My dog attacks puppy after heartworm treatment. What can I do?

In general upper respiratory infections are contagious and it would probably be best to keep them separated until the puppy is no longer contagious. You may want to keep them separated longer since your dog will need to be exercise restricted after the heartworm treatment injections for 6 weeks. If the puppy has been receiving treatment through a veterinarian you should be able to obtain records and this could help determine how long the puppy might be contagious.

This treatment could cause lethargy, it's quite common and this is one of the reason restriction is a must. if she becomes too lethargic you might need to take her to the ER, especially if you notice abnormal breathing.

This can be normal after the first round of heart worm treatment. As the adult heartworms die, they cause an inflammatory reaction in the lungs. It is VITAL to keep Charlie under strict confinement during this time. This means he needs to stay in a confined area or crate and then only to be taken outside on a least to go to the bathroom a few days per day. If they are too active the cough will only get worse. You can try to give him some Benadryl twice a day to help with the sniffles/sneezes. See link below. I would also contact your vet just to tell them what is going on to make sure they don't want to add any meds or change any meds for him. Of course, if he stops eating, the cough gets worse, you notice labored breathing, or he is coughing up blood then I would have your vet take a look at him immediately. I hope this helps! https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/#!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question. Poor Boots! If he won't let you touch his back, I'd be concerned he may have some pain there. Rest him tonight. Take him out to potty on a leash, and bring him right back in when he's done. First thing in the morning, have him checked out by a vet. The vet can diagnose what is causing his pain, and can treat him. Now if he's extremely painful, having trouble breathing, and/or is lethargic, I would rush him into a vet immediately. In that case, please take him into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. I hope this helps!

I'm sorry your pups have been so ill. Being sick with Parvo, being isolated and going through the treatment is very stressful on dogs. They come home from the vet smelling funny and they may still not be feeling perfectly yet. First step is to keep them apart but try to have a baby gate between them so they can see and smell each other but not reach each other. Try to give them both equal attention and love. Reintroduce slowly, maybe in a more neutral space, like the back yard. Try a product like Adaptil, which is a dog pheromone that reduces stress. You can get it in a collar or a spray (the spray you would put on a bandanna then tie around the dog's neck). This can really help to calm. Just try to be relaxed with them and give them time-- most dogs will come around once they settle back in.

hThanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Heartworm treatment can be rough on your pets body. This involves injections given by your vet on 3 separate occasionas. The main concern after the treatment is creating a pulmonary embolism, or clot in the airway, which lead s to shortness of breath, lethargy, and inappetance. A bloated abdomen cannot be determined in this postiion and often requires a physical examination. A bloated abdomen from a heart condition if often not seen unless the heart is very far gone. This would have been likely detected in the work-up for your fur baby to determine if your pet is in congestive heart failure via a chest x-ray. Right sided congestive heart failure is what leads to a bloated abdomen. I hope that this helps and if you still have concerns about your pets health after starting heartworm treatment, then the next best step is a proper physical exam to determine if any heart murmurs exist and potentially repeat x-rays of the chest and abdomen if the physical exam warrants these. Best of luck with your fur baby Ayla moving forward. Take care. : )

I'm sorry Aria has heartworms! The fact that she is lethargic and has a decrease in appetite is concerning, and this can be due to the sudden death of a large number of worms from the treatment. When a dog becomes lethargic as well as has a significant decrease in appetite, it's recommended to have them seen by a vet right away. I would take her into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. She needs to be checked out by a vet to make sure everything is ok. I hope this helps and that she feels better soon!