Parvo Is Scary

[Guest johnthegypsy]

hi i'm new here and have just spent 4 days of hell here in SA. my apbt pup jed (15 weeks) became ill on sat. night, and wnt down hill from there. he was admitted to surgery on monday morning for an abdominal obstruction and was found to have intestinal inflamation. wrong diagnosis, $1500 later and intensive fluid replacement and antibiotics and anti nausea treatment tonight 4 the 1st time hes back to his normal self. totally changed in 8 hours from listless to screaming the surgery down, licking and chewing on my hand. trying oral fluids tomorrow. were stoked never gave up but it was very touch and go.

hope no one has to ever go through this!

but remember 20 weeks of total isolation, full range of shots, no sniffing

other dogs turd in the park and your puppy MIGHT be safe!!!

[Miranda]

Hi John,

Had your puppy had his second vaccination?

[Staffyluv]

Parvo is devestating...

My family lost a little bully to parvo when he was 10 weeks old... He had never been out anywhere, but mum had a friend bring their dog over to play with the little one...

Glad your little one is on the mend...

Jodie

[George my Doggie]

When I was working down at the vets we had a possible parvo puppy come in.

Vommitted just outside the front door and was put in isolation for about a week. The pup was about 10-12 weeks old, was vommitting, had bloody diarrhea, very skinny, lethargic and dehydrated.

It had to have anti vommitting drugs, an injectable antibiotic, Scourban, and fluids. It cried screamed an wriggled every time it had a needle stuck into it.

After we got the pup in the isolation room we had to decontaminate the entire area the pup had come in contact with.

The pup did get better though, although we never found out if it was a mild parvo or something else...

It was horribkle just not knowing if he would pull through or just deteriorate...and listenening to him cry every treatment.

Edited May 27, 2005 by George my Doggie

[haven]

I've been lucky enough to have never seen it personally, but have heard many horror stories. What I can tell you from personal experience is that parvo is not nearly as scary as an adult dog with intense fear of everything thanks to lack of socialisation during the critical peiod! By all means, avoid areas highly trafficed by dogs of possibly dubious vaccination records and don't let your dog sniff where other dogs have toileted, but don't isolate your pups during their critical period! They can recover from parvo, if they beat the odds and actually contract it. Learning during the critical period for socialisation (and/or lack thereof) is PERMENANT. That IS scary! ;)

[George my Doggie]

I agree with you there haven. My vet advises owners not to take their dogs to puppy classes untill they've been fully vaccinated. But any good puppy class (like the one I help out with) is held in a place not often frequented by dogs.

My dog was barely socialised at all before ten weeks, and he's very timid. I've had aggression and behavioural problems with him. Mainly recource guarding, he defends his food against other dogs, guards resting places against people and has a fear biting problem.

other things include chasing the cat and cars, overly submissive with other dogs and intolerance of young puppies.

[Nadia]

I've been lucky enough to have never seen it personally, but have heard many horror stories. What I can tell you from personal experience is that parvo is not nearly as scary as an adult dog with intense fear of everything thanks to lack of socialisation during the critical peiod! By all means, avoid areas highly trafficed by dogs of possibly dubious vaccination records and don't let your dog sniff where other dogs have toileted, but don't isolate your pups during their critical period! They can recover from parvo, if they beat the odds and actually contract it. Learning during the critical period for socialisation (and/or lack thereof) is PERMENANT. That IS scary! ;)

Haven,

Anybody who has actually nursed Parvo cases would have to question you here.

Parvo is a devastating disease.

It is not a simple tummy bug that unlucky dogs get, that they recover from.

Many Parvo cases are not even treated, the animals are Euthanased.

It is extremely painful, it is one of the most difficult diseases to nurse.

In some areas it simply is not safe to venture out with a puppy that has not been fully vaccinated.

A Parvo outbreak in an area sends shivers down the spines of all Vets and their staff.

[haven]

Whats to question?

Yes parvo is a devistating and painful disease, no argument.

I said dogs CAN recover from it, I'm aware that not ALL do and that some are beyond treatment when presented at the vet.

I also agree that you shouldn't take your puppy to some places and this view was included in my post.

Parvo is awful but if look at the stats on the number of dogs every year that die from parvo and the number of dogs destroyed due to an unmanagable problem thanks to lack of socialisation, there is no comparisson.

I wouldn't wish either on any dog, but total isolation during the critical period for socialisation is not the answer.

[George my Doggie]

In my area we only get one parvo case in a year - if that.

The possible-parvo was a free puppy from a farm somewhere out in lismore or casino.

So yes, vaccinate and keep pups away from areas where unvaccinated dogs have been and there should be no problems ;)

[Toohey]

Whats to question?

if look at the stats on the number of dogs every year that die from parvo and the number of dogs destroyed due to an unmanagable problem thanks to lack of socialisation, there is no comparisson. 

Puppies who are not fully socialised prior to being fully vaccinated are highly unlikely to have unmanageable problems. It's the dogs who are never socialised at all that might have problems later on.

Edited May 28, 2005 by Toohey

[haven]

Puppies who are not fully socialised prior to being fully vaccinated are highly unlikely to have unmanageable problems. It's the dogs who are never socialised at all that might have problems later on.

When you isolate your puppy until it is fully vaccinated and many vets give the final vaccination at 16 weeks you've isolated your dog for the entire critical period for socialisation. It is highly likely that if your pup receives no socialisation during this time it will have permenant issues even if you socialise it after 16 weeks. The severity and specific issues differs and you can manage problems to a certain extent but never 'cure' them. It also makes a difference to the pups personality and general outlook on life.

[Toohey]

I was not talking about isolating pups. I was talking about not fully socialising them. As we have seen from the original poster in this thread, his dog was allowed to sniff dog poo at the park at 15 weeks of age. There is no way I would take a pup to a dog park before it was fully vaccinated and my breeder would skin me alive if I did.

Pups can be socialised within reason via meetings with known safe dogs and puppy preschools.

I think it is negligent to advise people to take pups to public places such as dog parks before they have their full course of vaccinations.

Edit to add, I have known several pups who have not been out of the breeder's yard until several months old and they assimiliated in to the big dog world with no problems at all. Pups who are at home with other dogs are also unlikely to have problems.

Edited May 28, 2005 by Toohey

[Toohey]

Just out of interest Haven, what is your idea of adequate socialisation for a pup that is not fully vaccinated? ;)

[haven]

By all means, avoid areas highly trafficed by dogs of possibly dubious vaccination records and don't let your dog sniff where other dogs have toileted,

Toohey, this is part of my origional post.

[haven]

unmanagable problem thanks to lack of socialisation

Wanted to change this to include a behaviour problem that is not managed, because in many cases the dog suffers because the owner lacks the skills or the dedication in terms on time or money or care factor, to deal with the problem. The dog then ends up at the pound where it pts if a new home isn't found.

[George my Doggie]

That's very true. I've heard lots of horror stories about dogs with rescource guarding problems that were allowed to develop unchecked.

One book I read called 'agression in dogs'...can't remember the author...(excellent book btw) written by a behaviourist, has several stories about his clients and how some decided to wait to begin behaviour mod. One ended in the dog biting a child and being put to sleep.

[haven]

If you're talking about a big peachy coloured book, it is By Brenda Aloff (spelling?) and is indeed an excellent book.

[George my Doggie]

That could possible be it... It had a drawing of a happy, waggily tailed dog with a halo above it's head next to a snarling growly dog with devil horns on the cover.

I think they were fox terriers...

Very enlightening ;) I understand my dog a whole lot better after reading it.

[Clyde]

Hence, why puppy pre school is so great! A means to socialise pups in a controlled environment.

[George my Doggie]

yes

As long as all the pups have had their first vaccination and it is in a place where unvaccinated dogs don't visit often.

Edited May 29, 2005 by George my Doggie