New puppy update and lots of questions!

[ferky1]

My wife and I picked up a 12 week old male Shih Tzu (Miles) on Sunday and boy has he been keeping us busy! He is adorable, loving and everything a perfect puppy should be, except. . . . .

I purchased the puppy from a breeder who was recommended by the AKC and the American Shih Tzu Club (and I paid a pretty penny too). I took him to the vet yesterday and I was surprised to learn that he had a hernia AND a yeast infection in both ears. I was informed that hernias are pretty common and I just need to monitor it to make sure it doesn't get bigger or harden or darken. Other than that the vet said it will be fine to wait to treat in 3 months when he gets neutered. When I informed the breeder, she was not at all concerned and said that many of her dogs had them and some when their entire lives without having it fixed. Does this information sound kosher?

I had a feeling that there was something wrong with Miles' ears because he was constantly scratching them. The vet prompty diagnosed a yeast infection and showed me the blackened Q-tips as proof. She then gave me (sold me) some blue liquid to clean the ears and Otomax to inject into the ears. She said that it should clear up within a week. First, the breeder did not seem concerned about this either and pretty much blew me off saying that it is common and no big deal. Does this breeder seem unusually cavalier to you? Second, is this Otomax stuff going to work? He's had 4 treatments so far and I actually think he's scratching even more! My wife and I HATE giving it to him because he fights us so hard. I don't want to hurt him but we have to hold him down, is there some trick for getting into his ears? I feel like I'm choking him and that he is getting afraid of me.

Next question: In addition to scratching his ears and the surrounding area, just today he started scratching and biting all four of his limbs. He is doing it pretty regularly and it is obvious that he is experiencing discomfort. He will stop whatever he is doing to bite and lick any one of his legs, sometimes he even jumps up in surprise and starts biting or licking a leg; sometimes he will even whine. I hesitate to call the vet one day after our first visit (I don't want to seem like an overprotective, overy-concerned parent), but I don't know if this is common.

Finally: As I said above, he is 12 weeks old and he has already has his first 2 sets of shots. The vet said that we need to wait at least another 2 weeks for the third set of shots (the 2nd set were given very recently), but what really surprised me is the things the vet didn't mention. She didn't say anything about heartworm testing or medication, flea and tick stuff and/or blood tests. I'm not sure what is standard, but is this normal? The more I think about the vet visit, the more inadequate I think it was. Surprisingly, the vet is part of a full service veterinary hospital that is very highly regarded. It's not my place to question their judgement, but I am a concerned parent.

Sorry for how longwinded this got. Maybe I should have broken it into several threads.

My brother was supposed to drop off his digital camera today, he didn't, hopefully I'll have it tomorrow and I'll be able to post pics soon.

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

[DogPaddle]

Do you know any other dog owners in your area that can make recommendations on good vets?
The breeder does seem a little cavalier to me. The breeder I got Kavik from wanted to know if we was even seeming a little punky of course she also wanted to know when he was house trained, when he was crate trained, what new games he had played this week, what food we were feeding, what obedience class we went to and how he did, what toy was his favourite, if we were taking him with us on vacation etc so maybe she was a little overprotective? I kinda like her involvement though she has been a great help.

[ellieangel]

I would definately go to a new vet !
My vet went through all the care stuff with me when I first took mine,he was brilliant he even advised on not over exercising Rio because he was a big puppy,most vets do a very thorough examination too I was with my vet for about half an hour at least on my first visit.
The itching is a little worrying though your puppy could have an allergy that could be what's triggered the ear problem too,quite often the two go hand in hand.......get a new vet :-?

[nadooshkinz]

Well this isn't a professional opinion here but how 'bout if you try to contact someone who owns a Shi-tzu or bought a Shi-Tzu from that breeder, then ask them if they too are experiencing the same type of problems, or similar problems...
And I also recommend that you change your vet, despite the fact that they are from a highly regarded Vetinary Clinic.

I hope your dog gets better soon! :D

-Nadooshkinz

[Aroura]

DogPaddle, there is no such thing as an over protective breeder, it only means they really care about what happens to their beloved pup, but wouldn't we all?
Ferky1, welcome and congrats on your new pup!
Firstly, I would be ringing the AKC and the American Shitzu Club and letting them know the situation so they don't refer this breeder to anyone else! I'd be sending the breeder the vet bills too!!! Lilys breeder was very concerned to hear of Lilys aggression problems to the point where she wont be breeding her mother again. She still calls and is planning a visit, she cares alot about what happens to her pups.
I can't give you advice on the hernia because I don't know much about them, but do have it treated when he is desexed as then he will only have to go to anesthetic once. If the breeder wasn't concerned and even admits she has sold pups before that have had one their whole lives, then thats even more reason for you to be wary of her and let the AKC know about her bad practices. If she knows there is a history of it she should have the pups checked and if found positive sell them on a desexing contract for a reduced price and discontinue breeding from that line of dogs.
About the yeast infection, what are you feeding him? A natural, raw diet often proves to help these sorts of problems just disapear. Same with the itchyness, if its an allergy a natural diet can fix that too. The itchyness could be due to fleas too, by the sounds of the breeder she isn't much good and so her dogs probably are infested with fleas.
Hope this has helped and good luck with your new puppy, we need picks, and fast!!! :D

[Sanvean]

I agree with the others...this breeder does seem a little less concerned than she ought to be.

Who recommended her to you -- the AKC itself or a breed club?

We originally wanted a shih tzu, but I just could not find a breeder that satisfied me...it seems like everyone and his brother is breeding them. They are dear little dogs, though.

[Bentleythewonderdog]

Call some other vets (receptionist) and explain your concerns, I have had a hard time finding a good one and it seems the ones with receptionist that will take the time to listen and answer questions seem to kind of reflect the whole practice or clinics philosophy. Use caution when treating for fleas and ticks at such a young age. The jumping and itching does sound like allergies. Did he get any shots while at the office? Could he have been having a reaction to the shots? These tiny breeds can react to things differently than larger breeds. How much did he weigh? Also use caution and the advice of a vet before starting a raw meat diet. I know someone that fed her maltese some bad raw meat and almost lost her. The vet said that while it probably wouldn't have caused a problem with a larger dog that some of the tiny ones cans go down hill fast from vomiting and diarrhea, bacteria or infection. Hope all is well. What's your pups name?

[Angelboddy]

As far as the yeast infection goes in the ears. That is quit common for Shih Tzus that do not get their ears cleaned out of hair regularly. You must make sure that the inner ear canal is clear of all hair. Shih Tzus grow hair in their ears that can easily be plucked out with a pair of twezers. If you do not feel comfortable about plucking yourself, you can always take him to a groomer to get it done. It does not hurt them, they are just lose hairs that must be plucked out. Plucking the hairs out regularly will cut down on the yeast infections on the ears. The breeder should have told you about some of those things, I would be kind skeptical of this breeder if she/he was acting the way she/he did.
I would also try a different vet and get another opinion.

[courtnek]

biting at the legs and feet is a sign of an allergic reaction in the dog. Does it start up around 30 minutes after he eats? If so, he's allergic to some ingredient in his food. He could also be allergic to the ottomax....But if he
has food allergies that could cause his ears to get infected too.

Dogs being allergic to food and medications is not uncommon. I would call another vet and ask his/her opinion.

good luck

[Horsefeathers!]

I know stranger things have happened, but 12 weeks seems awfully young to start seeing environmental allergies, but I suppose food allergies could be possible. I think I would start by eliminating the obvious. It could be fleas. With these little dogs and their sensitive skin (not to mention that fluffy hair that picks up everything), it only takes one or two or a few fleas to make a dog seem crazy.

As mentioned by someone else, vacs can cause some problems, too, especially in smaller breeds.

I think the breeder does seem a bit cavalier about the whole thing. Heck, even my RESCUE contact that I got my Standard Poodle from stays in constant contact with me to see how the dog is doing, progress, health reports, etc. She's not even the breeder. Seems a breeder would take more of an interest than that.

I'm not sure what to think about the vet. I know MY vet goes over all that with puppies... flea control, heartworm prevention (at 12 weeks old, the pup wouldn't need to be tested before starting prevention, but the vet should have gone over that with you), spaying/neutering and such. Maybe this vet planned to cover all this with you during the visit for the last set of vacs? I think (if it were me) I would at least go ahead with the one last visit and see if that made a difference.

I have to strongly agree with the advice of being VERY cautious about starting any dog on a raw diet, but especially a small dog. I had a bad experience feeding a Lhasa Apso (kinda sorta similar in appearance to a Shih) a raw diet, though I followed all instructions right down to the letter. I've since learned that it CAN cause more problems than it's supposed to help in some dogs. If it's something you are planning to check into, be sure to research it well and from BOTH sides... not just by joining the advocates' lists and sites. There are just as many sites that can point out dangers as there are sites that promote it. Many dogs do great... many do not.

[courtnek]

actually Horsefeathers, just FYI - `12 weeks is about the time the food
allergies start to show up, especially if they've been fed the same food since weaning. The biting of legs and feet is caused by itching, and sometimes before the biting starts you will see them twitching while they sleep.

:)

[Horsefeathers!]

Maybe food allergies... that isn't my dispute. I know it would start a whooooooole 'nother debate, but my take on food allergies vs. environmental allergies and how to handle them is a bit less conventional.

[Horsefeathers!]

In other words, I agree and I don't. Clear? Mud? :P

[courtnek]

I agree that environmental allergies would probably take longer to develop. My only thought was that food and medication can show up that
quickly because it goes directly to the bloodstream.

so, clear....

:D