Parvo or Not Parvo

Help!! My husband and I adopted a 5 month Wheaten Terrier a few days ago from a rescue organization. The first evening he started to vomit and have diarrhea. The next day he lost his appetite and was very lethargic. We took him to the vet and he tested positive for Parvo. The rescue organization said he doesn't have Parvo, but he can test positive because of the recent vaccination, and that he will be ok. Our vet is adamant that he has Parvo. We do not know who to believe. Right now we returned him to the rescue organization to monitor him; otherwise, we are doing a lot of research and trying to make the best judgement call. We are already so attached to the little fella, but then we can't afford to take care of a sick puppy. Please help...... :cry:

 

sounds like parvo. Even though a pup has been vaccinated, they are not 100% immune to it.

 

It's hard to say...but if it's been tested it's probably parvo... That's what I'd guess with any young pup with that kind of symptom.

My lab/Dane cross got sick here a few weeks ago... REALLY sick...I think it was an intestinal thing, not parvo because she wasn't as lethargic as Parvo tends to make them and she's had her whole puppy series with no problems. Anyway...we simply supported her with electrolytes and whatnot and she pulled through in a few days. It was nerve racking. Hopefully this pup pulls through whatever he has...but I would guess that he does indeed have parvo... The rescue should take on his care until he's 100% better and then give him back to you, the adoptee. THIS should not be left to you IMO... I hold rescue Orgs. to the same or HIGHER standards as I would breeders...and if you had gotten him from a breeder they'd support and give back if he pulled through...and if not...they'd replace him...any rescue should be ready to do the same.

That's again...just my opinion.

I hope he does well though. Keep us updated!

Sara

 

Updates!?!?

We just got Jaxon (wilder) back from the vet last night...we thought he had Parvo...the test was positive...but turns out he had a Bacterial infection and his previous Vaccinations showed a "false positive"... *sigh of releif* He sure was sick though... Now I kinda wonder if the vet didn't feed him some crack or something... Holy Moly he's crazy!

Sara

 

Crack!?! Naaa, it's the Lab in him. (They're all kinda bonkers) He's just glad to be home. Horray for happy endings.

 

Update on Parvo/Not Parvo

First I'd like to say thank you so much for responding to this post.

After much contemplation, my husband and I asked the rescue organization to treat the puppy and to find him a new home. We never got straight answers from either the organization or their vet. They couldn't tell us if he had Parvo or not; instead of re-testing him, they gave him treatments as if he had Parvo. According to the vet, he is doing well after 2 days of treatment. Letting him go was one of the most difficult decisions we had to make, but without any straight answers, we did not want to take any chances.

Again, thanks for everything!

 

First, I'd like to say I'm sorry you had to give up your pup. I do however think you made the right decision. The chance of heartbreak was far too great. Be assured that when the time is right, another will come your way. Sholom

 

Brads,

So Jaxon is 100% pit bull which is probably the "crack" going on...

so sorry that the puppy didn't work out... Sometimes it's hard to tell what's going on...ya know? Jaxon's sick again...doubtful that it's Parvo because he bounced right back after about 24 hours of support...which isn't what happens with Parvo generally. But at the moment I'm pretty sure his food is tainted so that sucks...but it could be a Bacterial infection. etc... Here's a link to some information that might help in explaining why you weren't able to get a definitive answer on what the pup might have been suffering from...

http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/dogdiseasesh/a/HGEindogs.htm

Sara

 

Umm Naaa. He doesn't have any Lab in him, I assure you. He is an American Pit Bull Terrier through and through. :y_the_best: Down from mostly Old Family Red Nose/Clouse strains. I don't mismate or have lil accidents, ect. His dam is almost a Champion as of now so is her mom and her sire is a Champion (4th from that breeding). His sire comes from someone I know, and has a Champion dam and I have a few of her other progeny. I know several generations back on the pedigree, no Lab to be found. I own or know the actual dogs.


This is his littermate sister running to her great great grandma Champion Angel she is going on 16yrs, I just took these today.

Here she is playing with her chew bone.


And this is their mom. My lil one takes a lot after her. Jaxon has a lot of his Daddy in him and some of his mom.


As far as the OP, may or may not have parvo. If they have a shot they can test positive for parvo for weeks and not have it. Or they can have it even though they were vaccinated. Thats why you aren't getting straight answers. Hope you don't feel deceived. He is already back with the rescue now, I know. Its just one of those things that happens, many times other things are mistaken as parvo because of the symptoms. Other illnesses have the same symptoms. Its like most people don't know how often they get food poisoning or have some other type of virus/infection, they almost always think they have the flu.

 

I think Brads' confusion stems from the fact that Sara's first post spoke of her Dane/Lab cross, and in her second post she spoke of Jaxon...two different dogs. I was confused for a minute, too.

Another possibility besides parvo is campylobacter infection. Not only are the symptoms the same, campy will cause a false positive on the more common parvo tests. The treatment is pretty much the same, but the outcome is usually better. Puppies/dogs don't die nearly as often from campy as they do from parvo.

 

I am sorry to hear you gave the pup up..Hopefully he will make a full recovery and be re-housed again with a full happy life..