Sick Mom

Question
QUESTION: Hi Denise-
Me again! Well, just when I thought things were getting under control our girl did something she has never done before...she jumped up and ate a peice of my daughters chicken kabob right off her plate when she stepped away! The chicken was marinated in a bunch of spices and this early morning she has been vomiting quite a bit and is so sick that she does not want to nurse her pups. My question is, will the chicken she ate get the pups sick as well since she nursed them right before she started getting sick? And is there anything I can give her to help with the vomiting and settle her stomach? I am afraid that this is going to affect her milk production since she does not have an appetite while sick. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

ANSWER: Hi Sheryl:

I'm assuming she didn't get a skewer or anything other than the actual chicken? If not then she probably just has some yucky tummy due to the spices & large helping. Under normal circumstances, this can easily be made better but with a dog that's nursing one must be extra careful. I doubt her milk will contain anything which could impact the litter adversely. Check in with your vet to see if he advises anything if she continues for more than a day or two with vomiting. If the vet says it's ok you might try some plain boiled rice with a small amount of ground beef (all fat drained) or chicken (we know she likes that!) A Tums or Rolaids would be OK to give too - it's a nice source of calcium for nursing mothers. Most importantly encourage her to drink as much as possible. Hopefully she'll be over this bout in a day or two & everything can go back to "normal" - whatever that is! LOL Hang in there!

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QUESTION: Thanks so much for your response, you have no idea how helpful the information you provide to me and I am sure many others actually is! It takes a very special person to devote your time and energy to strangers...again, many heart felt thanks. And just an update, Calie is doing much better and the vomiting has stopped. I have noticed that one of the puppies had some orange colored diarrhea today though. Other than that all the puppies have gained 4 ounces each since their birth Monday night! They are all looking very healthy and have big round bellies!

Answer
Hi Sheryl:

YAY! Glad to hear she's feeling better & everything is status quo, at least for now! LOL And wonderful to know the puppies are gaining as they should be - usually, you can expect a puppy to almost double its birth weight in the first week. The little bout of diarrhea is probably, as you suggested, due to Mom's little chicken spicy kabob theft! And as long as it doesn't continue I'm sure he/she will be back to normal within a day or two at most.

Thank you so much for the kind words. It's very rewarding to be appreciated & although I deal with a few other sites similar to this one they are all pay sites & surprisingly, this one usually is far more emotionally rewarding to me. Plus it's people like you who truly make it worthwhile - when people really love & want the best for their dog I'm more than happy to help when & where I can.

Take care & holler at me if anything causes you concern.