# Puppy Strangles



## NYNIC715 (Oct 15, 2012)

:crying:Hi Everyone!

So I have anxiously been awaiting to pick up my pooch (only 10 more days till he comes home) Well this morning I received a text from my Breeder. Being I am at work it makes it difficult to take a personal call. Anyway we exchanged some texts and she didnt have the best news... Last night she noticed my pups eye looked a little red & took him to her vet right away (my breeder was a Vet Tech previously) After the exam the Vet said "well it's not conjunctivitis, his lymph nodes seem a little swollen too..." So the Vet took a sample & confirmed my pup has "Puppy Strangles" which is also known as puppy head gland disease, juvenile pyoderma and juvenile cellulitis.... She sent me photos of my pooch today and he looks great - tail up and wagging. No sores or any sort on the face, nose looks good. Even his eyes look pretty good (perhaps a little runny)... needless to say I was/am devastated to hear this. This is her first time ever having a puppy have this as well... The vet reassured her that my boy will be just fine as it was caught soo early and the symptoms were only in the early stages.

My breeder did offer me a refund, to have my Vet speak with her Vet or to choose another pup if I didn't feel OK with taking my current pup... 

Here is the thing... I do somewhat feel attached to this pup (my breeder has been nothing short of wonderful & has emailed me photos almost daily since birth) I also contacted my Vet & spoke with a Vet Tech there. He did not seemed to phased by it and said not to worry, as long as the pup is on Prednisone & antibiotics and does a full course of treatment he will be just fine.

Has anyone on here ever heard / dealt with this condition before? If so - please share your experiences. Does anyone know of any long term effects? I was planning on having the pup neutered as well (contract is on a spay/neuter basis) As much as I am attached, I do not want to have a sick dog down the road, or issues that stem from this... 

I am worried sick! :crying:


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## Indiana (Sep 11, 2011)

Yes, I've heard of it but since it's been caught early, your puppy should be fine. It can leave scarring, but it sounds like your puppy didn't even have lesions yet, so yay! I'm sure he/she will be in your arms as scheduled


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## NYNIC715 (Oct 15, 2012)

Nope no lesions - if anything it looks like his eyes may be a little runny if anything... She sent me close ups of his face, snoot etc.... not a lump, bump, pimple - just a big black nose and lots of white fur! My nerves are starting to settle after reading about it... Only concern is that there does not seem to be any long term information on it...


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## peppersb (Jun 5, 2011)

I would have your vet speak to their vet and go with his/her advice. Sounds like things will be fine, but it would be a good idea to get your vet's advice.

I have heard that when a pup is on antibiotics before their permanent teeth come in, it can cause discoloration in the adult teeth. This may apply to some kinds of antibiotics and not others, but you might want to ask your vet about whether this is a concern.


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

It sounds like you have an excellent breeder who has caught this early and notified you promptly. I have no personal knowl edge and what I write is based on an Internet search. The worst that could happen is your puppy's growth could be stunted because of the steroids, he could have some scarring and his hair could grow poorly or be discolored in the affected areas, may have teeth discoloration. Because the breeder and the vet caught this so early before pustules have emerged I think the chance of scarring and discoloration or poor hair growth is low. My main concern would be the effect of steroids on a young puppy. From the people that posted blogs ect and posted pictures none mentioned any steroid issues vet pages just mentioned this as a possibility but they did not address it as something to be concerned about. I read blogs of people whose dogs had this (and far worse cases) it seems like the dogs lead happy healthy lives. When I saw pictures of dogs that had recovered they all looked good except for some scarring. Several people who posted on dog forums who had puppies with this had dogs that lived to a ripe old age with no health issues. I would be agonizing over this if it were my puppy but I think I would keep him. I don't see this as a precursor to health issues down the road. It seems that most dogs improve quickly once on the proper medication. The key is early detection and it sounds like this was caught at the earliest stage possible. Your puppy is responding well to treatment so it doesn't sound like even scarring will be an issue. I probably would give some skin supplement like fish oil (of course check with your vet).


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## NYNIC715 (Oct 15, 2012)

Thank you all! While there is a ton of info out there regarding symptoms, diagnosis & treatment - I still cannot find any info regarding long term health effects (if any) only thing mentioned was possibility of scarring...

Very frustrating to say the least!!


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## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

*NYNIC715*: I know you've been researching this like crazy. It's new to me so I've been looking around too. Found this info from the Bichon club and wanted to pass it along. Good luck making your decision, and to the pup.

BH Articles
While the condition may occur in more than one puppy in a litter, the disease is not contagious and occurs in other pups for the same reason as the one first showing signs of illness; i.e. a weak immune system. Certainly every effort will be made to *avoid undue stress to the immune system as the pup grows older so discussion with your veterinarian will include the protocol for administering future vaccines and boosters.* * None of the available references discussed this issue and it should be raised before starting immunizations. Dietary and other considerations will include boosting immunity. *

Another issue is future breeding of the dam and this is difficult because there is no available information on genetics. However we do know that any dam needs a strong immune system to pass along to future generations. Consultation with your veterinarian before any future breedings are planned would be in order. A breeder who had such a pup in a litter should fully disclose the illness to those who purchase any other pups from that litter. It would be in the best interest of all pups to be carefully reared with full knowledge that one or more pups had been ill. They can make wonderful pets and have a normal lifespan but it would be poor ethics to omit disclosure. At the very least, discussion with your veterinarian is advised as to their management.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

I too read that it was an immune thing and that onset sometimes appeared after vacs but outcome is usually good and it is nothing to worry about. I guess my question would be if I need to be careful & watchful while finishing puppy vacs!? 
I say talk to more than one Vet to get an opinion....


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## NYNIC715 (Oct 15, 2012)

Well being the uncertainty I passed on the pup - who was placed into a wonderful home ?. I did get another pup from the breeder - different litter & he is a blast! Here is Polo?









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## Melly808 (May 6, 2013)

He's adorable. Glad to hear the first puppy got placed in a good home. 


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## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

Congratulations! I'm so glad the breeder gave you the chance to select another pup. Polo is precious! (Happy to hear the other pup got a good home too. That's terrific!) You're in for one fun summer with your lovely new companion. Enjoy him! And keep the pictures coming, please!


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## NYNIC715 (Oct 15, 2012)

More photos of him are under the 52 weeks of Polo ? he truly is a joy! 


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