When you think it's all under control

[Chozengirl]

It's NOT!!!!!
My poor puppy has been acting funny since Monday.
Well, yesterday it was really bad, and then this morning, I knew I had to take her into the vet.
Well, $130 later, anti-biotics and pedialite every hour.
She has PARVO!
I am soooooo upset. My dd is crying, my neice is crying. It is a mess!
How am I going to do this, still get ready and then leave her?!?
My mom promised to take care of her while I am gone.
She has nursed 4 dogs back to health, and I trust her with my puppy.
If I hospitalize her, it will cost between $350-$550! I can't do that!
So, I am trusting her in the Lord's hands and my mommy's.
Please pray for her!

K, gotta run to Wal-mart for last minute stuff...

[jenniferlynne]

Your poor dog. I've heard of Parvo, but don't really know what it is. Is it life threatening?

I have four dogs and don't know what I would do if anything happened to any of them. My 13 1/2 year old Chihuahua got a mild case of the dog food poisoning that was going around. By the second day of him throwing up, I took him straight to the vet and we got him on antibiotics and a special diet. At that time, it hadn't come out yet about the tainted food, so we thought it was because of his teeth. He has a couple that need to be pulled. Luckily he had only eaten one or two cans of the bad food. I normally give him dry, but will keep canned on hand as a treat. Some treat huh?

My part Golden Retriever mutt has something wrong with him now. He's going to the vet tomorrow. He started licking a place on his back. It would start getting raw looking and I would think about taking him, and then it would start to heal. Well, now he has licked his back raw from his tail to about a fourth of the way up his back. I feel so bad for not taking him before now, but we have had car issues, and we've only had one between the two of us for two weeks now. We are supposed to get the other one back today.

[bakewithschaefer]

Melissa I am so sorry about your puppy. Parvo is in the valley. My co-workers' litter had to be put down because of it. I think vets need to notify or do something . I can't believe how many cases have been in the area.
By the time you read this you be coming back from Confer with Robin and Shelia. I am soooo jealous. I wish I could be with you guys. You are going to have a blast and your puppy is going to pull through . Wishing you the best Hospitallity Sister !!!!
Jane

[Christ Follower]

Good luck with your puppy! I know that's hard! It's unfortunate because in California, the law only requires the rabies vaccination, even though parvo is more common. They should make it known that while it's not required by law, it is highly recommended to get the parvo shot as well.

[rennea]

Oh good luck with your pup Parvo can be deadly. I hope all ends well, keeping fingers crossed for you and your puppy.

[nikkijo]

Good Luck with your puppy!!

What is Parvo? Some have said that it is common in CA...is it in other areas as well? I'm asking because we just got a puppy and I am in WI. I have never heard of Parvo so I'm not sure if it is common in this area. I know that in a couple of weeks she is getting the shot so she can not get kennel cough. The shot starts with a B but I can not remember the name of it. Are these two possibly the same?

I hope your puppy gets better!!!

Nikki

[pampchefrhondab]

Oh, poor puppy and you! We are praying for both of you!

[KellyTheChef]

I pray that your puppy is doing well!

On a positive note, my brother and SIL adopted a puppy that ended up having Parvo and she made it through fine...then had a horrible case of mange (I had never heard of that here in OH, but they live in SC) and she made it through that too.

Lots of hard work, though, with caring for them. Hope all is well and I hope conference is the bomb for you!

[Chef_2_Four]

we adopted a pit bull mix from the vet. she treated him for parvo and he had a long life with no problems. He was about 2 months when she got him from her neighbor and he was about 4 months old before we could get him. I hope everything will be ok with your puppy!!

[chefann]

Here's information:
http://www.workingdogs.com/parvofaq.htm

[missydivine]

Melissa I hope your puppy gets through this. I don't know what we would do without our little (63lb boxer) girl. She is my first baby. Your puppy and family are in my prayers.

[Chozengirl]

Melissa I am so sorry about your puppy. Parvo is in the valley. My co-workers' litter had to be put down because of it. I think vets need to notify or do something . I can't believe how many cases have been in the area.
By the time you read this you be coming back from Confer with Robin and Shelia. I am soooo jealous. I wish I could be with you guys. You are going to have a blast and your puppy is going to pull through . Wishing you the best Hospitallity Sister !!!!
Jane
Awe Jane, you put me in tears!!!!
Thank you! I can't wait to see you on Tuesday!!!

Hey everyone, my puppy is doing MUCH better!
She's not eating too much, but is doing 70% better and was VERY happy to see me!
Missydivine~She was a 65lb boxer, but when I took her into the vet she weighed a measily 47lbs.
When I went to go put her leash on, she lost so much weight her collar didn't even fit!
Thanks for all of your well wishes!

[rennea]

Glad to hear that she is doing better. Give her a scratch under the chin for me:)

[janetupnorth]

Glad she is doing better...

Here is some info on parvo - please make sure you've cleaned all her toys, dishes, cage, etc...
CPV-2 is known to survive on inanimate objects - such as clothing, food pans, and cage floors - for 5 months and longer in the right conditions. Insects and rodents may also serve as vectors playing an important role in the transmission of the disease. All parvoviruses are extremely stable and are resistant to adverse environmental influences such as low pH and high heat. Exposure to ultraviolet light and sodium hypochlorite (a 1:32 dilution of household bleach - ½ cup bleach to 1 gallon of water) can inactivate parvovirus. The bleach solution can be impaired by organic matter and needs to have adequate exposure time and proper concentrations to work effectively. The normal incubation period (time from exposure to the virus to the time when signs of disease appear) is from 7-14 days. Active excretion of the virus in the feces can begin the third day after exposure, often before clinical signs appear, and may last for one to two weeks after the onset of the disease.

More information: (All courtesy of peteducation.com)
Treatment

The treatment of Parvovirus is fairly straightforward and directed at supportive therapy. Replacing fluids lost through vomiting and diarrhea is probably the single most important treatment. Intravenous administration of a balanced electrolyte solution is preferred, but in less severe cases, subcutaneous or oral fluids may be used. Antibiotic therapy is usually given to help control secondary bacterial infections. In cases of severe vomiting, drugs to slow the vomiting may also be used. After the intestinal symptoms begin to subside, a broad spectrum de-worming agent is often used. Restricting the food during periods of vomiting is also necessary. Undertaking the treatment of affected dogs and puppies without professional veterinary care is very difficult. Even with the best available care, the mortality of severely infected animals is high. Without the correct amount of properly balanced intravenous fluids, the chance of recovery in a severely stricken animal is very small.

Immunity and vaccination

If a puppy recovers from CPV-2 infection, it is immune to reinfection for probably at least twenty months and possibly for life. In addition, after recovery, the virus is not shed in the feces. There are many commercially prepared attenuated (modified) live CPV-2 vaccines available. Although some people have expressed concern about the possibility of attenuated live vaccines reverting to a virulent strain after being given and then causing disease, studies have repeatedly shown that this does not occur. Commercially prepared vaccines are safe and do not cause disease.

The primary cause of failure of canine parvovirus vaccines is an interfering level of maternal antibody against the parvovirus.
The primary cause of failure of canine parvovirus vaccines is an interfering level of maternal antibody against the canine parvovirus. Maternal antibodies are the antibodies present in the mother's milk during the first 24 hours after the puppy's birth. The age at which puppies can effectively be immunized is proportional to the titer of the mother and the effectiveness of colostral transfer of maternal antibody within those first 24 hours. High levels of maternal antibodies present in the puppies' bloodstream will block the effectiveness of a vaccine. When the maternal antibodies drop to a low enough level in the puppy, immunization by a commercial vaccine will work. The complicating factor is that there is a period of time from several days to a couple weeks in which the maternal antibodies are too low to provide protection against the disease, but too high to allow the vaccine to work. This period is called the window of susceptibility. This is the time when despite being vaccinated, a puppy can still contract parvovirus. The length and timing of the window of susceptibility is different in every litter.

A study done in 1985 in a cross section of different puppies showed, that the age at which they were able to respond to a vaccine and develop protection covered a wide period of time. At six weeks of age, 25% of the puppies could be immunized. At 9 weeks of age, 40% of the puppies were able to respond to the vaccine. The number increased to 60% by 16 weeks, and by 18 weeks of age, 95% of the puppies could be immunized.

When we examine all of the information about maternal derived antibodies, windows of susceptibility, throw in breed susceptibilities, the possibility of unidentified strains, and the effectiveness of different vaccines, we begin to see why there are so many different vaccination protocols and why some vaccinated animals still develop the disease. Drs. Foster and Smith recommend a protocol that will help protect the widest range of dogs. We realize that with our protocol, we will be vaccinating some dogs that are not capable of responding and we will be revaccinating some dogs that have already responded and developed a high titer. But without doing an individual test on each puppy, it is impossible to determine where the puppy is in its immune status. We also realize due to the window of susceptibility, some litters will contract parvovirus despite being vaccinated. By using quality vaccines and an aggressive vaccination protocol, we can make this window of susceptibility as small as possible.

Conclusion

In summary, parvovirus is a very common problem that is a huge killer of puppies. Due to its ability to be transmitted through hands, clothes, and most likely rodents and insects, it is virtually impossible to have a kennel that will not eventually be exposed to the disease. Modified live vaccines are safe and effective, but despite the best vaccination protocol, all puppies will have a window of susceptibility of at least several days where they will be at risk. Using the newer high titer vaccines may shorten the window of susceptibility on many puppies. Prompt treatment by a veterinarian will increase survivability in infected puppies and working with your veterinarian on a vaccination program that is best for your puppy is important. As new information on this disease and vaccines become available, we will continue to update this article in hopes of keeping you as informed on Parvo as possible.

[janetupnorth]

I hope she does well!!!!

[Chozengirl]

Thanks Janet!!!!
I kinda knew all that, but gotta get my butt in gear and do it tomorrow!

[SPVA]

So glad to hear your pup pulled through and is improving. Parvo is such a bad thing. Young puppies especially should not be taken to a park or anywhere that other dogs are or have been. The virus can live quite a while. It's best to keep the pup in your own yard and away from other dogs.

[janetupnorth]

When I was looking for an article on Paige, I found this:

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/07/20/7_20_1b_parvovirus.html