Hi Jill --
I have gone through three rounds of pup's with respiratory infection and have now
become very successful at pulling them through.
I don't know what Ditrim is? Was it prescribed? I use Ornycycline which is the
commercial name of a treatment for birds with the active ingredient tetracycline; I
use the dosage for a small bird (canary or parakeet) and treat for 10 days. The
medicine goes into the water bottle and the whole litter and mom should be
treated. You need to drip the medicated water directly in his mouth, since he may
not be weaned yet. I put a drop on my finger on touch the bottle to his mouth.
As for feeding the KMR, I think about the position that he's in when mom's feeding
him -- basically kind of on his back, but I tilt him up a little. I've been going
through this exact situation with a 4 week old male pup. For about 3 days he
completely fought the KMR. I would flip him back put drips on his lip until he
struggled away and then tilt him again (with my hand cupped around him an thumb
curled on top of the head). I'd do 50 drips. Well after I'd almost given up on
him, he's decided he loves the KMR and now he is lapping up great amounts at each
feeding and begging to come out when he sees me. I use an infant medicine syringe.
(Also, wipe up extra KMR with a moist paper towel -- that stuff dries like cement.)
Another method for resistant pups is to enclose them in a hand held against the
body with a tiny opening at the top, when a nose peaks out but a drip of the KMR on
it. The idea is getting enough into him to sustain him and also to get him to
figure out it's food, and pretty yummy, too.
Other things that help are a heat source in one corner of the tank (I use a clamp
lamp about 10 inches from the tank with a 40 watt grow light and don't heat more
than up to 85 degrees -- and I never use a heat source for pups too young to get
away from it!) plus a humidifier to add moisture to the air help the breathing.
It is good that you are taking immediate action, this is a preventable situation if
you act quickly. From my experience if you don't both treat the respiratory
infection and supplemental feed, the pup will waste away in about a week.
Please just let me know if you need any more details. Donna
Jill wrote:
> Hi all-
> I have a pup who's clicking *very* loudly, and is significantly smaller
> than the rest of the litter. She is getting Ditrim (also Bactrim, sulfa
> antibiotic) and I am attempting to supplement feed her- but boy does she
> resist! I take that as good that there's still some fight in her, but for
> those more experienced with this- how do you best give the liquids to the
> pups? I know not to put her over on her back, keep her upright / parallel
> to the ground, but how do you deal with the ducking and squirming? I'd hate
> to scruff her because she's so tiny, but she has to get this stuff in her
> system. Please let me know if there are any tricks to this, and keep your
> fingers crossed for the little girl!
> Thanks,
> Jill
>
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