Question's About Parvo Virus **Updated**

Question:
 I just recently adopted an 8 week old puppy form our local kill shelter. The first day that I had her home, I noticed a slight cough. Brought her to the vet the next day and he prescribed Clavamox for Kennel Cough. Over the next two days, I notice very frequent diarreah, lethargy, and vomitting. Bring her back to the vet, and she is then diagnosed with Parvo Virus. She satyed there two days, looked better, came home and the vomitting and diarrhea started again. She is now currently back at the vets, on IV fluids and antibiotics again. She has lost a lot of weight (looks like a tiny little skeleton with fur).
Her vet seems positive she will pull through this. I am trying to stay positive also.
When she does come home, she will need to be on a bland diet for a few days.
I am looking for a great quality dog food to place her on after she is on the bland. Any suggestions? I would like to give her system a healthy kick after she overcomes this bout with Parvo.
Also, has anyone had a puppy that has overcome Parvo Virus? Is there anyhting in particular that I could do? I am just trying to get ready for her return home.

Answer:
 I feed mine Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul. Mine do good on it, my husky has a soft coat, and I've noticed she sheds less since she's been on it. I have heard of some dogs getting a little diareah/gas when they are first started on it tho.
Google "Top Ten Dog Foods" and you will find all kinds of info on high quality dog foods.
Whatever you decide to feed, you will want to slowly introduce it to her by mixing it into the bland diet.

Answer:
 I will give that a try. Yes I planned on gradually adding the new food to the balnd diet.
Where can you get the Chicken Soup food at?

Answer:
 I had a puppy that pulled through parvo. She went from healthy, to almost dead basically overnight. By the time (next day) that I got her to the vet, she literally couldn't even lift her head. The vet didn't think she'd make it, so I suspect yours has a good chance. The main thing with parvo is to get it treated immediately, which you did. She also lost a lot of weight, and was basically just a skeleton, that's pretty typical with a lot of puppy illnesses (especially coccidia) since they're so small, they don't have to loose much to get really underweight, but she was back to her normal weight within about month. It also took her about a week to really get a good appetite back, so don't be alarmed if she doesn't seem overly interested in her food for a little while, as long as she's eating something. She'll probably also be pretty weak for a little while, and will tire out easily. But, of the really nice things about puppies is that they bounce back quickly.

Answer:
 My friend had a Golden x Lab mix that was acting strange when they took her to her obedience classes. The instructor insisted that they go home - she was listless.
They took her home, came out to check up on her about an hour later, and she was like a limp doll - completely unresponsive. Thanks to a quick trip to the vet, she pulled through, with no ill effects.
Elizabeth

Answer:
 Thank you all for your stories of encouragment. It has been a hard week. Yes, the vet said that I did catch it early. So that is one card in our favor. It is just so scary. We just brought her home and now it feels like we had to put her back into a cage (at the vets) and let them stick her with needles. The poor baby. She is a good pup, and I am anxiousily awaiting her return home. Please keep us in your thoughts.

Answer:
 I get Chicken Soup at Pet Supplies Plus. Most of the websites for the dogs foods have a dealer locator.. or a number to call to locate one..
http://chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/

Answer:
 Think about it this way, she'll be really excited to come home, and right now, she probably doesn't mind being in a cage. I've worked in a vets, and usually any parvo puppies got tons of extra attention (not just medical), even tho you have to go through a whole disinfecting ritual after touching it, they're just so pathetic you can't stand it and put up with all the alcohol and such.

Answer:
 Did you notify the shelter that your puppy has Parvo? Did the vet actually test for Parvo or was it an educated guess? Is he sure it is not coccidia?
You will often find the better quality dog foods at feed mills.

Answer:
 Yes, she tested positive for Parvo through the blood test and the fecal test. Intestines also felt very hard and tight according to the vet. White Blood cell count was high, according to the CBC that was drawn. also.
As for the shelter, I still do not have nice words for them. The asked if I wanted to bring her back, they would put her to sleep and I could get a new dog or my money back. The woman who answered the phone did not seemed to concerned, even though I told her that some of the puppies that were housed by mine should be tested, just in case. I am still not happy with them.
I adopted her on Thursday the 17, she was seen for Kennel Cough on Friday the 18, and then hospitalized for Parvo on the 21st, released on the 23rd, only to return back to the hospital on the 25th. She is currently still there.

Answer:
 Well, you notified them - her response was inexcusable. If you find they have an outbreak, perhaps make a call to the Dept of AG.

Answer:
 Has a fecal test been done to check for intestinal worms, coccidia, and giardia??? It's amazing how sick puppies can get from an infestation of worms....Has the pup been dewormed yet?? Any vaccines??
Has the cough cleared up?? At our vet we use a medicine called Delta Albaplex, it is antibiotic and steroid and works wonderfully on a 3 day course.
Nicole
"BaileysMom"

Answer:
 According to the records from the shelter that were faxed over to my vet, she was dewormed on intake on Oct. 26, 2005 and then again on Wednesday the 16th, the day of her spay. Being a kill shelter, the vets that volunteer their services promote pediatric spays/nueters. She was given Interceptor for Heartworm on Saturday the 19th.
She has had the following vaccines:
DA2PP on 10/26/05 and 11/17/2005
Pyrantal Dewormer on 11/1/2005 and 11/16/2005
Interceptor in 11/19/2005
Advantage Flea Protection on Sunday 11/20/2005
I had her on Nutro Ultra Puppy food, the dry Kibble and Canned food.
She didn't have a bath, because I adopted her a day after her spay and was given a two week period until I could imerese her in water.
She didn't go anywhere besides my home. From the shelter to my home and then to the vet on Friday the 18th and Monday the 21st.
When I noticed the cough and sought treatment, she had a very slight cough. I was instructed to give her Clavamox, 62.5 mg every 12 hours for 7 days to prevent any bacterial infections/complications.
Today, Sunday, I am still awaiting a call from the vets office to get the update on her progress. I will update after I receive the call.
If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask. I am open to all advice and information at this moment.

Answer:
 A good bland and easy to find diet is rice with boiled chicken meat. No salt, no chicken skin, just the chicken and rice. I have also used Gerbers first stage chicken baby food.
Your pup is in my prayers.

Answer:
 The wormer they gave her was only good for roundworms. She could have tapes, whips or hooks which can cause digestive problems.
Since your puppy was vaccinated at the shelter she may likely have a positive parvo test because the vaccines they give are live.......and will give a false positive to parvo. If your vet does not believe this, I can send you lots of information to prove I am right. I have battled with several vets over this in the past.
I would ask your vet if they have tested your puppy for some of the other things mentioned above. Even if your pup truly has parvo, she could also have something else that she will not recover from if left untreated. Coccidia is what it sounds like she has more than anything. If she does not get the proper medication for it, then she won't get better.
Some vets will get a positive parvo test and not look for anything else. You must insist they check for other things if they have not.......just to make sure.