Yesterday I came home to find my 4 1/2 month old puppy suddenly lethargic and without appetite. He would not go near his food or even get up to go outside. When I finally carried him out to the yard, he had some jelly-like diarrhea that was partly yellow and partly clear (sorry to be so graphic). He wouldn't even take one step back toward the house. He looked so sad. I became worried because he had just gotten his first round (yes, first round, I'm sorry!) of vaccinations 4 days before that, and I thought he may have been having a reaction. Or worse, that I had waited too long to vaccinate.

But I became even more concerned a few hours later when he was still just lying on the floor and began vomiting. I rushed him to the vet where they found that he had a fever of over 105 and was completely dehydrated.

After they ruled out parasites, they told me the only other likely problem was parvo. I did not have them run the test, because I knew that if he did have parvo, I couldn't afford the pricey treatment (it's astronomical!).

So they gave him an i.v. treatment for the dehydration and sent us home with antibiotics and anti-nausea meds.

Within 24 hours he has regained his appetite (without vomiting), has enough energy to jump up and down from furniture and his temp hasn't gone above 101.8. he's even wagging his tail and stealing socks again! I just do not believe that he could've recovered this quickly if he had parvo.

Any thoughts?

Most likely not parvo. Probably a reaction to the shots or something he ate.

Dogs are a lot like us. They get sick. It's not always something deadly.

I do have one concern. The treatment for parvo, although not cheap, isn't that expensive that you should turn away from it.

Most vets charge from $500 - $2000 for parvo treatment. If you can't afford that, perhaps a pet isn't for you.

You should be setting money aside for things like this. Trust me, crap happens, better to have a nest egg so you can take care of it.

A dog is a living breathing being, it deserves the best care possible.

I'm glad your puppy is okay.

Good luck.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Altenweg

Most likely not parvo. Probably a reaction to the shots or something he ate.

Dogs are alot like us. They get sick. It's not alwasy something deadly.

I do have one concern. The treatment for parvo, although not cheap, isn't that expensive that you should turn away from it.

Most vets charge from $500 - $2000 for parvo treatment. If you can't afford that, perhaps a pet isn't for you.

You should be setting money aside for things like this. Trust me, crap happens, better to have a nest egg so you can take care of it.

A dog is a living breathing being, it deserves the best care possible.

I'm glad your puppy is okay.

Good luck.

---

Totally agree. My puppy is only 2 months old, he's hospitalized for parvo. Today is the second day since he's isolated in the treating room. The price is still sky rockating, but I'm with him and will hang in there. I just got this for two days, and he's my first dog. His previous owner doesn't take good care of him, so I want to be there for him. The hospitalization is around $400/day for the basic treatment.

I'm sad for this and wondering maybe I should think of another option. I just can't give up although my vet says the condition is almost the same. I've been reading some positive stories online and that really gives me strength to compny him through this rough time. He's so little, and I'm ready to provide a great lift for him!