Blind Jack Russell cries?

[masmalan2004]

My brother just gave my family a JRT because he can't sell him due to being blind and possible other defects. I took the pup to the vet yesterday to ask what type of flea medication I can safely use on him because he was badly infested. The vet gave me a Capstar pill to start until the Frontline takes effect. I have not put the Frontline on him yet, I only gave him the Capstar. He was just fine yesterday up until a little while after I gave him the Capstar. Then all of a sudden he was sleeping and started crying, at first we thought it was a nightmare but it kept going on all night long. He was eating, drinking and using the potty pads until late last night when all this started. Now today he's still crying, especially when I move him as if he's in pain but there is no signs of injury anywhere. At first I thought last night he might have some gas pains but if that was the case it would've passed already wouldn't it? I can't afford to take him to the vet right now and I don't know what to do. Now today so far he won't eat or drink. His eyes, although blind are still clear, as are his gums, nice and pink and there's no foul smells, just typical puppy breath. I don't know what to do or what's wrong with him. Right now he's finally sleeping peacefully so I'm not sure if I need to worry about this or just keep thinking it is gas or something minor that will pass in the next 24hrs or so. I did find a tiny bit of what looks to be diarhea on the floor and if it is that, it looks normal brown. Any ideas of what could be wrong or what to do would be helpful. Any ideas of finding an inexpensive vet would be greatly appreciated too, since I can't afford a vet bill at the moment...at least not for a few more weeks. Thanks so much for any help anyone can be.

[hazelrunpack]

You should at least call the vet back and ask for advice. It might only be a reaction to the pill, or it might be as serious as something that he's ingested that is causing him distress or a blockage. Only a vet will be able to tell for sure--and if your dog is very young, you may not have a lot of time (small dogs with diarrhea can dehydrate so quickly if they're not drinking).

If another visit to the vet is needed, maybe you can make some sort an arrangement to pay in installments? But at the very least, you should call the vet again. Good luck Please keep us posted.

[Hunter's_owner]

I agree with hazel. Please consult a vet. Like she said, many vets are able to work out a payment plan or something to help you out.

[badger]

Maybe you could also tell your brother to stop breeding what are obviously not championship dogs. When you say the puppy is infested with fleas, I also wonder about the conditions your brother is breeding in. A good breeder would never allow his animals to become 'infested' with anything.

Has the puppy been assessed by a vet to determine what other 'defects' he may have?

This does not sound like a good situation. A puppy with problems is probably going to need more time at the vet than a healthy one and more attention to his special needs. So if it's always going to be a question of whether or not you can pay, I suggest you contact a rescue group that is prepared to find him a loving home with people who have the resources to take care of him. That would be the kindest thing to do.

And the best thing your brother could do is to spay and neuter the two poor dogs who produced this pup and get out of the business of making money off the backs of animals altogether.

[Hunter's_owner]

Well said Badger

[jessi76]

I agree, well said badger!

[masmalan2004]

I appreciate your concerns and totally agree with you. However, let me clarify a few points. First of all, as for me not being able to afford to take him to the vet right now, I was not meaning that I can't afford to take him in at all period. It's just right now, do to some unforseen problems, I can't. I'll be able to cover his vet bills within the next few weeks and then throughout the rest of his life. I would not have taken the pup if there was any way I could not afford ALL of the vet bills. I was going to take him to the vet for a thorough check and blood work to determine if there is any other defects, but not until the next week or two at the most. This one instance was unexpected as well and I'm waiting for a call back from the vet to tell me what can be done for the pup and with the financial hardship I'm in at the moment. Now that aside, on to the breeding issue you mentioned. My brother only owns the mama. She is perfectly healthy and has no fleas. She underwent a thorough vet check prior to breeding. The stud dog she went to also is very healthy with no fleas and also has undergone thorough vet exams. There's documentation to prove this. So what I'm saying is this pup with his problems is actually a fluke thing. I also know that my brother is not going to breed his dog anymore, it was just a one time thing. As far as the fleas, my best guess and the vet agreed with me, is that he picked up the fleas from the yard when I took him outside to start potty training. I own three cats as well and they've all been on the advantage and have no fleas. Also they are not outside cats. I told the vet this as well. They said the fleas can come from anywhere.
Now I hope I was able to clarify this well enough for everyone to understand. If the situation was anything bad, then I totally agree with what you said and your concerns about it because it is not right to breed animals that are sick or anything like that. Thank you again for your concerns.

[Prin]

I don't think by "healthy" people here meant "checked over by a vet". Even if a dog looks healthy, they can be totally unfit for breeding. They can carry a number of defective genes that will be passed onto the suffering offspring.

I really hope when you have money in a couple of weeks you get everybody neutered or spayed. No dog deserves to be born without a chance. :sad:

[masmalan2004]

I managed to find a vet to see him. they did tests and everything looks alright. The only concern they have is his disproportioned head, need to watch for any symptoms to indicate fluid on the brain. Then the liver enzymes and protiens are a little off, not bad but definitely something to keep an eye on too. Otherwise the vet said he is very healthy. No indications of heart murmor or and any other internal defects. It's all neurological. The vet said we just need to treat him like a special needs child is all but he can live a very happy full life. They also said it is highly probable that these symptoms happened because of the oral flea medication although it's not easy to tell for sure. So I thank you all for your advice.

[hazelrunpack]

I'm glad you managed to get him into the vet and that it turned out to just be the meds Thanks for posting back with an update. What's your JRT's name?

[Tommysmom]

I don't know your dog, so the vet may be right about the 'disproportioned head', but unless it's incredibly huge don't worry! I have a jack too, and when we had him at our old vet and at the emergency vet they kept mentioning his head being too large too (although we were there for tummy issues). Jacks usually have heads too big for their bodies as puppies! My current vet owns a jack too and he just laughed at the comments, he calls it 'terrier head' and says it's perfectly normal. Sooooooooo many people commented on it to us, doctors and vet techs and everybody who saw him, but every jack my husband has had has been the same way. He'll grow into his head! My Tommy is 6 months old now, and he's finally starting to look more evenly proportioned now .

Good luck with your Jack... even though he's blind, I'm sure he's still going to be a crazy, loving little handful like ours is! By the way, ours is kind of a 'special needs child' too... doesn't stop him from being an insane little terrier, LOL. I'd love to see a picture of yours!

[masmalan2004]

His name is Wally. As far as disproportioned head, it is very large and dome shaped. I've known many dogs who have had big heads in comparison to their bodies as well, but Wally's is quite a bit different and so as the vet said we just need to watch him for further symptoms of possible fluid on his brain as he grows more. Also she said if we get him to around six months old without any further problems then he'll probably be just fine and live a great somewhat normal life aside from his blindness and anything else. Although he is still crying and growling and we're not sure why. He was up most the night last night crying and growling and we have no idea why. But he's finally eating so that's a big improvement and he had a normal stool as well. But from my own personal experience with animals who were sickly at birth or something else wrong with them, they were either still born or died shortly after birth. With Wally being nine weeks old now, I have high hopes he'll live a full life. He's just going to be a special pet who needs lots of love.:love: