[nanz]

I adopted a chihuahua/spaniel 3 months old brough it home on Thursday on Saturday took it to the vet for a health checkup also notice that she did not want to eat and was just laying there it turn out that she had parvo full blown :(took her back to the shelter now I don't know if its safe to bring a 3yr old daschund home on Monday!

What do you think?

[Silverfoxkit]

First of all I am absolutely APPALLED and sickened that you were so quick to just abandon the poor animal, which doubtlessly DIED because of it. I think that you should not own ANY animal if you aren't willing to take care of it when it needs you the most. People like you disgust me. The worse part is I bet you think you are a "hero" for adopting. I'm sure you can spew excuses out of your a** , but there are none for what you did. You are a HEARTLESS and sad excuse for a human being.

[linnealand]

No matter what, you must contact your vet to find all of the information you need to properly clean every place your sick puppy was, indoors and even outdoors. Parvo is a very dangerous and difficult virus; it can also keep living for 5 months or more unless properly killed. If these areas are not properly cleaned, the virus can continue to spread (even being carried on the bottoms of your shoes), and could mean the death of other pets and animals in the area. It's not easy, but it's necessary to do.

After your vet gave you your puppy's diagnosis, what did he/she tell you to do?

[pitty mama]

I agree that it is 100% unsafe to bring annother animal into a parvo infected area. When my motherinlaw's puppy died of parvo 2 years ago she was not allowed to introduce annother pet into her home for a min of 6 months. It's a feircly dangeroud desiese. The puppy you had was mostlikely not going to make it anyway... but smaller dogs do much better in response to treatment. If it was a large breed that is annother story. If it was as bad as you say there was little to nothing you could have done for it.
But a side note if you can't handle having a dog when it is sick or injured then I don't recommend you get one at all. My dog was free but I have put more then 5k into him in the last 4 years. I am in debt because of him but I am a responsible pet owner and I accept everything as something I have to do. It is up to me to keep him alive and healthy.

[SweetDee]

Parvo is not necessarily a death sentence:(.

I feel sad that the dog was not given a "stay" of execution/abandonment...

What is so bad w/ charity? Helping someone out? Why couldn't that dog have the opportunity to stay in your home?

I don't recommend that you adopt the Daschund, it might have heartworms!

Or a cough...

[pitty mama]

To calrify. I do not agree with the owner's decision to return the dog. I was just stateing that smaller dogs have a higher rate of survival. I work in a vet's clinic so I have become a little dry when it comes to the reality of death in animals. I think that she should have had the dog humanely euthanized if it was as bad as she said. I have not seen the dog so what she has said is all I have to go by. I don't think that the dog should have suffered any more than it already was. Also the shelter should have let her know that the dog was sick. It is their responsibility to let people know every detail about the dog they are adopting.

[SweetDee]

... shoulda would have could have (pitty mama)... thing IS is that when we find ourselves in a situation at that point it really does not matter who failed to do the right thing. It's at the point where when the dog is in YOUR POSSESSION it's ON YOU to take charge and do right by the dog. Imagine if you were in a predicament... and you had no control, wouldn't you want someone to have your back? No matter what the situation is?

It's hard to compare what we should do for ourselves and each other to what we should do for a dog... it's not the same, I guess.

I just feel that we have to stop putting blame on OTHERS even if they are wrong... get busy solving the problem and being HELPFUL, not all caught up in who's to blame.

Where will finger pointing get you? Who cares who wins the fight... focus on what the problem is and get working on creating a solution. The bottom line is THE DOG. The dog needed treatment.

Not enough people step up. I just KNOW that ya'all could if you could just keep focused.:(

[Alty]

I have to agree with everyone, returning the dog was the worst thing you could have done. Once you adopt a pet it's yours. If you adopted a child and then found out it was sick, would you return it and get a new one?

Parvo is deadly, most dogs don't survive this disease, but there is a chance at survival, and this poor dog should have been given that chance. I would bet money on the fact that the shelter put this puppy to sleep. They don't have the funds to seek treatment and they cannot place the other dogs in their care at risk. You did the wrong thing and now all you can think about is getting another puppy.

Ask yourself this question, are you ready, willing, and able to provide a safe home for a dog? Are you willing to pay vet bills if this dog becomes ill?

I have 3 dogs, none of them are denied care, no matter what the cost. Yesterday my 7 year old border collie went in for his yearly shots, at that time the vet expressed concern that he may have a thyroid condition, he's obese, even after diet food and exercise, he keeps gaining weight. The vet recommended a blood test, the cost $140.00, my response, go for it. A thyroid condition is not life threatening, but if he has it and can be helped by medication (it would require daily meds and they aren't cheap) then I'm more than willing to pay to find out and pay for those meds if he has the condition.

Being a pet owner is more then just providing a roof and food, it's love and compassion, it's being willing to foot the bill if your pet becomes ill. If you cannot afford to do that, then don't get a pet, or get one that doesn't require a lot of expense, like a goldfish.

[Agent706]

Here's the reason that returning the dog was unwise (beyond the emotional aspect): now every other dog that this dog comes in contact with has the potential to become infected. There is no way I would bring another dog into your home until you have cleaned the place with bleach top to bottom, including carpet. Also, the new dog should be properly vaccinated before coming into the home as well. Personally, it's a shame you took the other one back... that really could've done in the poor thing, and many others.:(

[linnealand]

I just came across the thread of someone who really knows what it means to take care of a new pet no matter what the cost, and I thought it might be uplifting for some of you to see it.

This woman recently adopted a 6 year old cat named Lady Di from a shelter. After only two months, this poor kitty is in the hospital with a serious heart condition. Her owner is not leaving her behind. It turns out we're not alone in our belief that new pets also deserve the best care we can give them.

You can find the thread here:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cats/l...ml#post1339508

If anybody's interested, I'm sure she wouldn't mind an extra word or two of support. I'm also sure she wouldn't be expecting any. ;) this makes me feel much better.

[pitty mama]

...shoulda woulda coulda (pitty mama)...thing IS is that when we find ourselves in a situation at that point it really does not matter who failed to do the right thing. It's at the point where when the dog is in YOUR POSSESSION it's ON YOU to take charge and do right by the dog. Imagine if you were in a predicament...and you had no control, wouldn't you want someone to have your back? No matter what the situation is?

It's hard to compare what we should do for ourselves and eachother to what we should do for a dog...it's not the same, I guess.

I just feel that we have to stop putting blame on OTHERS even if they are wrong...get busy solving the problem and being HELPFUL, not all caught up in who's to blame.

Where will finger pointing get you? Who cares who wins the fight...focus on what the problem is and get working on creating a solution. The bottom line is THE DOG. The dog needed treatment.

Not enough people step up. I just KNOW that ya'all could if you could just keep focused.:(

I wouldn't want to live in pain with my insides practically liquifying. I'm just looking at it from the medical side. I'm not trying to argue with you. I think everyone is entitled to their opinion.

[Alty]

i wouldnt want to live in pain with my insides practicly liquifying. i'm just looking at it from the medical side. i'm not trying to argue with you. i think everyone is entitled to their opinion.

I wouldn't want to live that way either, but I would seek treatment if it was available, and in this case it is. Parvo is deadly but not always, it can be treated successfully. If you had a disease would you just give up even if there was a possibility that you could survive?

The bottom line is that animals aren't disposable. You don't just get rid of a sick pet and then get a new one. Once you adopt an animal it's your responsibility to the end. I would have more respect for the OP if she had at least kept the dog in her care while it died, or taken the dog to be euthanized. Instead she took it back to the shelter where it's very possible that other dogs were infected and now she wants a new one.

You do this with cars, not with living creatures.

[pitty mama]

I think it was wrong that she had taken the dog back as well. And I think she shouldn't have annother dog ever. But like I had said I only have what she said to go by and if it was as bad as she said then the most humane thing she could have done was have it put to sleep. Sometimes the right thing doesn't always feel like the best thing to do.
If I had a terminal illness then I would have no choice.

[Alty]

I agree with you and if it was as bad as she said then that's the course she should have taken, instead she decided to return the dog to the shelter and that was the worst thing she could have done.

She really shouldn't own another dog if she treats pets like used vehicles, and that's what she did in my opinion.

It just makes me sad to think of that poor puppy, adopted, sick and returned to suffer it's fate. It makes me sick to my stomach.

I do know what you're saying though pitty mama and I do agree with you, I just wish that this poor dog had more options.

[missteetee]

That poor puppy, You are not ready to bring home another animal yet. I don't think that I could return the sick puppy, it seems so heartless.

[starbuck8]

I also think it was very irresponsible to return the pup back to the shelter. She not only put other animals at risk, but to turn around and immediately want to replace the other one, and risk another dogs life is just ludicrious! Then what? When the new pup gets parvo, he will go right back to the shelter to infect more innocent animals?. and then bring another one home after that?. and so the cycle continues!

When you get a pet you sign up for it's care. It has no voice, and would probably risk it's life for you. It loves you unconditionally, and counts on you to care for him when he is in pain and needs medical attention!

Just last week I needed to rush my Niki into after hrs weekend emerg. She started coughing terribly and throwing up blood. I had to give her the heimlich maneuver. Turns out she has a lung infection, but she is much better now.

It cost me $100 bucks just to open the front door. By the time we were done, the bill came to $267. This is the third time just this yr. that I've had to take her to the emerg vet, and I'm still paying off a bill that is well over 2 Grand. I would beg, borrow and steal in order to take care of her, and she shows her appreciation with her love and kisses every single day. Taking care of her no matter the cost, is the least I can do to re-pay her for that!

[Alty]

Starby, not everyone cares as much as we do about our pets, that's a very sad fact.

Some people buy pets, I adopt them. Some people want a cute little dog, the matching purse to carry her around in, a gold collar with diamonds and everything else. These dogs are just status symbols, not only for the rich and famous, but for ordinary people as well.

I have a friend who bought a dog just because he was cute and because we had two. Now that dog sits in the backyard all day howling, barking, digging, getting into trouble, all because he's on the outside looking in.

He stayed with us for two weeks, she brought a muzzle and told us to watch out, he's a hellion. Nope, he was very well behaved, didn't bark at all, didn't reek havoc in my house, slept in our room beside our two other dogs. He was a joy to have in our home. When I told her that she didn't believe me. But he's so horrible at home.

Of course he is, at his home he's not a part of the family, he's like a toy, and when they got tired of playing with him they put him outside and forgot about him. Wouldn't you bark all day if you didn't have any contact with anyone?

I offered to take him, she said no, her hubby won't let her because it would look bad. Look bad!

Personally, I think that neglecting your pet looks a lot worse then giving him up to a home where you know he'll be loved and well cared for. :(

Now we have our new pup and she called a week after we got him and said "You can have our dog now, we're done." Too late dear, I already have three dogs, I'm not allowed to have more.

Grrrrrr. Some people make me so darn angry. :(