Healthy Pets

[Dude]

Originally Posted by dixielady

I hope that as a "healthy pet" thread someone might be able to help me. I'm at my wit's end. Here is the background info: Normally I adopt all my pets from the humane society, but my gf has wanted a Boston Terrier since she was a child. I had Bostons when I was growing up and know them to be wonderful sweet animals so I went to a breeder (not a puppy mill type), and got a little boy, papers and all. The lady assured me that the puppy was up to date, vaccinated, de-wormed, etc. I also got to view the lady's other pets, as well as the parents and siblings of the puppy. They all seemed to be in perfect health so I felt confident in my purchase. I gave the puppy to my gf on Christmas Day. His name is Butch and he's around 10 wks old. He's been a wonderful, hyper, seemingly normal, happy puppy since the day we brought him home. Until last night...

Around midnight last night, he started throwing up. He refuses to eat or drink, and has become very lethargic. Now, not only is he throwing up a white foamy substance, he has also been having a horrible liquid diarrhea. I can tell he is dehydrated from the elasticity of his skin. We've been trying to get liquids into him with a puppy feeder syringe-looking thing, but it's just not enough. There are only two vets in our town, and being weekend they won't even return the emergency calls. We've also tried calling the only 24/7 emergency vet which is almost 2 hours away but they couldn't see him today either. I don't know how in the world he got so sick so fast, in just a matter of hours. He is monitored closely, and there's nothing hazardous he could have gotten in to. Could it be an underlying illness that he's had this entire time? He's had no symptoms at all of anything before last night. I am so confused and so worried.

I am freaking out here, crying on and off, and terrified that he is dying. I don't know what to do! I can't stand the thought that the little guy is suffering. Does anyone have any idea of what I can do to help him until I can get a vet to see him? Any way that I can give him some kind of comfort? Any better ideas on how to get at least fluids in him? Any advice or ideas would be so greatly appreciated. We love this little angel and can't stand the thought of losing him so soon after finding him. We would all be heartbroken, because my son is totally attached to him too. Please help...

I have had two puppies over the last year. One made it ,one did not.
I'm hoping you have your little guy at the vet. It takes the entire series
of puppy shots before they are safe from distemper and parvo.(Something I learned the hard way)
They get dehydrated really quickly and a lot of puppies (according to my vet) die from the dehydration when people wait to take them in for help.

Our first pup died from distemper (two weeks after she had her first puppy shot) AND She also had coccidia and an infected incision from the stupid shelter that never should have required us to fix her at their clinic before we could bring her home. fuckers. She was only with us for 11 days and didnt make it even after being put on IV's amd antibiotics two different times for dehydration.
She was way underweight from the beginning.Too many things going on with her for that poor baby to fight.


Enter next underweight pup.This one from the pound.
Our 2nd pup's symptoms were pretty much the same as yours. Parvo is known for it's stinky diarrhea ( very fowl smelling) Our pup after her worming
and first shot's threw up as soon as we got home. I called them and they thought maybe she was just car sick. That night at 4 am came the diarrhea smell that is unforgettable. Some people say it was the shedding of the parvo virus from the shot. I took her back in the next day and he put her on an IV
and antibiotics for 2 days. She got rowdy,hungry and I brought her home. Then after two days she was not eating or drinking again.
So I took her back and to be on the safe side again we put her on Iv's for two or three days. She again got rowdy and ravenous so she came home but this time with an oral anitbiotic that finally fuckin worked.

None of the tests were conclusive as to what her deal was which was
nerve racking and very emotional. I was afraid to continue to get her
series of shots (thinking she again would have a bad reaction) She did not
ever have another problem. For 3 months I kept her on ID dog food to be as gentle as possible on her stomache. She's 7 months old now ,eats like a pig and is the picture of health.

I'm far from an expert but hope that I can help by putting this info out there somewhere (All of which I knew nothing about until we had our personal crisis)

Good luck with your baby and let us know how he's doing.

[blush]

Originally Posted by Dude

Enter next underweight pup.This one from the pound.
Our 2nd pup's symptoms were pretty much the same as yours. Parvo is known for it's stinky diarrhea ( very fowl smelling) Our pup after her worming
and first shot's threw up as soon as we got home. I called them and they thought maybe she was just car sick. That night at 4 am came the diarrhea smell that is unforgettable. Some people say it was the shedding of the parvo virus from the shot. I took her back in the next day and he put her on an IV
and antibiotics for 2 days. She got rowdy,hungry and I brought her home. Then after two days she was not eating or drinking again.
So I took her back and to be on the safe side again we put her on Iv's for two or three days. She again got rowdy and ravenous so she came home but this time with an oral anitbiotic that finally fuckin worked.

None of the tests were conclusive as to what her deal was which was
nerve racking and very emotional. I was afraid to continue to get her
series of shots (thinking she again would have a bad reaction) She did not
ever have another problem. For 3 months I kept her on ID dog food to be as gentle as possible on her stomache. She's 7 months old now ,eats like a pig and is the picture of health.

I'm far from an expert but hope that I can help by putting this info out there somewhere (All of which I knew nothing about until we had our personal crisis)

Good luck with your baby and let us know how he's doing.

Parvo is also very contagious. The virus can remain alive for up to 5 mons. without a host.

I'm so glad your pup is still doing well!!