Puppy Strangles?

RE: Puppy Strangles?

Neil Wheadon — Thu, 24 Dec 2020 10:55:23 GMT

Seen this morning

All three puppies are much better, swellings still there but reducing and all doing well, no steroids given

Another in the litter swelled up last night, now receeding

All afebrile

The client has changed everything in the litter box. In my opinion it's a hypersensitivity to something. As it's Christmas and 4 days without routine surgeries, I've given a few 1mg preds so he has something if one puppy gets really bad over this period

Thanks for the advise

Neil

RE: Puppy Strangles?

Bob Russell — Thu, 24 Dec 2020 09:22:06 GMT

Our recent case became very dramatic and really high dose preds were recommended. They are being tailed off now.

When I saw the puppy it had sores and looked infected but a week later was a complete mess despite antibiotics.

Response to high dose corticosteroids was quite impressive and there is almost no scarring.

RE: Puppy Strangles?

Neil Wheadon — Thu, 24 Dec 2020 08:07:57 GMT

Thankyou Dinu, the vet I was hoping would reply to this

There was a third yesterday. I talked on the phone about giving steroids to one of them yesterday so we could see today. It would have been an interesting case study, but he refused as rang another breeder who said they were insect bites.

I'm seeing 3 this morning, I'll see if I can inject them with dexamethasone

Thanks again

Neil

RE: Puppy Strangles?

Dinu Catilina — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 23:40:38 GMT

Neil, sorry for the anecdote but we seem to see them a lot in Bull Terrier puppies. I only treat them with corticosteroids now, no antibiotics and they improve overnight.

RE: Puppy Strangles?

Julian Earl — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 19:13:36 GMT

Interesting Bob. I suspect that Rotties are susceptible to this condition. I had not seen a huge number but of those many were the Black and Tan Devil-Dog babies! I also found that antibiotics alone were not very helpful, certainly not curative. Prednisolone was essential 1-5mg per day depending on the size of the puppy.

HTH??

P.S. No I am not a fan! Does it show??

RE: Puppy Strangles?

Bob Russell — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 16:18:21 GMT

We have a rottie puppy with suspected puppy strangles. I thought it was a pyoderma to start with so started antibiotics. Totally ineffective. Seen a week later by my colleague and he diagnosed strangesl. By this stage lymph nodes were up and the head very swollen. Looked a real mess.

High dose preds and it hardly has a mark on its face!