Parvo scare!

[woogiebear]

I am totally scared to death now! I had my new Corgi pup delivered Friday afternoon. That evening, my husband and I went to his aunt's house to pick up a bbq pit and supplies and we all headed out to meet them in Galveston. While my husband and sons were loading the truck, I was playing with Spoilt in the yard. When we got down to Galveston and unloaded, they were all ooohhhing and ahhhing over Spoilt and then out of the blue they asked if I had put him in thier yard. They have had dogs before in the back yard but right now it is dog-less and a construction sight to boot. They are building a deck. I said no, with all the wood and supplies everywhere I did not let him down inside the back yard but I HAD put him down and played with him in the front yard which in the past they have never used. Well seems I have the greatest luck here. They had picked up a puppy form the SPCA a couple of weeks earlier and it had caught Parvo and died. He had been playing in that section of the yard but I had no way of knowing about it. I just made arrangements to pay $450 for this little guy and we have already started spoiling him. I am scared to say anything to my husband about it for now. I know he is about 10 weeks old and he had his first round of shots on 4/30 and I have him scheduled to go in for his second round of shots on Wed. I just don't know what to do or what to even look for. If he has caught the Parvo disease, he has also exposed Rotten who is 7 months old by being around him.

What do I look for? Is it certain now even though he has had one round of shots that he will still get it? What signs do I look for? I am just a nervous wreck about losing him and my older puppy as well. Someone told me that they will go a long time without showing any signs and then all of a sudden it comes on hard and strong and they die quickly. So far he is not overly lathargic (he runs and plays alot and sleeps what I think is normal for a puppy), he does not have diarreaha and is not refusing to eat. I am just so worried now.

[Chip's Mom]

I would call your Vet and tell him that Spoiled and Rotten have been exposed to parvo and ask if you can go in sooner for a vaccination. The signs to look for are vomiting and diarrhea, lethargy and no appetite. How many vaccinations has Rotten had? Again, your vet is the best person to answer these questions.

[woogiebear]

Rotten has had 3 or 4 rounds. He only has his last set of shots left and they are not due till August and then he will be ready for just his annuals. Today is Monday and I have an appointment Wednesday to take Spoilt in for his second round. I am unable to get out of work to take him sooner. They are open a little later on Wed. and that will allow me to run home and get him and bring him in after getting off work.

I asked the vet and all they said was that yes, it may be too late and that if he has in fact contracted the illness then there will be nothing we can do about it. Neither of the dogs are showing any of those symptoms as of right now.

The vet had asked about a warranty when I bought Spoilt but she could not warranty him due to his being a Bluey she said. Rotten is warrantied but because she did not know anything about any medical ramifications due to Spoilt being a Bluey that she could not warranty him. And I also don't know too much about how warranties work but basically she would refund money for a genetic defaulted dog but with the stipulation that the dog be returned to her. I could not bring myself to give my dogs back under that situation now that I have gotten attatched to them. Especially Rotten.

[Shelly]

Many years ago we had a german shepard puppy and she had gotten 2 rounds of the parvo vaccines and I went to visit my mother for mothers day. When I got back home my husband said he had taken the dog to the vet because she was throwing up and vomiting. She was fine 3 hours before when I left. The vet said she got there just in time and he kept her for 2 days. She recovered. Caught in time. And she was not ever let out of our yard at that time so I don't know how she caught it. Good luck.

[corgimom]

Shelly,

did your dog actually have parvo or was it a reaction from the vaccine for it?
How close to your dog getting ill, did she get the parvo vaccination? I
know my vet said that the parvo vaccination is the one animals will react to
the most out of any of them.

Woogiebear, try not to stress out and wait to see your vet, all your worrying
about it will only stress you and the puppy out. Please keep us posted.

Linda

linda

[Michael Romanos]

Woogiebear - That your pup has had his first innoculation against Parvo etc and that this (the innoculation) happened a few weeks ago, offers some protection.

So go along as usual. Take him to the vet for his second innoculation as per usual and you can only trust that nothing untoward is going to happen to him. If it does, it will occur shortly (within a few weeks) rather than any great spanse of time. But like Linda says, it is no good you worrying about it or transferring your concerns onto your puppy. Any symptoms that your puppy has contracted Parvo will be fairly obvious - vomiting, diarrhea, not eating - very unwell. In the meantime, think positively that everything is AOK - and don't make the same mistakes again.

[corgimom]

Michael, I think this exposure just happened and she just go her new puppy this past Friday.

linda

[Chip's Mom]

A dog can come into contact with the parvo virus anywhere. It lives in the ground for years and the only way to kill it is with clorox poured directly on any fluid that has come from the dog that has it. When I got Jasmine at the animal shelter, I took her straight to the vet's and she got her first round of shots. She came down with full blown parvo a week later. She survived as do many dogs. It is very stressful to worry about a pup. Rotten should be fine because he has had enough vaccines to protect him. I would watch Spoiled closely and if he shows any signs at all, take him to the Vet.

[Michael Romanos]

Lnda - i meant the initial innoculation was administered a few weeks ago - which provides more protection than if he was innoculated later.
Parvo in pups is of course much more serious than in older dogs.

[glencorgi]

Woogiebear, my heart goes out to you as this is definitely a scare.

Here is a website with some substantive info on parvo:

<http://www.workingdogs.com/parvofaq.htm>

Treatment is available, can be expensive and there are no guarantees sadly, but it is not hopeless.

Originally Posted by woogiebear

The vet had asked about a warranty when I bought Spoilt but she could not warranty him due to his being a Bluey she said. Rotten is warrantied but because she did not know anything about any medical ramifications due to Spoilt being a Bluey that she could not warranty him. And I also don't know too much about how warranties work but basically she would refund money for a genetic defaulted dog but with the stipulation that the dog be returned to her. I could not bring myself to give my dogs back under that situation now that I have gotten attatched to them. Especially Rotten.

Two things here: 1) If the breeder has given the age appropriate vaccinations for a puppy, then in a case like this there should not be any cupability on the breeder's part. She has provided the necessary health care appropriate to age.

2) A bluie should be like any other puppy and any health guarantees or warranties she offers should apply to it same as if it had "normal" coloring. To the best of my knowledge, there aren't any extenuating health risks, heriditary or otherwise linked to the color. The adult bluie I have here (she's ten), the only thing I notice with her is a little more eye sensitivity to bright sunlight which I can see related to the diluted pigment. But that is it. Other bluies I have known of and/or heard of, no problems reported in them either other than what might occur in any dog. Whitelies, the two I do know have had some extenuating health problems, different health issues, but problems nevertheless. I cannot and will not say the health issues they have had are related to color, it is just one of those coincidental type things that make one wonder and go hmmm.

Will be keeping both puppies and you in our thoughts.

Debbie

[corgimom]

Is there a test a vet can run to check if a puppy has Parvo?

linda

[darci]

Yes theres a test for parvo

[woogiebear]

Thank you all for your help.

I was basically told by the vet that if he has contracted the virus that additional innoculations will be of no aid. I did hear that there was a test for parvo. I will ask the vet about it when I get there tomarrow.

Yes, I had just had the puppy delivered Friday afternoon to my office. We were in that specific yard in the early evening that same Friday. We had no idea they had even HAD a dog for 2 weeks let alone have it die due to parvo. In the past they have had dogs but they have always either been crated inside the house or in the fenced in back yard. In all the years I have known these people I have NEVER known them to have the dogs in the front yard as it is not fenced in. I imagine that due to all the construction going on in the back yard would be the only reason this dog was taken to the front yard. We see this family an average of 2-3 times a month. It is my husbands aunt. My husband and hers talk on a weekly basis on the phone but he never mentioned getting his son a dog from the SPCA or anything about it dying. So we did not hear anything at all about it till it was too late when we met them at the beach house. So unknowingly he was exposed the very first day I had him.

Right now Spoilt & Rotten are playing like mad. Lots of energy, no problem in the eating or drinking area. No diarhea or loose stool. I keep a very close eye on them while I am home, however my husband and I both do work and that means that for about 9 hours a day no one is there. Next week I am on vacation and even though I have things I must leave to do, I will be home much more during that week than normal.

I am glad to have some good news about Bluey's as this is the first I have heard of anyone else having any. His eyes are SO light blue they are just compelling! At least it doesn't sound like there is any kind of genetic defect or disease related to the blue eyes.

I am holding my breathe till I talk to the vet tomarrow. They also said that even though he was in the yard, that doesn't mean he was directly exposed or that he has contracted the disease either. That it is not airborne like most people think rather it is actually if the pup has come into contact where the infected animal has urinated or deficated. I don't recall stepping around any feces but you never can tell about the urine.

[glencorgi]

Originally Posted by woogiebear

Thank you all for your help.

I was basically told by the vet that if he has contracted the virus that additional innoculations will be of no aid. I did hear that there was a test for parvo. I will ask the vet about it when I get there tomarrow.

Right and additional innoculations could even possibly trigger parvo in him.

Originally Posted by woogiebear

I am glad to have some good news about Bluey's as this is the first I have heard of anyone else having any. His eyes are SO light blue they are just compelling! At least it doesn't sound like there is any kind of genetic defect or disease related to the blue eyes.

Whoaaa - hold the phone. Just because he has blue eyes doesn't make him a bluie. Bluie, my foster has two brown eyes. The other ones I've known of also have brown eyes. The description you gave of his coat color "could" be a bluie, but really it just sounds like the normal coloring of a red & white Pem puppy. As baby babies, red and white Pem puppies always look like they just rolled in mud as far as color goes. IF he is a bluie, the pigment on his nose and eye rims will be like a steel grey or kind of a chocolate brown and his adult coat will have a bluish cast to it. Now, the blue eyes that do occur in Pembrokes (and this doesn't there's a blue merle Cardigan in the woodpile anywhere - blue eyes in merles is something completely different). They are the result of double recessives and their mode of inheritance is a little bit different than just simple recessive inheritance. Blue eyes can occur in Cardigans in other colors besides the merles for the same reason.

So Spoilt may just be a red & white Pembroke with blue eyes and not a bluie at all. I haven't seen a Pem with 2 blue eyes - yet, but I have seen Pems with one blue eye and one brown eye. NO, extenuating or predisposition to health risks with them either - they live happy, healthy, long lives and should come with the same health "warranty" and/or guarantee as any other puppy. You asked for flags about backyard breeders, I hate to say it but a few are being raised. If she continues to breed these parents, she can get more blue eyed puppies like Spoilt.

Originally Posted by woogiebear

I am holding my breathe till I talk to the vet tomarrow. They also said that even though he was in the yard, that doesn't mean he was directly exposed or that he has contracted the disease either. That it is not airborne like most people think rather it is actually if the pup has come into contact where the infected animal has urinated or deficated. I don't recall stepping around any feces but you never can tell about the urine.

Glad to hear the boys energy levels are up, they are playing hard and happily and behaving like normal puppies for their ages. I think you have a collective back up breath holding with you. What does make parvo so bad, even tho' there might not have been any visible feces, the spores could still be in the soil and gotten on your shoes. As a delayed, just in case, you might want to clean off the shoes you were wearing with bleach.

Debbie - sending vibes for all happy and positive reports

[woogiebear]

Thanks again for the newscast.

She told me it was a Bluey but I thought it was due to thier eyes. She had bought the mother dog already pregnant. She does know the sire. The mother was a red/white Pem and the sire I think she said was a Tri color. All of the puppies in this litter have darker colors and yes, Spoilt looks kind of like a musty kind of brown/grey mix of some sort. In fact, I was able to save his picture from the website. Is there a way to attatch a picture to this post? The other pups are all Tri colored and all of them still have floppy ears. She said that 2 pups from this litter are rare. One of them being Spoilt, and the other was one with exceptionally long hair. Again, I thought she called him a Bluey due to his eyes. Why would they stipulate no breeding in the Blueys?