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Expert: - 6/10/2010


Question
I have a 7 week old american/stfordshire pit bull he has had his first set of shots already. this morning we found drolling at the mouth and running around acting not normal,, after 10 minutes he seemed fine. he at a full bowl of his food and went to sleep. what could have triggered this and is this the start of a sickness? please help and thanks in advance

Answer
Dogs get into things all the time that make them drool. He is a baby, so just like a baby make sure you don't have things down that he can chew on that are toxic or dangerous like cords to lamps, plants that are toxic, household cleaners, etc.

They can smell something that will make them drool. He isn't sick, he just had a reaction to something if he is fine now.

Tips to keep him well:
Don't take him to dog parks, malls, etc until he is over 12 weeks old and has had at least three sets of shots. Puppy shots are not always effective right away. So there are times the puppy has a window where their immunities are not 100%.

Don't let your friends come over with other dogs, even if they are vaccinated. Don't leave him in your car at any time. Make sure you pick up stuff in your yard too and don't use garden chemicals or snail baits that are poisonous.

Parvo is deadly and can live over 6 months in the environment. What that means is that you can carry it on your clothing, car, shoes etc. to your dog. So be vigilant because staffy's and pits are very prone to getting parvo and not recovering from it.

He will get his first rabies shot at the age of 4 months. By law he cannot have it sooner. Make sure he is being wormed and is on heartworm prevention as well right now.
Feed him a GOOD quality food like Science Diet Large Breed Puppy formula and he will be very healthy. It is formulated to boost his immune system now. You will not find better or more optimal nutrition in any other food.
Have fun with him!!  

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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