I adopted a seven week old puppy on 6 January, 2007. He is our only pet, and he was kept in our house, with outside potty breaks only. He had no contact with any other animals during that time. On 16 January I took him to the vet to have his DHLPP vaccination. Later that day, he stopped eating and drinking, and began vomiting that evening. Bloodwork done the next day indicated a very weak immune system (presumably from being born to a stray). He was put on IV fluids, antibiotics and anti-emitics. He bounced right back, and was eating and drinking later that day. I took him home in the evening. I noticed he had diarrhea. The next morning, after his breakfast, we went back to the vet for a re-check. The vet prescribed a probiotic to improve his gut flora. After returning home, the puppy refused any food or water for the rest of the day. That night he began vomiting again. In the morning (it was now Friday) I took him back to the vet and he was again put on IV fluids, antibiotics, anti-emitics, and a fecal test came back positive for Parvo. The vet admitted the positive result could be caused by the vaccine being shed in the feces, so a sample was sent away for more definitive testing (which could take 2-3 weeks). My puppy has been holding his own for 48 hours now, and just this morning the vet told me he seemed perkier and is eating small amounts of food. Based on his history, does anyone know of any research that indicates the vaccine can cause Parvo? I think it's HIGHLY coincidental that the very same day my puppy get his first vaccines, he becomes deathly ill. Thank you for any insights, from a very worried puppy mom.

My guess is that it it is possible, but very rare. You might look at the AVMA site, Canine Parvovirus, What you should know about

I am sure whatever you find there is reliable. I don't trust stuff from unknown sites that are Gooled up.

Thank you for your response. I checked the AVMA website and couldn't find anything that addressed the question of a whether a modified live vaccine can actually cause Parvo symptoms in an immune-weakened puppy. Like I said earlier, the timing of his symptoms is suspicious, in my opinion. But I'm not an expert, just a terribly anxious and worried pet owner.

I wish to update you on the progress of my dog, Rascal. He, indeed, had a wild strain of Parvo (there was a fecal test to differentiate between the vaccine strain and other strains). All of his littermates died. So I want to set the record straight, that the vaccine DID NOT cause the virus. I do not wish to spread any misinformation. It was just very weird that he became sick the same day of his vaccinations. For two of his littermates, parvo presented in the same manner. For another two, they became ill without having been vaccinated. For the last one, he became sick a few weeks after his vaccinations. Some owners may not have been willing to spend what it takes to nurse their puppy back to health, or perhaps the other puppies were not as strong as Rascal. I thank God that Rascal made it. I hope we're out of the woods, but each additional day with him is a blessing. Here is a picture of him, the day after he got home from hospital.

OMG KHarris! WHAT A CUTE PUPPY!! You are a very good puppy mommy. You are right, a lot of people are not willing or are unable to spend what it takes to make sure their animals are healthy. I have also found that a lot of people just don't have a clue that they need to consult with a vet when their pets exhibits signs of illness. I always tell people that if they aren't willing to commit to the expense of ownership, they should forget about taking a pet into their home. You have done an admirable job of ensuring that your puppy was given the best care possible. I am glad he is doing better.

It is always good when somebody posts back and lets us know how something turned out. It is great to hear a puppy pulled through parvo. It takes fast, aggressive treatment to do it.

I wish Heathervettech was still around. She was great to help with some of the medical questions where I don't pretend to know that much.