Saving your pup from parvo...

It CAN be done at home. I read all over the internet that the dog had to be taken to the vet or it would die for sure ect. I disagree. My past week has been filled with saving my 5 month old pup. Her sister came down with a new parvo strain. They play together all of the time, when we learned she has it we started watching Rosie. A second pup from the litter also came down with it...so we watched and waited.

Last Wednesday she threw up and got lethargic. I started giving pedilite by mouth with a turkey blaster. I also rubbed honey on her gums several times a day, hopeing to keep her blood sugar up. By Friday night she couldn't keep anything down. I picked up a 60ml syringe and some needles and gave her pedilite and water sub q. Or under her skin on her neck. I also gave her a small dose of penicillin and a vitamin b complex shot. Yesterday she started drinking on her own, and I offered baby food. After I was sure she was able to keep food down, I gave her some eggs. By last she was eating small ammounts of her dog food, and over night finished all of her water in her dish. Today she is eating, drinking and acting normal. I do think she is still recocering, but after 4 days without food I can understand that.

I wanted to post this because when I was looking online I found most people who cared for their dogs at home, and were purchasing a medication online. I know that some times that's just not feasible.

Both other pups who got the parvo are also still alive and well. One was taken to the vet (which is how we knew to watch ours) the other was also taken care of at home only, and while he had a longer recovery (they didn't catch him as quick) he is recovering, and has improved greatly. I have a small list of things I noticed seem to help or I used.

Pedilite
Vitamins - C, B complex and B 12
Anti nausia meds
Honey
Warm baths
Penicillin (animal grade)
Baby food
Lots of time

Also small disclaimer, all three of these pups had their shots and were up to date. There have been 20+ dogs in our area with a new strand of parvo according to the vet. And while I believe in taking sick animals to the vet, I also know people who simply can't afford a $1000+ vet bill for parvo. Should out pup have gotten beyond saving and into suffering, we would have taken her in and had her euthanized, as I can not watch an animal suffer. We never experienced bloody vomit or stool, because I was OCD about keeping her hydrated.

Kudos to you for saving your pup!

There is no "cure" for Parvo, you can only get them through with supportive care. The penicillin injection would do nothing against Parvo, but may have prevented secondary infections from taking hold. Giving fluids sub-cutaneously is the real life saver. Good to know that Pedialyte can be used in that way.

How did you administer the Vitamin C? I know that mega doses can even cure Distemper, but it can also cause diarrhea if given orally at high dosage.

I would recommend warming the fluids to body temperature (about 101F for dogs) and also keeping them warm with the aid of a heating pad.

I have found that a combination of eggs simmered in broth with a bit of molasses added is a great tonic for ill dogs, and most will eat it readily.

I'm glad you saved your pup and teh others are improving as well!

Any chance of pictures of the convalescent? :camera:

tHANKS for sharing.. CONGRATS on saving your dog and watching for the early signs.

I am glad your pups are doing good! the new parvo is one of the reasons I no long have people come to my house to see pups.
we also use and highly recommend neopar for our pups first shot.

New strain of parvo? You mean a new strain of parvo or that new K9 Circo (sp?) virus? or both? Thats scary! How many new K9 viruses are floating around out there??? :shock: :shock:

The new dog Circovirus is why my puppy hasn't seen the vet nor any stores yet. Beyond terrifying.
It's spreading like wildfire, some rescues save dogs from other States, thus spreading the virus further. I think last I heard, it was in over 8 States. =(

new as in 2007. I'll go see if i still have the info

found some
http://vetmedicine.about.com/b/2008/04/ ... strain.htm

Here is a photo of her I just took. She just came in after eating her kibble and played down, so I snapped a shot.

AmysMacdog
To be completely honest I don't know. My in laws took their pup to the vet, and when they questioned how a pup up to date on shots would get it. They said it was a new strain, and at the time she was the 9th dog they had seen. Two days later when they picked her up, the count was 20 dogs.

Mamasheepdog
I researched and found that giving antibiotics help secondary infections, and I was all about prevention. Even when she was still eating and drinking a little I forced liquid down her. I think it helped with recovery time. Being proactively preventing dehydration and infection.

The vitamin C I gave dissolved in pedilite by mouth. About two 500mg pills in two cups of pedilite/water mix, along with dissolved nausea med. Also honey on her gums seemed to discourage the vomiting for a while.
As I type this she is eating flies out of the air..strange little dog.

This is beyond frightening. :shock:

parvo is some real scary stuff.
i cringe when i hear people say that a good breeder needs to have people come see where the pups are born.
i understand why they say it but.......sorry,no.
or when i see young pups lugged in to pet supply stores.
thank heavens i have never had it and learned how to prevent bring it here, when a good friend ran a pet rescue center.

Wow! You did an excellent job! She doesn't look debilitated at all! :clap2:

Here is a link with protocol to help save dogs afflicted with parvo at home.

http://csu-cvmbs.colostate.edu/pages/pa ... tocal.aspx

CSU researchers are showing that there is another possibility – intensive at-home care at a fraction of the cost ($200-$300), but with similar outcomes when compared to the inpatient “gold standard” of care. The treatment relies on two drugs recently released by Pfizer Animal Health (which funded the CSU parvovirus study): Maropitant, a strong anti-nausea medication given under the skin once a day; and Convenia, an antibiotic given under the skin once, and lasting two weeks; as well as administration of fluids under the skin three times daily.

“Rather than being hospitalized, our research shows that puppies can be successfully treated with a protocol that can be replicated at home,” said Dr. Sullivan. “We still recommend inpatient care as the best practice, but in some cases that simply isn’t financially possible.”

The study, which began June 4, was conducted by Drs. Sullivan, David Twedt, Pedro Boscan, Emilee Venn (a resident in critical care); Karolina Preisner (student coordinator), and veterinary students interested in the research experience. The study was advertised to veterinarians in the greater Colorado community, who referred cases from their practices. A total of 40 dogs were admitted to the study group, randomized to one group that received traditional gold standard care and one group that received the at-home protocol.

“What we showed was that it is possible to treat dogs with parvovirus on an outpatient basis,” said Dr. Sullivan. “If owners have the willingness to provide care at home, it’s a reasonable alternative. It’s not ideal and we still recommend inpatient care, but having this protocol as an option could help save the lives of thousands of dogs across the United States every year.”

While results of the study are still being compiled, Dr. Sullivan said that early numbers show an 85 percent survival rate for the outpatient group, compared to a 90 percent survival rate for the inpatient group. One patient was moved from the outpatient group to the inpatient group when its medical condition deteriorated.

Schipperkesue":urcaylua said:

early numbers show an 85 percent survival rate for the outpatient group, compared to a 90 percent survival rate for the inpatient group.

Click to expand...

Given that inpatients probably receive more consistent care, motivated in part to an economic basis on the part of veterinary staff, and the more haphazard care provided by owners that have other obligations also of an economic nature (i.e. they have a JOB so can't monitor the pup 24/7), those numbers show that most people can successfully treat their own dogs at home.

Treatment at home is likely less stressful on the dog as well, which may contribute to the positive outcomes.

Parvo is a nasty disease and the signature odor of the vomit and diarrhea is firmly implanted in my brain. Attention to cleanliness of the afflicted pups and their area is probably of utmost importance.

O yes. I cleaned everything with bleach, even though I'm allergic. I just had to do it one spot at a time.

The November 2013 Whole Dog Journal lead story is "New Hope for Parvo Puppies." It's a good write-up about the Colorado State University (CSU) study.

Only after reading through the study, getting more and more optimistic about at-home outcomes, did the following aspect become clarified:

"It's important to note that this initial study does not address one of the most important factors in any medical treatment--compliance. The 'outpatient' protocol was administered by veterinary students in a supervised, clinical setting. Dr. Sullivan [lead researcher] would like to see larger studies that examine the effectiveness of the protocol when owners administer it in their homes" (page 4, Nov. 2013 Whole Dog Journal). [bold added by me]

What this means is that, although it's being touted as an "at-home" treatment for parvo, the CSU protocol in fact was not performed "at home." It was performed at the vet school by vet students, whose primary responsibility it was. Owners, at home, will have job responsibilities, child responsibilities, household responsibilities, and a host of other time-eaters clawing away at their day, in addition to caring for an ill pup. The 80% survival rate of the "at-home" group vs. the 90% survival rate of the "in-hospital" group may not hold up in the real world of multiple responsibilities; that awaits proof.

I'm very pleased that the OP pulled a puppy through parvo! It's a pretty heart-stopping disease to witness. (Yes, I've seen puppies struggling with the disease; one humane society had an entire "parvo litter" dropped off! ) It's interesting to note the parallels (and the differences) between the OP's regimen and the CSU protocol.

The way the breeders I know in the Berner world have prevented parvo from coming into the house with visitors is to have a simple, straightforward, Absolutely Ironclad protocol:

1) Breeder places a dishpan with bleach water on the porch right in front of the front door (or other entry point). Visitors shall either --remove their shoes before entering the house to see puppies OR --step into the dishpan with both feet, count to 5, then stand on the newspapers supplied for the purpose, then enter the house.
2) Everyone will wash hands with soap and warm/hot water before touching any of the puppies.
3) No visiting dogs while young puppies (usually < 10 weeks, always < 8 weeks) are in the home.

For anyone who wants to keep up with leading-edge medical studies on canine health without tons of jargon, Whole Dog is a great publication. It also covers training (positive reinforcement based), nutrition, behavior problems, reviews of new gear/toys/whatever on the market, and just about anything you can think of in dog sports and activities with people. (I have no financial interest in WDJ; I'm just a charter subscriber with no intention of letting my subscription lapse.)

Back in the late eighties we had a pup come down with parvo. It was not well known then. The vet told my Mom take him home and pray. We brought puppy home and my mom fed him chicken broth, pepto bismo and something else I don't remember. We placed a pile of blankets on a heating pad and kept him there. Puppy would try and slink away to die and us kids would find him. We were not going to lose our dog. Puppy recovered without problems. I also think my brother had a lot to do with it. He slept next to puppy the whole time and kept giving him blessings and praying. I think the faith of a young boy was a big part of puppys healing.
I also had a pup come down with patio right after we got him from the pound. The vet showed me how to give her a saline solution under the skin and explained care to me. Full recovery.

a pan in front of the door is fine IF even you use it EVERY TIME you want to go in. but if they (the visitors) walked on your driveway or lawn then it is there in your yard, for you to walk in on your shoes for months.
it can also be on their clothes or the tires on their car, not just hands and shoes.

we even spray the bottoms of our shoes before getting in the car from shopping.