Signs of Sepsis in a Puppy

Signs

• Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response to an infection. Signs or symptoms of sepsis in a puppy are fever and brick-red mucous membranes. As sepsis progresses, the puppy can have rapid heartbeat, low blood pressure, low blood sugar, electrolyte imbalances, pale mucous membranes and hypothermia. The puppy may limp or be in obvious pain as sepsis can attack the joints in the legs and may cause them to swell or develop abscesses. Abscesses are a collection of pus that causes the area around it to swell and become inflamed. Other signs that your puppy may have sepsis are vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy. If sepsis is not treated, your puppy can go into shock and may experience kidney failure or respiratory failure, both of which are life-threatening conditions.

Causes

• Canine sepsis generally starts when a dog contracts the gastro-intestinal virus called canine parvoviral enteritis or CPV. CPV, also termed "parvo," is a highly contagious, acute, severe gastroenteritis, similar to the stomach flu in symptoms, that occurs in puppies and young dogs. Those most at risk are puppies that are less than six months old, or puppies that have not been vaccinated for canine parvovirus. The disease lasts for three to seven days, and puppies that cannot fight off the infection or receive no medical treatment will die from the sepsis or from dehydration.

Sepsis Tests

• When you take a puppy with sepsis to a veterinarian, the vet will take blood samples to runs tests to check for the presence of canine parvoviral enteritis and bacterial infections, which your puppy can have at the same time. CPV weakens a puppy's immune system and makes her susceptible to catching other bacterial or virus infections, which is called a concurrent infection. It is often the secondary or concurrent infection that causes the sepsis to occur.

Treatment

• Puppies with sepsis will be given IV fluids and antimicrobial treatments. Typically, broad-spectrum antibiotics, such as fluoroquinolon with penicillin is given to the sick puppy, often before the blood tests are finished, as the puppy will be incredibly ill. These types of antibiotics treat a wide variety of micro-organisms, as bacteria are one of the main causes of sepsis in dogs. Puppies with the disease need to be hospitalized, placed on IV fluids and given antibiotics and other drugs to help combat symptoms, and fight off CPV and the secondary infection. If the CPV is not treated, it spreads to the respiratory tract and may cause bacterial pneumonia, severe dental disease and chronic urinary-tract disease, and may make any wounds that are present on the puppy become infected.