# Recurring Campylobacter in puppy



## lisajh29 (Feb 5, 2011)

Our Goldie pup is nearly 13 weeks now and we have had her since 9 weeks old. Within a couple of days of getting her, she had blood in her poo so took her to vets. She was given a probiotic paste but this didnt help so was give antibiotics and her faeces sent off for tests which tested positive for campylobacter. The antibiotics clear it up within 24 hours but 5 days after her course it flared up again so she was put on another 5 days of antibiotics. Now we are int he same position again - 5 days after the latest course finishes, she is starting to bleed again! We have also been giving her Pooch and Mutt probiotic powder with her food to help restore the balance. Also, we were going through her records and it might be a coincidence but the flare ups have been 5 - 6 days after her first vaccinations (she had one at the breeders and again at our vets as they didnt do the same manufacturere of vaccine). She had her 2nd vaccination on Thursday and she has started bleeding again today (2 days later - but husband says the 2nd jab is a stronger dose).
So, going to call the vets again but surely so many antibiotics cant be good for a young puppy? They also just seem to be suppressing it during the course but not actually clearing it up :mad2:


----------



## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

Is your dog being treated with erythromycin? 

Abs do NOT clear campy from the system in 24 hours (the symptoms may have gone in that time) and usually the ABs have to be given for a month as campy can be extremely AB resistant.

ABs might have to be given for as long as a month.

The vaccination may be coincidental or have triggered an auto immune response lowering the dog's resistance and making it more likely to develop other issues, it will have not CAUSED campylobacter but it may have resulted in diarrhoea

I have never understood why some breeders insist on vaccinating their puppies before they are homed.

Unless they are 12 weeks or older they are still carrying their dam's antibodies and, as you have pointed out, generally just mean the new owner will expose the dog to a further TWO vaccinations.

At best pointless at worst potentially harmful in some susceptible breeds/individuals.

Is the vet doing follow up cultures?


----------



## lisajh29 (Feb 5, 2011)

Hi, no the vet hasnt mentioned follow up cultures and she is not being treated with Enthromycin - she has just had 2 x 5 day courses of antibiotics. Going back to the vets this morning and putting my foot down - but not sure what I should be asking of them?

sorry - the antibiotics used were Synolux


----------



## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

lisajh29 said:


> Hi, no the vet hasnt mentioned follow up cultures and she is not being treated with Enthromycin - she has just had 2 x 5 day courses of antibiotics. Going back to the vets this morning and putting my foot down - but not sure what I should be asking of them?
> 
> sorry - the antibiotics used were Synolux


I think you need to determine if she has diarrhoea if it is campy (hence the need for follow up cultures) or unrelated and perhaps a response to vaccination.

If the former, then if the current ABs are not helping, do they need to be changed and/or given for longer? Could your pup have a very resistent strain?


----------



## lisajh29 (Feb 5, 2011)

Hi,

you were spot on. She has given her a 2 week dose of the ABs you mentions and if it continues beyond that (as she has no more vaccines now) then she will do follow up cultures.

Thanks for your advice!!


----------



## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

lisajh29 said:


> Hi,
> 
> you were spot on. She has given her a 2 week dose of the ABs you mentions and if it continues beyond that (as she has no more vaccines now) then she will do follow up cultures.
> 
> Thanks for your advice!!


Fingers crossed this will get rid of the problem for good.

ps remember, campy is a zoonoses so be ULTRA hygienic otherwise you may find yourself with a case of the trots!  :lol:

Good Luck!


----------



## lisajh29 (Feb 5, 2011)

smokeybear said:


> Fingers crossed this will get rid of the problem for good.
> 
> ps remember, campy is a zoonoses so be ULTRA hygienic otherwise you may find yourself with a case of the trots!  :lol:
> 
> Good Luck!


Thanks, yes learnt my lesson a couple of weeks ago when I had the trots and the vet advised me to get to the docs!!! luckily I shrugged it off in a couple of days


----------



## lisajh29 (Feb 5, 2011)

AAAAARRRRGGGGHHH!!! its back again!!! blood at the end of her poos - again!! in fact, she went to do a poo and basically it was just blood. She was on Ethrocymin or whayever its called for 10 days which I still do not think is long enough. Why wont the vets listen to me? why have they only been giving her ABs in 5 to 10 day doses? is it just a money making scam so we have to continually pay the £30 consultation fee? getting really fed up now. We only lost our last dog a few months ago and she had ongoing health problems, just cant cope with it all again


----------



## emmaviolet (Oct 24, 2011)

hi there, alfie had this as a puppy and was given a longer course of another antibiotic as he is an untested collie so to be on the safe side i didnt give ethromyicin.

he kept getting the same symptoms again and again so we did another stool sample and he then tested positive for giardia, with bugs like campo etc it leaves them open to catch other tummy bugs easier as the lining is weakened in the stomach.

maybe get another stool sample as giardia needs different treatment then the antibiotics. we treated it with panacur. it may be worth giving a treatment of panacur anyway as giardia is very hard to find in samples.

i understand your frustration, i was pulling my hair out not knowing what to do to make him better. stay positive.


----------



## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

lisajh29 said:


> AAAAARRRRGGGGHHH!!! its back again!!! blood at the end of her poos - again!! in fact, she went to do a poo and basically it was just blood. She was on Ethrocymin or whayever its called for 10 days which I still do not think is long enough. Why wont the vets listen to me? why have they only been giving her ABs in 5 to 10 day doses? is it just a money making scam so we have to continually pay the £30 consultation fee? getting really fed up now. We only lost our last dog a few months ago and she had ongoing health problems, just cant cope with it all again


As far as I know campylobacter needs a long course of specific anitbiotics and I believe too not only is a long course needed sometimes a combination of ABs. I think there is different strains of the bacteria too, some being resistent to certain antibiotics, or with continued use of the same type the bacteria becomes resistant.

It might be worth asking for another fecal sample to be taken in fact a 3 day fecal is usually better, 3 samples from three different motions on three consequetive days less chance of missing anything that way too from just taking one sample. He may even have a seconday problem aswell. protozoan parasites like coccidia and giardia can cause diarrhoea aswell.

Just wondering too if he may even be getting re-infection I think they continue to shed the bacteria in the faceces for quite awhile. if they are just giving enough antibiotics to dampden down the infection and not eradicate it completely then it will also re-occur.


----------



## paddyjulie (May 9, 2009)

My first bullie years ago was constantly getting campylobacter time after time...he was eating chicken muck this is what was the cause....have a think if there is anything that could be re-infecting him..

P.s My OH caught it off him..he was soooooo ill , we then had the enviro health round to the house, as all case then were reported by the doctor..


----------

