Puppy colds aka kennel cough can last 3 days to 3 weeks. Respiratory issues with young puppies are very common. Same as a common cold that one child gives to another at school. The smaller the breed/puppy, the weaker the immune system to fight the infection.
Coughing may be annoying but it is therapeutic. Coughing brings up the pus, mucus, and inflammatory cell products, which make our puppies sick. If the secretions of the lungs are allowed to dry up, the puppy will never be able to cough them up. For this reason fluids must be maintained to keep the puppy hydrated and keep the respiratory secretions wet. The gurglier (wet) the cough the better. Patience is always a helping hand with a cold. Breeders are always more successful treating respiratory issues because of the lack of activity the young puppy gets.
The infection needs to run its course. Rest, feeding and also antibiotics help the run. The most important thing is to feed feed feed the cold. Make the food as attractive as possible to encourage the baby to eat. Let the puppy have access to food & water 24/7. Second, limit the amount of activity/play time. Have the puppy sleep as much as possible. For some relief from the coughing you may give the puppy some Robitussin DM. This will make your puppy more comfortable at sleep time. 1ml/cc is fine (1 eyedropper). Remember, you don’t want to stop the coughing – you just want to have the puppy more comfortable so it can sleep. Third are the antibiotics as prescribed by your veterinarian.
In my opinion the key for puppies to overcome colds is food! High quality canned food mix with the dry top-dressed with honey works magic. In most cases puppies can even overcome colds without antibiotics. Especially if there hasn't been any loss of appetite.
Coccidia and Giardia are a group of protozoan parasites that are extremely common and which infect a wide number of animal species, including dogs, cats, horses, cattle, goats, sheep and chickens --- and many other species of animals, as well. Coccidia and Giardia are not a worm. They are a microscopic internal parasite (protozoan) common in warm, humid climates. Parasites can be stress-related. A puppy may have a negative fecal check result from a vet, appear perfectly fine, but show evidence of coccidia or giardia as soon as it goes to a new home. Albon & Flagyl are, the prescription medications for parasites. The medication doesn't actually kill them, it washes the puppy's digestive tract, taking the parasites with it. It's the puppy's own immune system that eventually will kill any remaining parasites. A young puppy's immune system is not fully developed, so it takes time for the puppy and it's immune system to mature.
Veterinarians say that most adult dogs have parasites, but they also have the antibodies to fight and control it. A puppy with Coccidia/Giardia that is not well cared for and not treated with Albon or Flagyl will eventually develop watery diarrhea and can dehydrate. This is when parasites can become a serious condition - the parasites replicate unchecked, and the puppy can become very ill. The best example of parasites is when a human consumes water in another country AKA Montezuma's Revenge.
