Parvo

[Asha]

I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with the parvo virus. My cousin's 5 month old male pitbull mix was diagnosed today with a pretty severe case of the virus. I took them to the vet and the pup was just completely out of it, lethargic, too exhausted to whine, bleeding anally. I'm looking for info on cost and recovery rate. I'm calling our vet immediately because our 12 week old pup Asha played with the infected dog Buster two weeks ago.

[johninny]

i do not have direct experience OR knowledge, but know enough [ i think !] as a preliminary caution to concentrate all your efforts on your own pup. see immediately if there is ANYTHING that can be done as aggressive preventive measure. i have heard there is but have to check with someone and get back to you. but take Asha's exposure very seriously. unfortunately, it may well be too late to save the other pup.

do others have insight on the chances for a pup that sick and what they would do?
any thinking-out-of-the-box prevention methods for Asha that a vet might not do?

ok, did my check - TAMIFLU has been known to be effective in preventing and sometimes even treating Parvo. try to get the vet or any doctor to prescribe Tamiflu [ which prevents flu in humans if administered at the very outset of symptoms ]. i personally would not take NO for an answer as this could be life and death for Asha and ''waiting to see'' does not make sense in view of the risks.

[Asha]

Thank you for responding so quickly John, it seems we can always count on you. I talked with the vet around 2 p.m. She saw Asha Wednesday for shots, including her first Parvo Vac. She said she did not see anything alarming in her behavior and thought her to be completely healthy. She said as long as Asha wasn't around Buster (infected dog) while he was "shedding" the parvo, which is the throwing up, loose stool she should be fine. When we were around him two weeks ago he was completely fine, running and playing like crazy, which Asha's doc also said was a good sign for her. We did set up an appointment for Monday, just to be safe. It was a very scary, stressful day, but talking to the doc and seeing Asha as playful has ever, not to mention a couple of pumpkin ales has taken the edge off. Keep your fingers crossed for us and thanks again for your input we appreciate it immensely.

[Revhendo]

Roo's and her siblings had Parvo when they were picked up in a construction site with their Mom. I want to say that only one of the pups passed, I don't really remember. Parvo is dire, but you are aware of the danger and have acted early. I can't vouch for your cousin's pit, but should Asha test positive, she should be totally treatable. Good luck and prayers.

[TexasMedy]

It can be treated if caught early. It is expensive. 5 to 7 days at the vet. They require a lot of fluids and antibiotics. There is no cure. They try to keep the dog alive long enough for the immune system to kick in. There is a lot of info on the internet. I met a pit mix the other day who was a parvo survivor. The vet in this case (my vet) did the treatment for free for this rescue. He was a thriving 3 year old when I met him last week.

[johninny]

Emily, you did not say where the dogs played together, but if was in Buster's yard, it seems to me, regardless of what the vet says now [ as opposed to after possible sickness in another 2 weeks ], that the chance of infection for Asha is very high indeed, even if buster was not obviously sick at the time. Tamiflu now seems like an easy thing to do to avoid a real catastrophe.

[Asha]

They played together in another relative's yard. I wanted to get the Tamiflu but you need a prescription.

[johninny]

your vet can do that for you.

[Tappy4me]

Rufus is a parvo survivor. He had parvo at 9 weeks old. Treated early, there is usually a very good outcome.

I would definitely try to get a script from the vet for tamiflu!

[Asha]

So I talked to two vet clinics today. Mine was, again, extremely nonchalant and the receptionist said not to bring her in until she was severely vomiting and had blood in her feces...strange. So I called the vet that we took Buster (the infected dog) to and they were more informative. However, they said basically the same thing, vomiting and diarreah, but they also said if she is lethargic to bring her in. So I am at a loss here. So far Asha seems completely fine, but in the back of my mind I am terrified she's gonna get sick. I keep waking her up from her naps and making her run and play with me to make sure she's not lethargic. The good news is Buster is doing great and expecting to make a full recovery. I think the vet bill is around $900 so far. We could never afford that kind of bill, but of course would find a way to pay for any care for her, I just don't ever want to see her suffer like Buster, it was soooo sad, you could tell he felt awful.

[Sugars Mom]

Awwww, fingers crossed Asha stays healthy and Buster fully recovers.

I didn't opt for insurance but there is a thread here somewhere about it.

[TexasMedy]

Test for parvo at link below.
Plus your vet can test.
http://www.idexx.com//view/xhtml/en_us/ ... SSOTOKEN=0

[TexasMedy]

It can take 6 to 10 days to show symptoms; therefore it would be a good idea to get a test rather then wait for the symptoms to appear. There is a good chance your puppy is not infected but there is also a chance he is. I would want to have him tested since you know he was exposed to the virus.