Expert: Charlotte Sherrell, DVM - 9/20/2008

Question
hi there i had 6 boxer puppies with only 5 left now as one died last week at 4wks old they all took a cold like sickness with runny noses and a wheeziness on there chest i have had 3 courses of antibiotics now and they are sill the same with the runny noses and noisey chests my vet has run out of ideas they are all eating well and lively and playing i am very concerned as i don't want to loose any more of them.the little one that died was the runt she could not bread and was in allot of pain and when she was taking a breath she grunted and my vet said when she died she bleed from her nose.i have also disinfected there pen out several times to make sure that theres no germs there what else can i do or have you any ideas what is up with them they have been wormed up to date and will be 6 weeks next Thursday
waiting to here from you
Geraldine

Answer
Geraldine -

Is the mother of the puppies healthy?  Is she current on her vaccines? Was the father healthy?  Ask your veterinarian to perform bloodwork to determine what is going on with the puppies.  To have several sick puppies in one litter is an indication that the mom was probably not healthy or you may have previous history of disease in your home.

Unfortunately, I cannot diagnose what is going on with your puppies because I have not had the benefit of a physical exam.

Best Regards,

Charlotte Sherrell, DVM