How to Help Bloated Puppies with Edema

• Wrap the puppy in blankets to keep it warm, and support its head and neck to promote proper breathing. Also massage its genitalia to encourage urination.
• Bring the puppy to the veterinarian as soon as possible and let the vet administer a diuretic to reduce fluid retention.
• Identify the signs of anasarca, which include a swollen or enlarged body and difficulty passing through the birth canal.

Identifying Edema

Identify any risk factors the mother dog may have. While it is not known exactly what causes anasarca, some dog breeds are more likely to get the condition. Your puppy has more of a chance to develop anasarca it is a brachycephalic breed. This type of dog has a short, compressed snout and wide skull, and includes bulldogs, Boston terrier, and pugs for example. If you have a brachycephalic dog that you are breeding, you should make sure the dog is getting proper prenatal care. However, because the condition is not totally understood, even with proper care the puppies may be born with anasarca.

Have an ultrasound done on your pregnant dog. In order to assess whether a pregnancy is going well, your veterinarian may want to do an ultrasound. With an ultrasound your veterinarian may be able to assess whether any of the puppies have anasarca. Even with a clear ultrasound, one or some of the puppies may be born with anasarca. This condition can develop at any point in the pregnancy but often occurs very late in the pregnancy.

Look for symptoms of anasarca on a newborn puppy. If one or more of the puppies have anasarca is will be clear after birth. The puppies will be physically swollen, sometimes being two to four times bigger than other puppies in the litter without the condition. Puppies with anasarca can become so big that they get stuck in the birth canal. These puppies will need to be born via cesarean section.

Helping a Puppy With Edema

Give immediate care. Make sure to hold the puppy’s head up and extend its neck, so that its airway is as clear as possible. Also keep the puppy warm and try to stimulate urination by running your finger across its genitalia every couple of minutes. However, you only need to stimulate the puppy if it is eating and not with the mother. Keep the puppy warm and continue rubbing it to help it breathe and move. This should be continued until the puppy is under veterinary supervision.

Take the puppy to a veterinarian immediately. For a puppy with anasarca to have a chance of survival, it needs to be treated by a veterinarian. If your dog gave birth at home, then you need to take the puppy to a veterinary office right away. If your normal veterinary office is closed when the mother dog gives birth, then you should take the affected puppy to the closest 24 veterinary emergency clinic.

Allow the veterinarian to treat the fluid retention. As soon as a puppy is born with anasarca it should begin treatment to stand any chance of survival. Treatment usually includes giving the puppy a diuretic to reduce the amount of fluid the puppy is retaining. The bodies of puppies with anasarca are also gently massaged to promote circulation. If the condition is mild, the puppies can go on to live normal lives. Even with prompt treatment, however, a puppy with a severe case of anasarca has a very slim chance of survival.

Give the puppy palliative care. If the puppy has a severe case of anasarca, it has a very low chance of survive. If this is the case with your puppy, then you should focus on making sure it is comfortable and pain free instead of focusing on recovery. Consult with your veterinarian about the health of the puppy and whether it has any chance of recovery. If it doesn't, then your veterinarian will have some suggestions about how to stop the puppies' suffering. This could include keeping it warm and giving it medication to alleviate any pain. In some cases, this could mean compassionate euthanasia. Prepare yourself that the outcome may be death. In many cases of anasarca, the puppy is still born or dies quickly after birth.