I purchased a dog from a breeder she was really small and had diarhhea, the breeder told me she was healthy she was just the runt and the diarhhea was from her shots the previous week. I took her to the vet the next morning, the vet gave me meds and said she had fleas and was underweight & to watch closely and she had signs of hydrocephalus but she would have to be monitored to be sure. I called the breeder the same day-I took the dog to vet again 3 days later and she had lost weight and her opinion was she should go back to breeder. We callled the breeder again and she told us we could return her for a full refund which we did. She called the day after I took her back and said she had to put her down and the dog got parvo while she was with me and she stopped payment on the refund. How long does it take from exposure of parvo until the symptoms start? Is it possible she was exposed at our house and immediately showed symptoms? Any input on this would be helpful

Sounds like she had parvo when you got her. Labman or Ruby will give you good input.

Did you have any puppies in your home that became ill or died of parvo virus 6 months prior to your bringing this one into your home? Did you mention this to the breeder? If not, you have the basis of a lawsuit there. What the breeder did in cancelling her reimbursement check to you is a felony. The breeder is less than ethical, which is usually the case and which is why I never advise people to buy a puppy from someone they don't know. That puppy was sick when you bought it. That is a fact supported by your discussion with the breeder when you purchased the pup, and by your veterinarian when he examined the pup the following morning. A responsible breeder always guarantees the health of a puppy. A puppy should never have any health issues when you purchase it. That was your mistake for believing this person to start with. But, for her to suggest the parvo virus was picked up while under your care is outrageous. Do you have any friends that are lawyers? A simple phone call to her from your lawyer might do the trick. If not, I suggest you sue her in small claims court. Speak with your veterinarian about being there to testify for you. Hold onto the cancelled check when it is returned to you. THAT alone is the strongest evidence in this case. Sue her for the cost of the pup, the vet bills, and the returned check fee. Make sure you bring all of this paperwork to court to support your claims. Unless there is something missing from your story, she will be found responsible. A judge will not look too kindly on her when he sees that cancelled check.

I can't find the incubation period of parvo of the sites I trust. I had remembered 8 days. I found several references giving ranges as short as 2-14 days. So it looks like she could have come with parvo, or picked it up while you had her. Perhaps talk to the vet. The breeder should give more credibility to the vet than somebody on the net calling himself Labman.

RubyPitbull has far more experience than I do with some of the nastier sides of the real world. She posted while I was trying to find a good answer to the incubation period.

labman, you answered the question she was asking, which I didn't.

The fact that the vet suspected hydrocephalus occurring less than 24 hours after she purchased the pup, and told her to watch the dog, tells me that this puppy was seriously ill to begin with. Who knows if the dog really had parvo virus. That is what the breeder stated and we already know that she was trying to pawn off a very sick dog on an unsuspecting buyer. The time span suggests that there is no way this dog contracted anything in any place other than the breeders home. I suspect that the illness was very much due to improper breeding practices and this poor puppy would have died at the breeder's home if scriggs wasn't hoodwinked into purchasing it in the first place. It is a very sad way to learn a hard lesson. Never buy a puppy that is obviously ill.