Upper Respiratory Infection

Question
QUESTION: I purchased a 13 week old bulldog puppy 2 weeks ago. He was shipped to me ground. The night that I got him, I realized that there was something wrong because he was coughing and gagging. He was diagnosed w/ URI and was put on Batril. That has been 2 weeks ago - he has been hospitalized for 5 days today and is still coughing & still gagging. He vomits when he smells food. He has barely eaten anything at all in 4 days. Please tell me - how long does it take for this bulldogs to recover from something like this? It has already been 2 weeks? Also - is it contagious to other puppies and if so - at what point will he no longer be contagious... 3 or 4 days after coughing/gagging subsides or? Please help!

ANSWER: You didn't get a health guarantee on this puppy? Are you sure it's a URI and not kennel cough?  Once he's been on antibiotics, he's no longer contagious. Chances are a healthy puppy wouldn't be affected anyway. This puppy was stressed by the shipping and probably not healthy when he left home. I'd be getting back in touch with whoever sold you this puppy and looking for some type of restitution.

If it's truly a URI, it can take literally months for the puppy to be ok.  Bulldogs aren't capable of coughing up the gunk in their lungs, so it just has to run it's course. Be very careful because it will come back easily as well.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The breeder has been really good so far - she has paid all of his vet bills... which are adding up quickly. But my main concern is that he has already been in the hospital for 5 days - I would like to bring him home - but the vet tells me that I need to keep him completely seperated from the healthy puppy... which is also a english bulldog. And the only way for me to do that is to leave the puppy in his kennel away from the healthy puppy whom is running around my home of his own free will. I dont want to keep doing that.. It is torture for the sick puppy. So, if he stays on the batril - he isnt contagious to my healthy puppy? I am so sick about this. I want so much for him to get better - but I am feel like I am in a corner and I dont know what I should do - or how long this will take for him to recover. Can you give me any info on URI in bulldogs? They are sure that it is a Upper Respiratory Infection - he has alot of fluid in his lungs and he coughs and gags up white filmy stuff. He coughs and gags all night long as well. Any extra information that you can give me on my situation or any situation like this in general would be more appreciated than you know! Thanks so much!

Answer
I think your vet is erring on the side of caution and that's a good thing. The sick puppy really needs to be kept quiet and shouldn't be bothered with a healthy puppy. Secondarily, if he's really run down with this infection, you want him at the vet in case he has a bad gagging episode and needs medical assistance. If he's this sick, the vet is where he should be.

Do a search for puppy upper respiratory infection and you'll find tons of information.  Good luck with him.