Parvo Is Scary

[lilypily]

There is no reason why you can't socialise your pup before full vacination, you just have to do it a bit differently.

I took my pup out with me wherever I went. But I did not put her on the ground, she got to meet a variety of different people, see and hear traffic etc etc:

She went tp pup pre-school to.

Sorry, but after seeing to many horrible parvo cases, I think it is pure negligence for an owner to allow a unfully vacc pup be on public grounds. Parvo virus can live for 12 months. That's why when I worked at the shelter, I dipped my shoes in disinfectant before leaving, I took the shoes off before I got in my car, I stored them in a plastic bag in my boot, there was no way I was going to walk the parvo virus into my house and yard, even though my dogs are all vacc.

[sam.m.]

Wow what a thread to find.... I was fortunate enough just the other day to come across the following information... one of those things to keep away never know when it might be useful.

It is American and has been written by an American however many of the products are available or the equivalent to her in AU

1CC = 0.001 liter

How to Beat Parvovirus

DISCLAIMER

I do not claim to be a veterinarian, and I certainly don't claim to be able to

give medical advice. Nor do I claim that the steps contained herein will

guarantee that a pup will live through parvovirus, even if they are followed

exactly. All I claim is that I have used these methods on my own dogs to treat

this disease, and I have only lost one pup - the first pup I bred who came down with parvo, to which I did not administer these procedures.

This information is given solely as an alternative for those people who either

cannot afford veterinary care for their pup(s) and/or who do not have access to veterinary facilities. By reading or utilizing this information, the reader

agrees to waive any and all rights, claims, causes of action, or any other

allegations of injury, property damage, and/or emotional distress against

California Jack and/or its owner, affiliated entities, associates, partners,

etc. Further, the reader/user of this information agrees to defend, indemnify,

and hold harmless California Jack, and/or any of its owners, affiliated

entities, associates, partners, etc., against any and all such rights, claims,

causes of action, or any other allegations of injury, property damage, and/or

emotional distress against California Jack, etc. The purchaser of this

information agrees to use this information AT HIS OR HER OWN RISK TO HIS OR HER OWN PUP(S)/DOG(S), with the full and total understanding that parvovirus is a lethal disease which can and will kill some puppies (dogs) irrespective of what kind of treatment the pup (dog) receives, or from whom. By reading, and/or using the material contained herein, the purchaser, reader, or user of this information fully understands the above and again agrees to utilize this information AT HIS OR HER OWN RISK TO HIS OR HER OWN PET.

How Do You Tell If It's Parvovirus?

SIGNS TO LOOK FOR:

If your puppy starts looking depressed, or appears listless, you should

immediately become concerned, as these are the first signs of parvo (and any

number of other similar diseases). It may be nothing and it may go away - or, it may not. The next stage of parvo is your puppy refuses to eat. Puppies will

still continue to drink water, so don't be fooled by this. Soon after the puppy

refuses to eat, it will begin to vomit - and vomit. After this the diarrhea

comes, which is oftentimes bloody. If you let your puppy's symptoms get this

far, the chances of saving it are slim. Most people wait and wait, until it is

too late to save the pup. You cannot wait for vomiting and diarrhea to occur

before you decide to act. If you value the life of your pup, you must act before

these stages occur.

WHEN TO ACT:

If your puppy refuses to eat at its normal time, and it seems depressed,

immediately take it to the vet for a microscopic analysis for the following four

(4) conditions: coccidiosis, giardia, coronavirus, and parvovirus. It is better

to spend $50 on a false alarm - than to have to bury your pup out of laziness

and negligence. It is essential to have your pup checked out for all four of

these potential diseases. ALL of these conditions have the same symptoms, but the first two are protozoan infections which can be treated with medication [ask your vet about the kinds of medication for each, and then refer to my "Save Money" information on how to get it cheaper]. The first two infections are not usually as severe as the other two (viral) infections because they can be treated with medication, whereas the viral infections cannot. ALL of these conditions can be further alleviated by the following steps: (Take these steps only if you cannot afford competent veterinary care. By the way, if your vet is more interested in how he or she will get paid, than in saving your pup's life, then I suggest you go to a real vet.)

STEPS TO TAKE:

If you have confirmed that your puppy has one (or more) of these diseases, you

must keep the pup indoors at all times - and I would recommend that it be the

bathroom or the kitchen, as most likely the floors are tiled or made of

linoleum - and, since your puppy will be vomiting and defecating profusely,

you want to be able to clean it quickly and completely. Yes, it will be smelly

and disgusting, but the smell will go away - death, however, will not - so

clarify your values. If your puppy has parvo, and you leave it outside,

especially at night when it cools down, I assure you it will die.

Once you've found the appropriate spot in the house in which to keep the pup,

make sure that the temperature is comfortable: not too cool nor too warm -

comfortable. It is then imperative that you obtain the following supplies:

At least 4 Bags of Lactated Ringers (IV fluids) plus the catheter set ups and

needles. YOU WILL NOT BE RUNNING THESE FLUIDS IN YOUR DOG IV (INTRAVENEOUSLY),

BUT SUB-Q [sUBCUTANEOUSLY (UNDER THE SKIN)]. a) Ask your vet to provide you

with the ringers. If your vet will not, he is a money-grubber, and I would

advise you to go to another vet. In fact, I would clearly establish with your

vet whether or not he or she would provide you with such supplies before it

ever becomes necessary. Don't wait until there is a life-threatening emergency

before you find out that your vet won't help you. When you first get your pup

ask your vet straight-up "If my dog ever caught parvo, and I couldn't afford

the treatment, would you supply me with fluids?" If your vet says no, find a

new vet. If you can get the ringers, try to keep a supply on hand before such

an emergency. "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." b) If you are

in an emergency situation, or if you can't find a vet who will say "Yes" to

the above question, ask yourself if you know anyone in the nursing or medical

profession, either as suppliers or as administrators. Try to get the fluids in

this way. But you need to get the fluids.

The next step is to get 4 Bottles of Pedialyte. You can obtain this at any

supermarket or drugstore. Pedialyte is a fluid/electrolyte replacement drink

for babies who have had chronic diarrhea and vomiting, and it is absolutely

essential to the recovery of your pup. This is another good item always to

have on hand.

Get a Bottle of Immodium AD, or any other anti-diarrhea medication.

Get an anti-nausea medication.

Get a Bottle of Injectable Penicillin. You can get this at a feed store or

order through a catalogue [see my Save Money Tips]. You should always have a

bottle of penicillin on hand.

Get a 5cc or a 10 cc syringe. Always have these on hand.

Get a box of 100 3cc syringes. Always have these on hand.

Buy a box of 100, 1" long, 22 gauge Needles. Always have these on hand.

Buy some cotton balls (or gauze pads).

Buy a bottle of Betadine, or some other topical disinfectant.

Buy some Nutri-Cal, or some other calorie-replacement supplement at your pet

or feed store.

Buy some White Rice.

Buy (or make) some Chicken Broth.

HOW TO USE THIS STUFF

Immediately administer about 50 ccs of Ringers, per 10 lb. of body weight,

subcutaneously (under the skin) of your pup. DO THIS EVERY TWO HOURS UNTIL

YOUR PUP IS BETTER. Make sure the Ringers are body temperature. You do not

want either to chill, or to overheat, your pup. Remember: BODY TEMPERATURE!

Make sure you have installed the catheter to the bag of fluids properly, and

that all of the air bubbles have been washed out of the tubing. Give it a test

to see if it works. When you're sure it does, use a cotton ball and some

Betadine to disinfect the puppy's skin, and then insert the needle you've

placed at the end of the catheter tube under the puppy's skin. [You do not

stick the needle directly into the puppy's back, or stick it in his spine. You

simply lift the puppy's skin with the fingers of one hand, and then gently

push the needle just under the surface of the skin with the other at an

angle]. Start at the base of your puppy's neck, to the left of the spine, and

administer the appropriate amount of fluids into your pup by releasing the

valve on the catheter at full tilt. When the appropriate amount of fluids has

gone into your pup, withdraw the needle and again disinfect the skin - and

also pinch the hole left by the needle for a few seconds so the fluids don't

run back out of the pup. (There will be a large swelling under the puppy's

skin which will be about gone, absorbed into the pup, by the time the two

hours are up, and his next administration is due.) [Remember to insert the

needle subcutaneously (or sub-q for short)]. NOTE: If your puppy has been

vomiting and or has had profuse diarrhea prior to his first administration of

fluids, give him twice the recommended amount on his first dose, and then go back to the recommended amount for his next dose two hours later. IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS UNDERSTANDING ANY OF THIS, CONSULT A VETERINARIAN FOR ADVICE BEFORE YOU WORK ON YOUR PUP.

Continue to give your pup the recommended dose, every two hours, until your puppy has recovered. With each administration of fluids, you should insert the needle about an inch lower than where you put it in the last time, but on the other side of the spine, alternating sides with each dosage - until you get close to being 3 inches from the puppy's tail. On the next dosage, go back up to the level of the base of your puppy's neck, but start on the opposite side of the spine from where you first began. Follow this same procedure, every two hours, until your puppy is better. Again, each dosage is under the skin.

After you administer the first dose of ringers, it is time to use the

Pedialyte. Take your 5 or 10 cc syringe (no needle, just the syringe) and

withdraw pedialyte into it. You want to give the pup 5ccs of Pedialyte, per 10

lb. of body weight, every 2 hr., orally (in his mouth) right after you run the

fluids under his skin. Sit the puppy down between your legs, with his back to

you, and then tilt his head back so he's looking up. Put the syringe in his

mouth (again, without a needle) and gradually disperse the appropriate amount of Pedialyte, until it's swallowed. Be careful of gagging or choking the pup.

If your puppy vomits the Pedialyte back out, withdraw some more out of the

bottle and put some more right back in the pup's mouth, until he keeps the

proper amount down. Yes it can be messy, but it is absolutely essential to his life that he retain fluids. Sometimes you can just pour Pedialyte into a bowl and let the pup lap it up to his heart's content. Remember, if he throws it up, he doesn't have it in him, so you've got to withdraw more and put it back, until he keeps it down. Do this every two hours until your pup is better.

Give your pup ½ cc of Nutri-Cal (per 10 lb. of body weight), orally, every two

hours after his dose of Pedialyte. This will give your pup some rich nutrients

that, believe me, he really is going to need.

Give your pup ¼ cc of Immodium AD anti-diarrhea orally, per 10 lb. of body

weight (using a 3cc syringe without a needle), every other two hours, right

after you've given him his oral dose of Nutri-Cal. Again, if he throws it up,

put it back in. Sometimes, however, this can irritate the dog's stomach. If

you notice your pup keeps down the Pedialyte, but vomits right after you give

him the Immodium AD, then you should probably forget about using the Immodium.

It is much more critical that your dog get the fluids and nutrients, so if

your dog reacts to the Immodium (or Pepto Bismol, or whatever), stop using it.

Give your pup ¼ cc anti-nausea medication, right after, and in exactly the

same way, as with the above. Again, if your pup seems to be reacting to this

too, forget about using it, and just concentrate on the fluids - the fluids

are the most important part.

Give your pup a shot of penicillin. ONLY GIVE THIS SHOT EVERY OTHER DAY. Use

your 3 cc syringe, with the 1", 22-gauge needle, and withdraw ½ cc of

penicillin into the syringe (for every 10 lb. of body weight). Point the

needle upwards and flick your finger against the syringe so that all of the

air bubbles go to the top. Depress the plunger of the syringe, with the needle

still pointed upward, until all of the air has been removed. Then deliver an

intra-muscular injection. To do this, disinfect the skin of the meaty portion

of one of the pup's rear legs, and insert the needle just to the rear of the

center of the meatiest part. (There is a large nerve that runs down the

centerline, and you want to avoid damaging this nerve - ASK YOUR VET IF YOU

ARE UNSURE AS TO WHAT YOU ARE DOING). Push the needle in about half-way and

depress the plunger all the way to deliver the penicillin. The penicillin does

not harm the parvovirus (or corona, coccidia, or whatever). What it does is

prevent secondary infection. Again, only give the penicillin every other day,

and switch back and forth between each of the pup's rear legs, with each

injection, to allow healing. Vigorously rub a cotton ball with disinfectant

over the injection site when you're done with each injection.

Mix the cooked white rice with a little chicken broth and see if your pup will

eat it. If he doesn't eat it, throw the rice away and make a new batch six

hours later, and try again. Keep trying every six hours until the pup begins

to nibble at it. NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR PUP UNTIL IT EITHER DIES OR EATS. KEEP

TRYING AND DON'T LOSE HOPE. SPEAK KINDLY AND LOVINGLY TO YOUR PUP, AND STAY

WITH HIM AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE TO GIVE HIM MORAL SUPPORT. [Remember when you

were a child, how much better it felt to have your parent(s) close to you when

you were sick? Your puppy's spirits are raised too when you're around to

comfort him. NEVER underestimate the power of LOVE in healing the very

sick...]

IF YOUR PUP BEGINS TO EAT YOU'VE MADE IT. Do not feed your pup his regular

meal at this point, as his stomach lining is much too sensitive to tolerate

it, but you can add some Nutri-Cal to the rice and chicken broth. Feeding the

pup rice will do two things: 1) it will give him some nutrition, and 2) it

will begin to firm-up his stool. As the pup's stool begins to firm up, you can

begin to add some of his regular kibble to the rice after about two days,

gradually increasing the amount of kibble, until his stool is completely firm

again, and his rice is completely replaced by his regular food.

THINGS TO REMEMBER:

If your pup dies, and you did all of the above, please understand that even

under 24 hr. veterinary care, pups still have a high mortality rate with

parvovirus, and reassure yourself that you did everything you possibly could. In

fact, many vets will tell you that a pup has a much greater chance of survival

staying at home, with this kind of treatment, because of the supportive care,

and familiar surroundings, that only his home could offer. There are certain

things such as jugular IV fluid therapy, and plasma transfusions, which of

course you are not set up to perform at home - but remember, this advice is for

those who cannot afford to take their pup to a vet.

I invite you to show this advice to your vet and have him clarify, explain, or

amend any of these steps until you feel comfortable with all of the procedures.

Parvovirus, etc. is serious business, and the better you understand these

procedures, and the quicker you act on implementing them when you see the first

signs of parvo, the better chance your pup has of pulling through this critical

disease. These are important lessons to learn. I hope you never experience

parvovirus with any of your dogs; it's a terrible disease. But, if you do, I

hope this article will assist you in saving the life of your beloved pup. If

not, you can be assured you did everything in your power for your pup. Good luck

- and if your pup makes it, CONGRATULATIONS!

Sorce:

http://www.ponchodogs.org/parvo.html

[~Anne~]

Good lord - where did that info come from. What a dangerous piece of rubbish to post. I'm dumbfounded

[lilypily]

That's silly advise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is no way people without nursing experience should attempt treatment at home. The I.V needs to be intravenous!!!!!!!! not sub-cut. No fluids should be orally administered.

Proper vet treatment is a MUST for parvo cases, lack of money is not an excuse.

That's like saying if I get sick, and don't want to pay the doctors bill, that i'll treat myself at home, give myself injections etc: Just silly.

[Nadia]

PLEASE FOLK, DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!!

IF YOU HAVE A SICK DOG SEEK VETERINARY ADVICE!!

[Takani]

Hi,

As stated by a lot of people on this issue. Parvo should be treated by proper veterinarian specialists. This is a very serious issue. And also just a correction Parvo Virus can lay dormant and survive in untreated surroundings for up to 7 years. so it is a very scary prospect on where do you take your puppy safely? Puppy Preschool is a must for puppies, i prefer one run at a vet clinic as they use the proper treatment to make it safe for all clients, but that is just my personal choice. Most puppies are more at risk between their 1st and 2nd vaccination this is where care must be taken... Goodluck and safe schooling... Socialization is big on my list as it makes life much easier to share with your companion and others with their's. Costing for these things should of been accounted for before buying a companion if money is an issue than not enough serious thought has gone into it.

[George my Doggie]

I agree.

Although witht he possible-parvo case at the vet I work at, we gave the pup fluids sub-cut... But that was a mild case, is it different with severe parvo?

My vet offered the owners the chance to take the pup home and he would show them how to give the treatments, and they were to bring it back for checkups and inter-muscular injections. The owner however, refused and preffered to pay the bill for hospitalisation, drugs and 24/7care.

I certainly wouldn't want to treat a serious case at home by myself. That isn't even practical for most people. I mean, they have jobs, they can't spend time at home indeffinately to take care of a sick puppy. They need to work in order to get money to support the pup's treatment and of course feed themselves. I mean, if they couldn't have afforded vet treatment in the first place, imagine how much they'd be struggling.

I say if you can't afford it, don't get a dog. I think it would be better for the dog to have its suffering ended by being put to sleep, rather than being treated by someone with no experience and without veterinary supervision.

Edited May 31, 2005 by George my Doggie

[Brian_Newcastle]

I acquired my dog at 2 years of age and we took her to the vet for a check up, and the vet reccommended that we vaccinate her so we did which consisted of the 1 shot.

Does a one shot vaccination at two years old cover my dog for all of the major dog diseases?

[haven]

It depends on the vaccination (c3, c4 or c5) and if your dog had been vaccinated before.

The first vaccination just primes the immune system so if your dog had not been vacc before you will need another shot.

Otherwise a yearly booster is all you need.

If your dog was previously vaccinated with a C3 and you wanted to give a C4 or C5, again you would need a second shot and then a yearly booster.

[Cordelia]

Sub-cut fluids can be the difference between life and death in an emergency BUT.... should not be administered by a person with no experience nor should anyone with no nursing/vet experience be allowed to have IV catheters, injectable antibiotics etc in their home. It is way to easy to OD or do some serious damage to your pet.

I think you'll find that the info comes from a US site as I don't know any vets that would just give someone these things if they rocked up demanding them because they couldn't afford a vet bill. :rolleyes:

As for offering rice and chicken etc...... all oral solids and fluids should be stopped until the diarrhoea has slowed dramatically. (Could be up to 5 days). All feeding will do is stimulate the bowel and cause pain and the gastro to flare back up, hence compromising the pup further.

Potentially dangerous advice.