PITBULL HEALTH
This article explores the most sought after questions regarding Pitbull ownership and Pitbull Health. Every health question I answer is directly from my mailbox. I have selected the best and most shocking health questions and have included them for your review. I have organized each pitbull health question into categories.
This page covers a variety of Pitbull health issues. Most pitbull owners are not qualified to diagnose and treat many common health issues that a professional kennel deals with on a regular basis. Therefore I implore you to consult with your Vet before implementing any opinion on heath I may share below.
The health information I supply below is based on years of my personal experience of caring for health issues, and loving dozen of my Pitbull friends. The many tips on Pitbull health I provide, involve my experience with PitBulls and their health, although the information should translate over to many other dog breeds as well. The questions below are real emails and represent the most commonly asked and requested information pitbull health.
PUPPY SHOTS, VACCINATIONS AND PARVO
Mike from Cleveland asks Mr PitBull
Dear Mr PitBull, I just got a new pitbull puppy and my Vet tells me that puppies needs shots every few weeks until the puppy turns 18 weeks. Is my vet trying to rip me off?
Mike, your vet is right on the money. I cannot stress enough the importance of timely canine shots for pitbull puppies to keep them healthy. Here is why pitbull puppies need puppy shots every few weeks to safeguard your puppies health: When puppies are born the first few days the puppies are fortified against viruses by means of antibodies that are contained in the Colostrum that the mother's milk provides. Those antibodies protect the puppies health for the first number of weeks. At about six weeks of age the protection from the mother's milk starts to wear off and the puppy becomes vulnerable to dangerous viruses that can severely challenge a Pitbull's health.
Here is where the problem lies: There is no way of knowing when the protection given in the mother's milk has worn off. Not only does the antibodies supplied in the first few days of feeding protect against Viruses, it also stops the vaccine from working as well. Since you don't know when the vaccine is effectively absorbed by the puppy, you have to keep giving the puppy vaccinations every few weeks to protect a pitbull's health. Most vets believe that by the time the puppy is 18 weeks it is off of the mother's protection and therefore most vets recommend that the puppy vaccinations stop at 18 weeks and the puppy should be effectively vaccinated by then. Of course the puppy may have been off of the protection at six weeks and the puppy vaccine given then was effective; you just don't know.
So let's say that you give the puppy shots at eight weeks and plan on giving your puppy shots again at ten weeks. It is possible at eight weeks that the puppy is being protected by the mother's milk and the puppy vaccination is therefore rejected. But yet, before the tenth week comes, the immunities have worn off and the puppy could catch a virus such as Parvo and die. That is why the puppy vaccine is given every few weeks instead of once a month, in order to minimize the days that the puppy is unprotected .
Here is a link to the page where you will find all the supplies for giving a vaccine. I buy the 24 pack and generally go with the one that is the best price as no one can say for a certainty that one brand is better than another. Dog Vaccine Supplies
Don't forget you will need syringes too. Remember that vaccines have to be refrigerated. Make sure you order at least two of the cold packs for over-night shipping.
Ronnie from Pittsburgh asks Mr PitBull
Dear Mr PitBull,
Help! my new pitbull puppy just died of Parvo and now my other two dogs have it. What can I do?
The thing is the little fella wouldn't eat one day and before I knew it he had diarrhea and a lot of blood in his stool. He died in one day! Please help before I lose the other two. I am writing you because my vet told me not to bring the dogs in. I could not believe it! Help!
Boy Ronnie, it breaks my heart to hear that. I know firsthand the devastation Parvo can have.
To save the other two dogs and protect their health I have to have more information. How old are the other dogs? Do they have blood in their stool and if so; how much?
Parvo can vary in severity and certain dogs can experience different health symptoms.
Here is what I have found from my experience: If there is a lot of blood in the stool, the chance of saving a puppy is completely hopeless. Even a full grown dog can experience enough blood loss to kill it. If the blood loss is minimal and the Parvo virus has simply caused vomiting and diarrhea, you can save the two dogs by immediately getting them started on fluids.
I understand why the vet did not want you to bring the dogs in. The Parvo virus is extremely contagious and can persist on surfaces for up to 6 months or even longer. What you need to do right now is find someone (preferably a vet) show you how to SubQ Hydrate them.
I have tried several Parvo remedies without success. I keep in stock several cases of Lactated Ringers and Picc lines just for emergencies. What is interesting; at the vets a bag of fluid runs about $20 or more. You can purchase them by the case for about $3 a piece. These are essential to keep in stock to protect your dog's health in the case of emergency, especially if you have puppies.
Even if you get the puppies or dogs started on an IV, if the blood loss is too extensive, they won't make it. In fact a adolescent or grown dog can recover from Parvo, the blood loss can subside, but the dog will still die of suffocation.
The Parvo Virus is extremely contagious and very deadly. I cannot stress enough the importance of timely puppy vaccinations to maintain your dog's health.
Chris from Chicago asks Mr PitBull
Dear Mr PitBull,
I just had a litter of pitbull puppies die from the Parvo and was wondering what to do to protect the rest of my dogs. I have another litter on the way and a couple more breedings planned.
The first thing is make sure all your dogs are up to date on their puppy shots. Having went through an outbreak of Parvo, I will tell you what my vet told me: Don't even think about breeding or having anymore puppies for at least 6 months.
One pitbull breeder told me that after an outbreak of Parvo that he had sprayed chlorine on everything, even replacing his carpeting. A few weeks later he bought a new pitbull puppy, within a few days it too caught Parvo and died. Checking with the breeder he got the puppy from, all the other puppies were in good health; so he knew the puppy could have only acquired the Parvo virus at his location.
After talking with several other breeders with similar experiences, I decided to forgo doing any breeding for 6 months. My kennel has cement floors and my yard is all asphalt, concrete and pea gravel. I sprayed everything with chlorine and washed every dog with
a diluted chlorine shampoo mix. I did all of the aforementioned three times. I have not had a problem since.
I would not introduce any puppy into the equation under any circumstance until after the puppy has reached at least 20 weeks and has had
all his or her puppy Parvo shots. You need to make arrangements with someone else to keep any puppy you might purchase. As far as breeding, forget it. Remember, if you were to remove your dogs from the premises and take them elsewhere, there is a good chance that they will be a carrier (or you will be) of the Parvo virus. What you want to do now is implement a good schedule for giving puppy shots and concentrate on restoring your dog's health.
This is what I use Galaxy DA2PPV - 25x1 Dose Vaccine
for a puppy vaccine. There are twenty-five doses, so it is enough to give a litter of eight puppies 3 vaccinations each. It is very cost effective as each puppy vaccination is under 4 dollars. Compare that to how much your vet charges for puppy vaccinations. Remember, you will need to order needles and syringes too. Make sure that it is sent overnight and properly packaged as the puppy vaccines must be refrigerated. I have also supplied a link to the exact syringe and needles you will want to use for puppy vaccinations. 
CANINE WORMS
Shelia from Miami, Florida asks Mr PitBull
Dear Mr PitBull
what is the best thing to use to worm my dogs with?
Shelia, having a regular schedule of canine worming is absolutely a must. This is essential in keeping your dog healthy. I worm my dogs for intestinal worms one month and for heartworms the next.
For intestinal worms, I use Fenbendazole, the active ingredient in Panacur and Safe-Guard. It is the best treatment and the safest according to a number of studies. De-wormers are poisons and can be very dangerous to your dog's health if over-dozed. Most are better served to purchase commercially prepared dewormers for dogs. Few large kennels buy pet owner canine deworming medicine because of the premium price of pet owner prepared health products. Instead, many kennels, including myself, buy Fenbendazole / Safeguard Wormer Suspension. If you have a few dogs you will save money on your dog's health care. I am not going to supply the dosage amounts or the frequency of application other than to say that it differs substantially from the label when worming dogs. There is a lot of information on the internet in regards to dosage; so do your homework. Remember, it is a poison; it causes paralysis, so make sure you know what you are doing before going this route. Again, for a pet owner I would advise going with a health product designed for dogs.
Angelo from San Antonio, Texas asks Mr PitBull
Dear Mr PitBull,
My vet says I need to worm my puppies, but Sasha has never had worms, so why would I need to worm the puppies?
I hear you Angelo. Many people wonder the same thing. They may have a pitbull female that is a house dog that never goes outside or comes in contact with another dog. They did the breeding with an AI, so the female was never in contact with another dog, so how could the puppies have worms? Here is a health issue most people don't know: Almost all dogs have worms! Here is what happens: Worms lie dormant in muscle tissue. Because of Hormonal changes during pregnancy, the worms become active and can infect the puppies before birth. Some worms can even be transmitted through the milk. Almost all puppies are going to have worms of one kind or another.
Puppies need to be dewormed every two weeks starting at four weeks of age. Some experts recommend starting at two weeks and to deworm puppies at weeks 2, 4, 6 and 8, and then once a month until 6 months. Thereafter, the dog should be dewormed at least every six months to maintain optimum health. If the dog is taken to parks or other public places, then they should be dewormed every other month as I do mine.
John from St Paul asks Mr PitBull
Dear Mr PitBull, I just got a new pitbull puppy and my vet says she has Hookworms. I got her when she was eight weeks old and have had her for a few months now. The vet says that my yard may be contaminated with Hookworm eggs and that I may have a hard time getting rid of the Hookworms. What should I do?
Your vet is right; Hookworms are very difficult to get rid of.
Some Years ago, I bought two pitbull puppies from a well known breeder. I noticed after a couple of days that both puppies had a cough. I took them to the Vet and the Vet said they had Kennel Cough and prescribed treatment. A week later, they were still coughing, so I took them to another vet. A week later they were still coughing. This time I took them to another Vet who indicated that they had Hookworms. By now, they had contaminated my entire kennel. Swift and diligent action was needed to protect the health of my other dogs and to rid the property of the Hookworms.
There is two ways in which Hookworms are spread. Hookworms lay thousands of eggs every day. Those eggs are passed in the dogs stools and contaminate the environment. When a dog licks its paws or something else with the eggs on in, the eggs are swallowed and the dog becomes infected. The other way a dog is infected is direct contact with a worm. The worm lies on the soil the dog comes in contact with the Hook Worm and the worm penetrates the skin. Then the worm migrates under the skin to the lungs where it is coughed up and then swallowed. This is what was going on with my two puppies.
The first step in getting rid of the worms is of course; deworming all the dogs. But since the area is now going to have been contaminated, the entire area has to be treated to protect the health of all the dogs. I maintain a kennel area that I can spray everything with chlorine. Most people cannot spray their yards as the chlorine will kill the grass, therefore, it is very difficult to eradicate hookworms. Having done a lot of research and read a number of studies, I learned that the Hook Worm eggs are very hearty. Therefore it takes a lot of cleaning and diligence to eliminate them completely from an area.
For this reason, whenever I get a new puppy, I keep the puppy away from the kennel for at least a month to make sure it does not have worms or other Parasites as a health precaution.
As mentioned I use Fenbendazole / Safeguard Wormer Suspension. I believe that this is the most cost effective and best multi-spieces dewormer. Certainly, there is no other wormer with a better track record for safety. This one bottle will de-worm 33 fifty pound dogs.
Although Fenbendazole comes conveniently prepackaged as either Panacure or Safe-Guard with individual doses for dogs, most kennels buy Fenbendazole 
for livestock as it is much cheaper. Below I have included links to both products. For the average person with one or two dogs the convince of prepackaged worm treatments that can simply be sprinkled on dog food is the best way to go; although more expensive. If you are treating a number of dogs for worm prevention, You will want to go with Safe-Guard 10% suspension for livestock. The dosage for hookworms in dogs is much higher than the dosage on label for livestock. Fenbendazole needs to be administered at 1 mg per 5 lbs or dog weight for three straight days to prevent hookworms in dogs. So, a 50 lb dog would receive a 10 mg dose for three straight days. I use a 20cc Syringe 
to measure the dose and shoot it directly into the dog's mouth. I use either a MonoJect Syringe 1cc
or Monoject 3cc Syringes
for measuring the dosage for the puppies (I buy the 3 cc syringes with needles, because I use these to administer vaccines). I have provided links for these below.
MRPITBULL SAYS: BEST AND MOST ECONOMICAL TREATMENT FOR HOOKWORMS IN DOGS
MRPITBULL SAYS: THESE ARE THE SYRINGES TO USES FOR PUPPIES AND GIVING VACCINES
GIARDIA AND OTHER PARASITES
Dan from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania asks Mr PitBull
Dear Mr PitBull,
I have three Pit Bulls and all of the sudden they all have terrible diarrhea. The stool is yellowish and has a very strong odor. What do you think it is?
Dan, what did your Vet say? From your description, my guess would be that they are infected with Giardia! Of course you need to get a stool sample to be sure. Whatever it is, it has the potential to be a very serious health issue. A dog with diarrhea can dehydrate very quickly. Get the dogs to the vet fast. In fact if your dogs have Giardia, you may want to leave the dogs at home and just get a stool sample from each dog. Giardia is not always shed in the stool and therefore taking in three samples will improve odds of discovery.
If it is Giardia, there is much you need to learn. Giardia is a Protozoan Parasite and generally comes from a contaminated water supply. Giardia is one of the world's most prevalent parasite and health problem. Oddly, humans seem to be able to deal with Giardia better than dogs. In fact, in some dogs you may have a very difficult time in getting rid of Giardia. Giardia is a very serious health issue in dogs.
In the section on Hookworms above, I mentioned two puppies with Hookworms. Those two puppies also had Giardia, it wasn't long before other dogs had it too. There are a lot of conflicting accounts as to the best avenues for Giardia treatment. Giardia can be very hard to diagnose. If you have ever dealt with Giardia, the smell of the stool is unmistakable, it is very sour smelling. Some vets will proceed with treatment based on this factor even if the stool sample is negative.
If it is Giardia, this is the method I used to treat my dogs: First I recommend you do your own research. Arm yourself with as much info as possible, you will need it to protect your dog's health. Since Giardia treatment is off label meaning you are using something not sold for killing Giardia, you will have to equip yourself with a lot of research to make sure you do not over medicate and poison your dog.
After much research I used the same medication I was using for hookworms; Fenbendazole. I gave the treatment five days in a row, instead of the normal three. I waited two weeks and re-treated with another regiment of 5 days. I am not going to specify the dosage I used as I would prefer you get that from your vet. But the research I did indicated that Fenbendazole / Safeguard Wormer Suspension
was the best treatment and I had a 100% success with it. Let me know what your Vet suggests and how the treatment goes.
Mr PitBull Says: Regular Exercise Is Important To Keep Your PitBull Healthy
SKIN & COAT ISSUES
Randall From Kansas City Kansas asks Mr PitBull
Dear Mr PitBull, I have a litter of pitbull puppies and all of them have broken out with small bare patches on their fur. My vet says that it was some kind of Mange and prescribed a treatment, but they are getting worse. What should I do?
Randall, Did your vet do a skin scrapping and get results from the lab or from a microscope view? If you are not sure how he concluded it was mange, you need to ask. What medication did he prescribe?
I had a litter once with the same symptoms you describe. The Vet looked at them and said it was Mange without even doing a skin scraping. After several weeks the puppies had not improved so I took them to a second vet who said it was Mange. When the puppies still did not improve, I took them to a third Vet. This Vet said it was a Staph infection and prescribed an antibiotic. In a few days there was marked improvement. Within a week the spots were gone and the puppies health restored.
This kind of skin issue is common with pitbull puppies. You can't clean the whelping box fast enough. There were 10 puppies in the litter and one of the puppies was always going to the bathroom. A Staph infection can develop and spread fast among the puppies. Of course in your case I am not saying that this is your problem. But I would ask the vet how it is that he or she ruled out a Staph infection.
Beth from Tacoma Washington asks Mr PitBull
Dear Mr PitBull
I have a beautiful PitBull named Neva who is always itching. I don't know what is causing it and have grown very concerned because I can see it is really bothering her. What do you think it could be?
There is really no way for me to know as it could be a number of things. I am certain you have had Neva to the Vet and the treatment prescribed isn't working. Therefore I will simply mention the most likely culprits and encourage you to seek out another opinion from either another vet or someone who specializes in allergies.
In the meanwhile, I would switch to a different food source Natural Balance Dry Dog Food, Grain Free Limited Ingredient
and see if perhaps it is a food allergy. Corn and grains are a common source of allergy. Natural Balance is grain free and a favorite among breeders for dogs with allergy health problems. Too, some dogs may be allergic to Chicken, as well. Many skin and itching problems can be solved by switching foods.
A root causes of skin issues lies in the pedigree. Most backyard pitbull breeders do not have a clue as to what they are doing. Many of pitbull breeders think that inbreeding is the key to success. Little do they know that inbred dogs are very prone to allergies because present in every inbred dog without exception is a weakened immune system. This is a scientific fact. Of course I have not seen your dog's pedigree, just mentioning what to look out for in the future. One thing for sure, if the problem is at all chronic, Neva should never be bred and should be spayed, as immune deficiencies are passed on.
Let me know if her health improves after you switch foods.
Randy from Darlington asks Mr PitBull
Dear Mr Pit Bull, I have a blue Razors Edge PitBull named Navajo, he is an awesome dog. In the summer his fur will have small patches that will fall out. My vet says it is common with blue dogs. What can I do?
Randall, I like the name of your dog. Sounds like you are honoring some of the Native Americans from your area. What you describe, is indeed a common issue with many Blue Dogs. I had a dog that had the same issue. I would give him Animal Naturals K9 Show Stopper
and in about a week the spots would be gone. See if that works for you. I would also try Grizzly Salmon Oil All-Natural Dog Food Supplement
.
Here is a link to about everything you could imagine for your dogs health.
Dog Health Supplements
MR PITBULL SAYS: AT ANY AGE YOUR DOG WILL BENEFIT WITH NATURAL SALMON OIL
It has long been a proven fact that the Omega-3 found in Salmon oil does wonders for a dogs coat. It is also believed that the fatty acids found in Salmon oil has a variety of health benefits for dogs and is a supplement that many top pitbull kennels would not do without. I prefer to buy this is in five gallon buckets for my pitbulls, but the Grizzly Salmon Oil All-Natural Dog Food Supplement in Pump-Bottle Dispenser, 32 Ounces is the right size for those with one dog and just wanting to see how their dog responds to it. When you read the reviews, you will note that a lot of people use this vitamin supplement for their dogs and love it. If you have already been using a fish oil vitamin supplement for your dog, you will want to get the gallon size below. Make sure you read the reviews.
Maria from Texas City Texas asks Mr PitBull
Dear Mr PitBull,
I have a Gotti Pitbull named Cyrus, the other day it was very hot and I found Cyrus in the backyard weak and stumbling around. I suspected heat stroke and tried to get him cooled down with the garden hose. He went into convulsions and died. I am broken hearted. I really loved him; he was the best dog ever. He had plenty of shade and I even had a mister to spray water on him. I feel guilty, even though I don't know what else I could have done. I want to get another dog; I just don't want to go through this again. I'm hoping you have some ideas.
Vanessa, I am truly sorry for your loss. Losing a dog can be as difficult as losing a loved one, especially in those circumstances. You know something; I dread to see summer time come anymore, because it produces a rash of lost dogs due to heatstroke. There is a trend to breed muzzles shorter and shorter; this is the cause of the rise in heatstrokes in PitBulls.
Unlike humans, dogs do not sweat. The dog,s primary defense against the buildup of heat is through the breathing process. When you see a dog panting, the dog is cooling itself. It is a fact that the shorter the muzzle, the less effective the dog is cooled during this process. For this reason Airlines have two sets of restrictions on flying dogs during high temperature times. Dogs that have been classified in the short muzzle group are very limited as to the temperatures that are acceptable to fly in. In fact, some airlines will not even fly a snub-nose dog. Because so many dogs classified as PitBulls now have the short muzzles, PitBulls are now classified as a snub nose dog. So therefore my recommendation is; stay away from a dog with a short muzzle for the sake of the dog's health. As you look at my dogs, you will note that I have been careful not to get caught up in the craze for shorter and shorter muzzles, knowing that it is a severe health problem among pitbulls.
PITBULL HEALTH INFORMATION
Kyle from Baton Rouge asks Mr PitBull
Dear Mr PitBull,
I need your help desperately! I have a 4 year old pitbull named Noodles. She is a wonderful pitbull. The problem is she has broken out with bumps on her stomach and some on her face. At first there was just a few of them and now they are spreading. I talked to some people that told me to rub kerosene all over her. I am really at a loss as to what to do. She is itching them like crazy. Can you help me please?
Kyle, real sorry to hear that Noodles is having some health problems. Kyle, you failed to mention, what your Vet had to say. I can only conclude that in your haste, you overlooked including your Vet's report and the prescribed treatment. I know that as an animal lover the first thing you would have done is taken her immediately to your vet as soon as you noticed your dog's health problem.
Have you let your Vet know that the medication is not working? It may be that Noodles was misdiagnosed and further examination may be needed. I would not hesitate to employ another Vet for another opinion. What did the skin scrapping show when the Vet examined it? Certain conditions are not always apparent at the time the sample was taken. Additional visits may be needed in order to find undeniable evidence. Get her back to the Vet today!
I would advise against using Kerosene as a treatment! Nor would I try to diagnose the problem myself even if I had an idea as to what it could be. When my dogs have a problem, I take them to the Vet. When health problems persists, I take them back to the Vet or to another Vet for a second opinion. In fact, I spend thousands of dollars a year at the Vet. Anyone that owns a pitbull should be prepared to endure a little expense to keep their pitbull healthy.
Keep me posted on Noodles progress please.
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