Rebekah's Scout at 8 Months - click to enlarge

Immature Immune Deficiency

We have experienced one puppy in eight that suffered from a very mild form of this syndrome. All puppies treated have been cured. It has only occurred in puppies and never in puppies sold after they reach one year of age. Puppies grow out of this problem.

The syndrome is sometimes caused by vaccination shots or other unknown environmental stimulus. At the onset, the immune system of a puppy shuts down and stops protecting the puppy from infections. Infections get started. We have found this condition in some puppies between six weeks and nine months of age. The condition is treated with an inexpensive steroid called Prednisone and antibiotic called Clavamox. When treated early, one 5 mg Prednisone pill will sometimes reset the immune system. The puppy returns to normal within 24 hours and no further treatment is needed. More often, treatment for two or three weeks is necessary. An antibiotic called Clavamox is also given at the same time as the Prednisone, to stop infections.

The symptoms of the syndrome are lethargy, loss of appetite and energy. A puppy that usually cycles between play time and sleep time, wants to sleep all day instead. A fever becomes apparent after the first day or two. The symptoms disappear within twenty four hours of treatment. The condition disappears within two or three weeks of treatment. We have found that the sooner a puppy is treated, the shorter the treatment time that is necessary. The problem has not re-occurred in the same dog after being successfully arrested and the problem has never occurred in dogs over one year of age.

From the literature we have determined that our version of this immune deficiency problem is a very mild manifestation of the condition described in the literature. Our vet will not call it a disease as time as maturity overcome the condition. However, if you fail to heed the first warning signs, and if you or your vet fail to treat your puppy immediately, your puppy will deteriorate and the condition will become a severe condition within two weeks.

If left untreated, Hyper-Inflammatory Disease shuts down the immune system allowing all sorts of problems to start that the immune would normally hold in check and stop altogether. In our experience vets treat the symptoms of the first infection believing that the symptoms suggest a bacteria or virus problem. This approach is not successful and the underlying immune deficiency problem left untreated, worsens and new infections or viruses get started.

When an unexpected problem develops with your GBSD, your vet has to be encouraged to suspect the immune deficiency problem as the root cause and treat your puppy with Prednisone and Clavamox accordingly.

Canine Worms And Parasites