by Audra C.

Created on: September 28, 2006   Last Updated: April 30, 2007

When I lived in NW Ohio I had never heard of the Parvo Virus. My mother is a professor in a pre-vet program, but in that part of the country animals rarely get Parvo. I moved to New Mexico and adopted a stray pit bill that showed up at my house one day, and had obviously been abused. The poor little guy was afraid of everything, (except me, who he followed everywhere). After a few weeks he seemed lethargic, and then stopped eating or even drinking water. He was vomiting and had blood in his stool. A few of my friends said that it sounded like Parvo. Dogs here come down with it frequently because pet owners don't always get them their puppy shots. The disease can be deadly, and my mother's recommendation was to have him put down. He was only six months old. I took him to the vet and they said it would cost over a thousand dollars to have him treated there. I pleaded for another option, and was told that I may be able to treat him at home with i.v. bags. The virus must run it's course, but if the animal can stay hydrated they may have a chance. I gave him subcutaneous iv bags which created a pocket of liquid under his skin twice a day. After 3 days he was nearly back to normal. Another part of the treatment was to give him ice cubes, or force water, and feed him small amounts of rice in chicken broth. Parvo is also highly contagious, so once a pet recovers it is a good idea to disinfect everything they have been in contact with. They won't get it again, but another animal might. Some people even recommend bleaching the yard the animal uses. Overall, Parvo is a scary disease that takes the lives of many animals, but with a little dedication it is very possible for them to recover!

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