and that was that. I took about a quarter of a breast and used it to treat him throughout the night.