Ive just heard that one of my pups litter brothers, who has been poorly for a few weeks, has campylobacter. We were planning to meet up for the puppies to have a play, but thankfully hadn't been able to do so. How serious is this infection and how did he become infected with it. The pups are four months old.

They have to ingest the faeces or vomit of another animal with it. Humans can catch it too so be very diligent about washing hands. my dog had it a few months ago and abs got rid of it. They do a test at the end to check it has gone. It's unpleasant rather than life threatening but like all these things it's more serious in vulnerable beings.

Campylobacter ... the most common form of food poisoning - in humans :-O

It's dead easy to catch as a dog ... mainly when out and about on a walk. Dog poos, your dog then walks in it, you dog then cleans itself and so ingests poo ... easy peasy!

Course, humans can also cause campy ... just look it up :-O

Antibiotics clears it up very quickly, but as has already been pointed out, it's easy for a human to get it from a dog, and vice versa. One of my girls had it 5 years ago. Unfortunately she had a mega bout of diarrhoea in my vehicle when I was away from home, I didn't have proper cleaning up facilities and so ended up cross contaminating myself. That was a very, VERY expensive illness, for her and me. Combined vet bills and my time off work (I was self-employed and campy is an illness you need to stay away from the workplace with, not that you're likely to feel up to going to work with it :-O - cost me in excess of £1,500 :(

So whilst in the main it's not life threatening it is serious. The pup could have easily caught it whilst out on a walk, but hopefully he has been taken to the vet by now. If he has then it's easy to sort.

He has been treated by the vet for the last few weeks, initially just for a bout of diarrhoea which is just what it seemed to be at first. Now the infection has been identified its a course of ABs and another fecal test afterwards and lots of handwashing for the family.

>Now the infection has been identified its a course of ABs and another fecal test afterwards and lots of handwashing for the family.

I have totally forgotten the name of the antibiotics, but the same drug is used for humans.  I picked it up visiting kennels and was very, very ill, and got hospitalised.  I thought I was going to die where I felt so ill.  They wouldn't accept me back at work until I had a certificate saying that I had had a clear test.

Can't spell it but I think the drug is areethromycin - it is a banana flavour medicine. 

Yes, that's the one!  :-)

we had a puppy that got it when she was 16 weeks old - the poor love lost so much weight and ended up on a drip.

She was ever so poorly with it and ended up losing lots of her coat and looking scrawny for a long time afterwards bless her

I believe it can also be picked from them eating raw chicken. I know one of mine got it this way when I was feeding barf. Most dogs can probably deal with it but as her immune system was low, she couldn't. My other dog didn't pick it up at all.

It is also common in cattle.

And it's how my husband and I got together , a bad dose of campylobacter (him) I saved his life !

You couldn't make it up if you tried!  :-)  :-)  :-)