Markam Vet squeezes us in for a visit first thing in the morning. By this point Molson has slightly improved, and this time Guinness needs the subcutaneous fluid. We figure it seems to be working for Molson, so now it is Guinness' turn. This vet seems to think that it could be giardia, even after Joel mentions the foul smelling poo. We are told it would be really bloody if it is parvovirus. Antibiotics are provided due to the potential Giardia. She offers us the IV hydration and hospital stay, but mentions there is no overnight observation at the clinic. We decide what is the point, we will watch them overnight instead. It can only get better now.
We ask her how the blood work looks from the emergency visit the night before. Funny they say, they never received it! By now the emergency clinic is closed down for the day, so there is no hope in finding out now. Besides, nobody has even suggested that it could be parvovirus.
The puppies are drinking and eating small amounts for most of the day. They also do little rounds of play, and so we think they must be recovering from whatever hit them.
How we were mistaken. In the late evening the problem is mainly the diarrhea. It is getting runnier and smellier. We can hear the liquid squirt from across the room! However, we still do not see any overly obvious bright blood in the stool. I again nurse them with a Pedialyte and water concoction all night. Molson stops eating and drinking again, along with the ensuing lethargy. Guinness is improved from how he was early in the morning, but not eating as much.
I call the emergency clinic in the late evening to ask someone to read the blood test results to me over the phone. I figure a vet must be like a regular doctor. Bad results means a phone call to you, good results and you won't hear anything. I also start to get paranoid that maybe they just buried the results in the chart. Calling the office will simply give me peace of mind that nothing was found. Good thing I called. The secretary tells me "Oh, you never got it?" Looks into the file and doesn't find anything. She says that the lab is closed now anyways, so I will have to wait until the morning to get the results. I am irritated, but there is nothing I can do at this point.
Saturday January 3rd
Morning comes and I am exhausted. The emergency vet clinic calls to say that the lab work they took on Thursday has been lost. Sorry, we will refund your money. I say okay, thinking things are going to only improve anyways. We make a second fit in trip to our regular vet. Again they give subcutaneous fluids to Molson, but two humps instead of one. Guinness seems to be recovering again. We are told to monitor them closely and if no improvement is noted, to rush them to the emergency clinic.
We are watching and waiting. Molson doesn't even respond to the fluids this time. The lethargy is setting in deeper. Guinness is not as active and stops eating and drinking again. We realize that something more is going on here now. It cannot just be food poisoning or giardia....I start to read up on the parvovirus on the internet, and get advice from my sister's friend that is in vet school in Ottawa. He says that he believes it really sounds like parvovirus and that we need to get the dogs to the emergency clinic right away to put them on iv fluids. He says puppies can take a turn for the worst in such a short time.
I call the emergency clinic to tell them that we are on our way over again, and that I want blood work repeated stat. She says I need to talk to the vet when I get there. By the time I arrive, they say they will do in house lab work for us since they screwed it up.
A German Sheppard that was hit by a car is rushed past us while we are waiting in the lounge. This delays our assessment a little but, but then the vet comes out and whisks Molson straight into the back saying they are starting him on iv right away. He pulls Joel and I into one of the room to tell us that the lab work shows his white blood cell count is low and that he has parvovirus. I start to ball my eyes out. He says the chances of survival is about 50/50 and there is no telling how any certian puppy will do. It is just a matter of wait and see. The most you can do is hydrate them, give them electrolytes and stomach medication for now. They have to fight the course of the virus and there is no miracle drug.
Guinness is taken to the back with his brother for the same treatment, although the virus doesn't seem to have hit him as hard. Tamiflu is inititated since the vet believes that this will help stregthen their immune system for fighting off the virus. We figure whatever it takes we will try. Panic is setting in.
I am trying not to cry my eyes out as we are able to say goodnight to the pups in the ICU isolation room. They are in their little metal kennels looking out at us and there is absolutely nothing we can do. Molson is curled up in the corner, oblivious to what is going on. He feels so awful, that he doesn't even care what is happening around him. There are IV solutions running via a pump, with special electrolytes for proper hydration. Guinness is looking at us and yelping with such desperation, thinking we are deserting him. They have been separated in two crates, so it is upsetting since they are usually attached by the hip. We just hope they can survive this further trauma. We felt so helpless and saddened that they have to suffer like this.
I knew that Guinness would pull through since he looked in okay shape, but Molson I was so afraid was going to die. Poor little beaker....We never thought we could form such an attachement to the little guys so soon!
What is Parvo?
Parvoviruses are a large group; almost every mammal species (including humans) seems to have its own parvovirus.The canine parvovirus will affect most members of the dog family (wolves, coyotes, foxes etc.).This virus has proved especially effective at infecting rapidly dividing host cells such as intestinal cells, bone marrow cells, cells of the lymph system, and fetal cells. Parvoviral infection has become a disease almost exclusively of puppies and adolescent dogs. Parvovirus was identified in the early 1980's and was found in virtually every area of the globe at the same time.Attacks the intestinal tract causing vomiting and diarrhea; severe bleeding and collapse are not unusual. Also attacks the heart.It can act quickly and sudden death is very common. Prompt intensive care is essential, but even so, survival rates are low.
What are the Symptoms?
The clinical signs accompanying this disease vary form undetectable to severe and rapidly fatal. Dogs of all ages can be infected, but in general the younger the animal the more severe the disease. The dog may be lethargic and inappetent.The dog then runs a temperature, is depressed, has vomiting and diarrhea and is dehydrated. The diarrhea may be very watery, be tinged with blood, or very bloody. The smell is very characteristic due to the bleeding from the bowel.The virus can also attack the heart muscle, causing myocarditis, particularly in young puppies. This usually results in sudden death, often just at a time when we think we have the diarrhea under control and the pup seems to be responding well.
What is the treatment?
The terrible diarrhea which occurs in this disease is due to the virus attacking the lining of the intestines. This causes cells to die, slough off and bleed. The condition is called viral enteritis. Unfortunately, treatment for viral enteritis is supportive only; there are no effective antiviral agents. The primary goal of therapy is to replace the fluid and electrolyte losses since dehydration and electrolyte imbalances themselves may be fatal. This is achieved with I.V. Fluids. Broad spectrum antibiotics are used to combat secondary bacterial infection. Good nursing care is absolutely essential.One of the ways parvo can kill is via the metabolic derangements that occur with dehydration. It is crucial to replace the vast fluid losses (from vomiting and diarrhea) with intravenous fluids.
How is Parvo Transmitted?
Parvovirus is shed in the stools, is extremely hardy and can survive heat and sub-zero temperatures for long periods of time. This means the virus may remain in the environment long after the feces is removed. Your shoes can carry it home to your dog. Infected dogs shed virus (in their stool) in gigantic amounts during the 2 weeks following exposure. Because such enormous amounts of virus are shed, there is a HUGE potential for environmental contamination when an infected dog has been there.It is important to realize that because the canine parvovirus is so hardy in the environment, it is considered ubiquitous. This means that NO ENVIRONMENT is free from this virus unless it is regularly disinfected. A parvoviral infection can be picked up ANYWHERE although it is easier to pick up an infection in an area where an infected dog has been simply because of the larger amounts of virus in a contaminated area.
Vaccinations
We know there are dogs that have been vaccinated but still come down with parvovirus infection. this can occur either due to inadequate vaccination, i.e., not enough boosters at the right time or due to exposure during the "window of susceptibility". This window is inevitable in pups and can be as wide as 30 days, during which the pup may be susceptible in spite of the vaccination.
Parvo Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtbhZRSKTts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsPzP1liWqE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQKlIL-1Zno
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fU2U2W9viE
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