New Virus

Post Reply
User avatar
Owned-By-Hendrix
Training Dog
Posts: 942
Joined: Sat Nov 16, 2013 6:40 am
Tell us about yourself: Dutch Shepherd Owner.

New Virus

Post by Owned-By-Hendrix »

I would like to make people aware of a virus that's going around that, essentially in symptoms, looks like Parvo for adult dogs. I don't know what it is called, I don't know if they've identified it, heck I don't know if it's a mutated version of something else. All I know is H caught it, despite not being around other dogs, and it almost killed him.

If your dog gets violently ill within 24 hours, it may be this. For H it started out as watery dire rear, which is very unusual for him. It was followed by the inability to control his bowels (which is extremely unlike him - the number of times he has pooped in the house I can count on one hand since he was a puppy, and two of them were sedation involved) and unable to keep anything in his system. Then the bloody dire rear started. He had no appetite, no motivation for anything, and getting him up to move was extremely hard. I was pushing electrolytes and water every half hour, but it wouldn't stay in him, and he still needed emergency medical care to stop extreme dehydration. This came on EXTREMELY FAST. Within 24-36 hours from first symptoms he was in the ER despite my best efforts at keeping him hydrated. One vet said he hadn't seen this level of dehydration in a dog with the owner actively pushing fluids. H would only drink maybe 2 -3 tablespoons at a time and even that was a chore.

This lasted for 3 days. I finally calmed his GI tract through slippery elm syrup, and at the advice of my friend, withholding meals for 24 hours and feeding a couple of tablespoons of "orange fibre veggies" every few hours. After a few hours of this he began to show hunger and we transitioned to easy to digest foods. He's bouncing back now, still slow to move some days and lethargic, but I'm told it'll be another 2ish weeks until complete recovery.

I'm told some dogs will also vomit. Think norovirus for humans - it's like that but for dogs. So just be aware guys and I sincerely hope your dogs never catch this.
Kay, H, and The SO
(Pepper's Look-A-Like)
(Tyson's Soul Twin)
TimL_168
Working Dog
Posts: 1371
Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2014 2:11 pm
Tell us about yourself: I am: a father of 2 boys, a carpenter, hunter, runner. We have extensive experience with sled dogs, shepherd mixes, a wolf hybrid, and our current dog a 95# long haired Shiloh Shepherd. We added Endeavor in April 2016. She was not working out in HRD. I train for game recovery and general utility.
Location: central MD

Re: New Virus

Post by TimL_168 »

Thanks so much for the info. We're always outside rooting around. Please let us know if your vet gets any more info! I hope H gets better quickly.
Tim L.
Aurora(Shiloh) Endeavor
User avatar
centrop67
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 3581
Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2012 3:42 pm
Tell us about yourself: Owned by Hondo and Mustang - two MAD rescue dogs.
Location: Cutler Bay, FL, USA

Re: New Virus

Post by centrop67 »

I am sorry you H had you go through this. I remember the feeling when I brought Leela home from rescue, and we thought she might have distemper. Boy did she bounce back quickly though, once we identified the real culprit.

I hope H does just as well.
Michael
Location - Cutler Bay, FL USA
Image RIP: Leela, Radar, Tequila, and Snickers
If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers
k9lexi
Green Dog
Posts: 234
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2015 3:23 am
Tell us about yourself: Over the past 25 years I shared my life with a Rott, two Akitas, and a Shepherd/Husky mix. I now have my first Dutch Shepherd. Lexi was born in early September 2014. She is great in so many different ways but I could use advice from some been there done that DS owners.

Re: New Virus

Post by k9lexi »

Sorry about H, poor baby. Glad he is on the mend. What state do you live in?
User avatar
Dutchringgirl
Global Moderator
Global Moderator
Posts: 5692
Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2011 3:05 pm
Tell us about yourself: I am a mom of 6 life forces - 2 kids and 3 dogs 1 hamster. I live in Ct. I have trained Ringsport and Agility and have 2 DS, one 15 and 7 and a Basset Hound Cookie who is 2
Location: Ct, USA

Re: New Virus

Post by Dutchringgirl »

Oh No !! I am so sorry but glad to hear he is getting better !!

Do you have any idea of how he picked it up? Were you out and about? Im curious because I take my girls out for walks and I board them.

Keep us updated on H and what your vet comes up with.
Lisa, Thalie CGC & Sadie, Cookie the Basset, CT
ImageImage
Post Reply