Educational tips for pet lovers

The Sheltie puppy coughs and vomits

"My parents want me to bring this Sheltie to the vet as he was coughing the whole night." Ms Nair. "The puppy had stayed with the pet dealer for the past week as he was coughing but I was told to bring him back yesterday."

Ms Nair purchased the puppy but had left him with the dealer as there was nobody to look after him. The dealer had asked her to take back the puppy as it was coughing. 

The Sheltie looked normal. His nose was dripping with a clear watery discharge.  His rectal temperature was 39.7 degrees Celsius indicating a fever. However he was eating and drinking.

He coughed a few times. As if he was trying to clear his throat. At the end of one cough, he would vomit a whitish yellow foam of stomach contents onto the examination table. This vomiting was not part of kennel cough which is an upper respiratory tract infection. 

"Kennel cough is a common complaint," I said to Ms Nair. "The dog usually recovers within 14 - 21 days.  However, this puppy has a stomach infection and if the virus or bacteria goes to the intestines, this puppy will have diarrhoea with blood and may then die."  

"The dealer is cheating me!" Ms Nair said as if the dealer was selling defective goods and she wanted her $1,800 back. 

"You will not get all your money back," I said. "Phone the dealer now and sell him the dog," I took up the phone for Ms Nair to phone. She used her mobile phone.

"Offer him $1,200," I suggested. Most dealers do not refund the full amount. Puppies depreciate as they grow older daily unlike the arowana or koi fishes. 

Ms Nair wanted the full amount back as she had paid $2,000 inclusive of dog accessories. The pet dealer did not want the dog back. She could not bring the puppy home as his coughing disturbed her parents.

The Sheltie had a good appetite and preferred water soaked pellets.  The sore throat would make eating dry pellets painful.  

Was there going to be litigation if the dealer did not take back the defective goods?  This was the first time Ms Nair had bought a puppy. She spoke to the dealer several times. The dealer wanted a veterinary health certificate to confirm that the puppy was ill. The puppy was slowly recovering and his guttural coughing and vomiting had reduced considerably on the fourth day at the surgery. 

I gave Ms Nair the certificate stating that the puppy had an upper respiratory tract infection and gastritis and asked her to bring the puppy immediately to the dealer after work. 

"Please state that it is a viral infection," Ms Nair requested. I said I could not do it as there would need to be blood test to confirm viral infection.  As the purchase and accessories was already costing her so much money, I could not recommend blood test which would add to her costs of ownership. She was worried about veterinary costs as every dollar counted now. She took the puppy back to the dealer and I expect she would get part of the purchase price back. At least she had a live puppy to return back as the vomiting could worsen to severe bloody diarrhoea.        

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