Little Negra should have been called “Suerte” or “La Elegida” after luck would have it that she survived such an unfortunate incident…
This little one month old puppy was one of a litter of eight. The owner of the puppies wanted to do the right thing by them and deparasite them all. Deparasiting is very important for the health of puppies, however, as puppies are so fragile and deparasites are medication, it is also something you have to be careful with. As for all medications, it is essential to give the correct dose and of the correct type of medication – something approved for puppies.
The owner went to the pet store and asked advice from the seller, who was not someone knowledgeable about animal medications. The store attendant advised the owner to give a certain amount of a dewormer – one that was not approved for use in dogs younger than two months old, or under one kilogram. Negra and her littermates weighted a tiny 0.8 kg. Moreover, the store owner prescribed 10 times the amount of dewormer needed for a dog of this size.
The owner dutifully returned home and gave the deparasite medication to the litter of puppies. Instantly, six of the pups swelled up so badly that five did not surviving the incident. Two puppies luckily did not react in the same manner and one, little Negra, somehow survived. With a will to live, the little pup continued until the owner decided to bring her to the clinic two days later…
Thankfully, Negra was still able to eat and drink and so was not in such bad shape when she came into the clinic. The Doctors gave her two injections, one of anti-histamines, and another to also help reduce the swelling and counter the allergic reaction.
Two days later, Negra returned to the clinic looking much better. Thankfully the lucky pup will survive the incident, along with the two littermates who had no reaction. Lucky Negra will serve as a reminder to us all of the importance to ask advice from someone qualified before administering any type of medication to your pets.
