Puppy Strangles or Juvenile Cellulitis
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Has anyone else's basenji (or any other pet for this matter) been diagnosed with this? Other than some mild dandruff she has not had any skin problems, only a stuffy nose and a swollen gland. Does anyone know if this could be a bad reaction to vaccinations instead of this? She did get her combo vaccine and rabies last week. Does this mean she may have health problems in the future? I am taking her to another vet for a second opinion but any of yours may be helpful as well. Thanks in advance!
-Jordan and Piggy -
Yikes…I had never heard of it, and had to Google. I have never heard of a Basenji, or any other kind of puppy having it. Good luck....FTR, I usually separate the major vaccines DHLPP (or in our case, no lepto because many, many Bs have allergies to it), and Rabies by at least three weeks.
So does she actually have open sores, or it is more like hives? Because I HAVE had dogs get hive reactions to vaccines.
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I don't do Lepto either, nor do I do Corona….. Hmmm puppy strangles??? interesting. Horses (foals get strangles...).. are you saying that the only systems is a swollen gland? What made your Vet think this was what it was? and dogs do not usually get stuffy noses... not as a general principle, they really don't get "colds" as we know them... And I would think that if the shot (which I separate also)... if a reaction would be immediately not a week later... Here is one link that I found for puppy stranges... http://www.irishwolfhounds.org/infections.htm#cell
And this is what it says…
Juvenile Cellulitis (Puppy Strangles)
This is usually contracted between the ages of 4 weeks and 4 months. Not all puppies in a litter may be affected, but the entire litter can be.Early symptoms include lethargy, anorexia, enlarged lymph glands, redness and inflammation of the ears, swelling of the mouth and jaw, fever, blisters in the ears and around eyes, lips and nose and anywhere else on the face. These blisters become ulcerated. There can be lameness due to enlarged lymph glands in the legs, and the reason for the common name of puppy strangles is that the swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck can prevent the puppy breathing.
It used to be thought that the cause is a bacterial infection, in particular streptococcus, but cultures have never confirmed any bacterial infection (although secondary infection can occur in the lesions) and antibiotic therapy alone does not help the condition. It is now considered to have some hereditary component and to be an immune system disorder of some kind, possibly a deficiency in lymphocyte blastogenesis.
The condition does respond to large doses of corticosteroids in combination with antibiotics. If cortico-steroids are not given death is not uncommon, and permanent scarring of the affected areas can occur if they are not given early in the disease. Even caught early and treated correctly, permanent hair loss on the affected areas is not uncommon.
The condition lasts up to two weeks in puppies not badly affected, but four to six weeks in more severe cases. Some pups may require special nursing to ensure they do not become dehydrated or malnourished. It can help to treat the lesions topically so as to keep them clean and dry. Bathing the lesions with a solution of Willard Water (and giving Willard Water orally), or Calendula lotion, and applying aloe vera gel can help with healing.
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Hmmm.. I would have to say that I would be very surprise that it was Strangles… I know at least with foals that bloodwork would show that they had an infection.... I think either a second opinion or your wait and see is the way to go....
Also, I don't remember how old she is?.... if a puppy and at the teething stage... stange things can happen.. just like with human babies... that is just connected to teething...
