[baybdoll]

Hello all!

First off, I am delighted to be apart of the this forum! I have had a canine companion for as long as I can remember and it is so exciting to have fellow dog owners and lovers. I currently have two dogs (more on that below), a 1 year old Shnoodle named Ainsley, and a 5 1/2 year old Beagle dog, Nubie.

There is a lot of back story to this, so please bear with me.

So just last week, I received a call from the local SPCA that they had recovered a dog with a microchip that belonged to me. I was forced to rehome my two dogs after my family lost it's house almost three years ago, so I naturally assumed it was one of them. Imagine my surprise when it was the dog that had ran away shortly before that! I actually started crying when I saw her. My Nubie had gotten out in the middle of a huge storm, and was unable to find her way back. All of our search efforts and postings ended up with nothing, and I had to assume that either something tragic had happened, or she had been taken in and was living with someone. This was confirmed when a family friend said that they saw her recently, and she was being taken care of (and had put on some weight).

Of course I bailed her out of doggie jail immediately, despite having some recent financial complications, and was very upset to find out she was in terrible condition. She has a large amount of skin problems, hairloss, an ear infection, and looked like she had been used for breeding -- explaining why the friend had said she was fat . I took her to the vet and she was put on some medications-- amoxicillin, ketoconazole, and prednisone. She has been taking these for about two days. I have also been treating her skin and ears with coconut oil, and a heavily diluted solution of apple cider vinegar.

Today, I noticed her belly had swollen significantly since even a few days ago, and she also appears to be lactating. She has been incredibly lethargic, which I attributed to the stress, but now I'm thinking it might be something more. My concerns are for what my next step should be -- I remember hearing that if I have her spayed, they take care of this, but I'm not sure how far along she is & if that matters. I don't know who or what she was bred with as well, which I assume could be dangerous. I know I am being sentimental (and will probably be told off for this, but I am keeping an open mind),as I'm not entirely opposed to her having puppies, and I also do not want to further complicate or stress her out from causing any harm to the possible puppies.

Would anyone be able to offer any advice on the medications, or share their experiences? I appreciate the feedback, and thank you for taking the time to read all this!

 

[Rain]

Congrats on getting her back! I'm so sorry that she is in such bad shape though.

Your vet will be your best source of info on if it would be better to spay abort, or if she's to far along and she should be allowed to have the puppies. He'll also be the best source of info on if you should discontinue the meds if it's decided she should have the puppies. If she's starting to lactate then she's most likely pretty far along in the pregnancy. Since she's a beagle, and not a toy sized dog, it's likely any pups should be small enough to deliver safely unless she was mated with one of the giant breeds like mastiff, or great dane, again the vet will be best able to tell you if he takes an x-ray.

 

[mathilda]

I'd go to the vet. of she's already looking like she's expecting, she's either already pretty far in the pregnancy or the dog could have some internal problems.
both should be checked by a vet.
when the dog is pregnant, you should also have a professional look over the medication of her to check if it could be dangerous for the pups (when you decide to have them) .
I'd also let the doc check her food plan, even if she doesn't turn out pregnant, to help her with the skinproblems for example.

 

[avantjaysher]

I'm a newbie dog owner so I don't have anything constructive to add but just to say that I really feel for you and your dog. :-( It's horrible that she had to live under miserable conditions. But the bright side is that she's not back in a loving, caring environment. You're the best friend your dog has now. And that's the best thing. Wish you and your pup all the best! Rooting for you both. :huddle:

 

[animalcraker]

As the others said you need to get her checked by a vet to determine any pregnancy and medication issues in regards to that. Keep in mind if she is pregnant and you decide to let her have the puppies there's a good chance that you may have to take them away from Her a hand rear them. If she's in as bad a condition as you say puppies will not help her get any better. The pups will take all her energy to produce milk and raise them, and they will further stress her immune system. The vet may also need you to take them away just so she can have the medicine she needs and not have it affects any pups. Again all of this is dependent on her actually being pregnant, her current health status, and the medications she needs; your vet should be able to discuss everything with you in regards to her specific case.