Me and my boyfriend purchased a pomXshih tzu on April 26/2007. Everything was fine with him and then on April 28/2007 he became very ill. I took him to the vet the next morning on an emergency call because it was Sunday. They took some tests and gave him an IV and she called me back that afternoon and told me he has parvovirus and the levels are really high. They cannot tell if it is treatable at this point. We have his vet records that state he had all his vaccinations and the seller said he had been vet checked. My vet told me that they are to be vaccinated at 6 weeks old and are supposed to stay with the mother for another two weeks following to build there immune system and make sure the puppies are fine. My puppy was born March 12/2007, and was vaccinated the day before we bought him. We paid $350.00 for the dog and the fist 24 hours at the vet is $400.00 and every day following for treatment is $100.00. Is the seller responsible to cover the costs of the vet? My vet also stated that what the seller was doing with the vet cards being stamped by the vet and then the seller doing the shots herself is considered fradulent because it looks like the sellers vet had done the shots, and not the seller.

For a better understanding of your puppy's problems and why the shots may not have helped, see what the AVMA has to say at Canine Parvovirus, What you should know about One sniff of where a sick dog relived itself any time in the last 6 months may be all it takes.

I am very sorry to hear of the problem. Prompt treatment may save the puppy, but it will be expensive.

Have you contacted the person you got the puppy from? The fact they sold you the dog 2 weeks early could get you money but in court. Also false vet documents can also allow you to take them to court to pay. But I would talk to them and try to settle it outside of court! Good luck and I hope the puppy gets better!

Sounds like you would have to go to small claims court to get money back if the seller won't refund based on the illness. I once had a dog who got parvo... the puppy was fortunate and lived however his value went down as it had stunted his growth and potential buyers could tell he had been sick. If the puppy is not an investment but a pet, I understand your heartbreak... I was so happy mine survived I didn't care about the value. Talk to the seller first, keep all records (vet)/bills, file small claims if cannot see resolution. Wish you all the luck.

Did you get a health certificate and/or written guarantee from the breeder? Most reputable breeders will have a contract for you to sign and will reimburse you for the dog if something happens within that time.

Even with shots, however, dogs can catch things. Labman has some good info there. If you took the dog to a park or to a pet store and let the pup run around on the ground it could have easily caught it there.

It's perfectly legal here in California to do booster shots at home. Most breeders do them themselves, but they have to have the carding from the shot with the vaccination date and the expiration information of the shot itself to prove that it was done. Rabies vaccinations must be performed by a vet, and thusly if the breeder had done THOSE, they might have been in trouble. I don't think you'll have much ground on the vaccination issue, unfortunately.