# Parvo Nightmare/Parvaid



## LoneStrChic23 (Jul 30, 2010)

These last 4 days have been trying for me. I haven't had any sleep....my human kids went to the ER Monday at 3 am with 104 temps and tested positive for the flu, and I don't even want to talk about the cost of their prescriptions!

Later that day I noticed my 15 week old hairy hairless chinese crested puppy acting "off"... Checked her temp and she had a fever...shortly after came the bloody diarrhea, with that parvo smell....If you've ever had to deal with parvo you know what smell I'm talking about. 

Rush to the vet, get her on IV fluids and then have "the talk". Vet had 5 parvo cases in the last week...some even older puppies (6+ months) who had been vaccinated. None responded to typical treatment, all died. He's trying to talk me into putting her to sleep and save everyone the heart ache and we haven't been there an hour! I've saved 3 parvo puppies in the past with no help at all....not fun, but I did it. I ask if we can just keep her there on fluids for the rest of the day and that night and he says yes and gets me the quote.... $370 total.... if I hadn't just shelled out so much on my human kids meds, it would have been no problem.....or if he would have accepted a post dated check until Friday (my old vet did this) I could have done it....but instead I paid for the testing we had done, the fluids and exam and took her home, crying the whole way.....

Since then I have been using a syringe to feed her Pedialyte EVERY 15 MINUTES. I've also been giving her a product I discovered at my local vet supply a few years ago called Parvaid. The 1st day, she vomited every other syringe of Pedialyte. I sat up in bed with her with disposable pee pads and a trash can near by for mess catching. Day 2 I started giving her probiotics....a paste I squeezed from a gel cap and rubbed half of the top of her mouth every 3 hours. Day 2 was when she stopped trying to drink on her own and was barely responsive....But she was breathing, so I continued fluids every 15 minutes in a 5ml syringe and continued the Parvaid & probiotics. Tuesday at 11:49 pm was the last time she had diarrhea. Wednsday, she looks like a skeleton, but starts off the day by holding 2 syringes of fluid for 2 hours without vomiting.... I get optimistic and offer a tiny amount of chicken broth and pureed chicken & rice..... too soon. She vomits water up, broth, anything solid and anything with sugar (put a dab of raw honey in her mouth because she was the runt and I was worried about hypoglycemia) but Pedialyte and Parvaid stay down. We stick to our every 15 minute fluid schedule religiously.....by Wednsday night she pees normal for the 1st time! Can not tell you how excited that pee made me...before she hardly went at all and when she did it was a small amount, and very concentrated for lack of a better word. At this point I'm now giving 1 1/2 syringe of Pedialyte every 15 minutes, still doing the Parvaid and probiotics and she was having normal pee every few hours. Her skin started looking better too....being hairless heer skin is noticeable and she's always had lovely skin, but until this point it was very dry and papery feeling...

It is now Thursday night, 11:15pm and she has held down 3 syringes of DYNE high calorie liquid diet and a total of 2 teaspoons of Nutri-Cal and had gone pee twice in the past 4 hours. She is no longer running a temp, no longer has that glazed look in her eyes, she walked around a bit on her own to go potty on her pad (before I held her over the pad & she just peed because she couldnt stand) and she wagged her tail at me and licked my face for the 1st time since she got sick.  Before she had no strength to even lift her head and now she's moved from laying beside me, to laying on me, all on her own 

We're not out of the woods yet, but at least there is hope...... I've been spending my time on the goats board to stay awake and keep my mind off doomed thoughts and now that I feel confident for the 1st time I thought I would post.

I've still got my alarm set to go off every 15 minutes for tonight, and will continue the fluids.....but I am now adding 1 syringe of the liquid diet every 2 hours and let her lick at the Nutri-Cal as she wants too.....still too early for solid foods but the label on Nutri-Cal says 3 tsps for 10 lbs of body weight per day if it is their only source of nutrition...and she is barely 5 lbs when she's in good condition. Will try broth and chicken tomorrow but for now I'm just thrilled she's alert, not vomiting and licking at the paste willingly....still having to feed the Pedialyte by syringe, but I don't blame her for not wanting it..... I tried some and it's awful.

Anywho....just wanted to share my joy in hopefully beating this....My hair is greasy, I look like I've been hit by a train, and I think if I get comfortable and close my eyes I would sleep for a year, but if Annie lives, it will all be worth it  My birthday is Sunday so if she can be eating on her own by then and I can take a long, undisturbed nap, it will be the best birthday ever.

I called and talk to the vet tech who had her brother (she's a few hours away) and she said Parvo has been VERY bad the past few weeks and she said they've had more deaths than usual.....even with dogs who were brought in in the very early stages and she said it's the 1st time she's seen older, vaccinated puppies come in with it and die  Anyone else know if they're having this sort of thing happen in their area?

I know lots of people don't approve of herbal treatments, but if Annie pulls through, this will be parvo puppy #4 I've saved with Parvaid, fluids & probiotics.


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## Pink_Carnation (Apr 21, 2006)

I sure hope she pulls through...and it is probably better for her to be home with you than at the vet. I say that mostly because they just prefer to be with their families.


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## gaucli (Nov 20, 2008)

awww..I am so sorry you are having to go thru this. I just lost my dog a month ago and he had a terribly hard death...so I know how you feel. You sure seem to be the best thing that could be going for him...so glad he has you. He does sound like he is on the road to recovery. I wish you all the best and if he does..after caring for 4 of them and pulling them thru..you should consider a vet career. You sound wonderful with animals. Please keep us informed on him and keeping my fingers crossed and in my prayers for you and your precious baby.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

I pray she makes it. There is a newer type of parvo that is very virulent and many dogs die from it.
Just as a side note, if she cannot hold anything down, you can give parvaid and fluids by rectum just a few drops at a time. The intestine will absorb some of it, and she cannot throw it up that way. Just give it every fifteen minutes like you do by mouth, using a small syringe.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

Also, you could do fluids sub Q if you have a sterile set up. That will sometimes help keep the kidneys going until the body can recover enough to take fluids by mouth. Usually it's about 15cc in a couple of places on the back.
I have two hairless chi-chis which are that age and only about two pounds each. I know your dog must be a bit heavier if she is a purebred, but still small. I pray the best for your family and pet.


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## LoneStrChic23 (Jul 30, 2010)

Thanks all! Annie is doing good....she barked at me this morning and was wagging her tail.  She kept all her fluids down and ate 2 teaspoons of pureed chicken/rice/broth mixed with the high calorie liquid diet and she's held that down for 4 hours so far. She still looks awful.....very skinny...but I think were on the road to recovery....it's just shocking to see how much body condition she's lost in a few days.

If things keep up like this then we will head to the vet next week just to get a blood panel & exam and make sure she won't have any lasting damage or anything like that...

Mekasmom- Since dealing with this I've heard the same thing about this new nasty parvo virus from several people. When I talked to the vet tech who owns this pups sibling she said its been awful at her clinic.... Even older, vaccinated, healthy puppies are catching it & dieing...She told me about a GSD puppy...almost 7 months old who's owners brought him in because he was acting off and had a temp....way before any vomiting/diarrhea started and he progressed into a rapid downhill crash and was unresponsive to anything they did....he died on day 3 

It's very sad, but I'm happy my lil girl seems to be making progress...her lil puppy bark totally made my morning


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## Cannon_Farms (Aug 28, 2008)

Ive been telling people for years about parviad and parvoguard as soon as the word natural comes out thats the end of my creditability for 90% of the people I talk to about this.
Dyne is high calorie enough not to need the nutracal but it sounds like she doing well. DO not stop the parvaid suddenly taper it off as it helps the body deal with the virus but not kill the virus itself. 

Glad to hear shes doing better. You can order sub q fluids off hoggers goat supply btw


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## Rain (Dec 29, 2010)

Hi Crystal! That is such good news that Annie is doing better! And kudos to you for taking charge! If I'd listened to all the vets I've dealt with in the past, my 15-year old pug, Spencer would have been dead at age 1. Your 15-minute alarm clock reminds me vividly of when Spencer had acute pancreatitis at age 1...I did the same thing with injections, pills, drops and fluids...I can relate to what you're going through...you know, we kind of become superheros during this time don't we? And so do they!!! 

In my 16 year experience with vets, I've only found 3 who I can really trust to put my pets' welfares above all else; and who don't have their heads in the sand, re: the natural remedies. Two of them went on maternity leave and never came back! And the one I'm seeing now is perfect...hope she doesn't get pregnant!

I hope your kids are better too! Flu is a nasty business.


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## cathleenc (Aug 16, 2007)

I am so sorry for all that heartache and work and just delighted to read a parvo success story! 

We adopted a puppy from a rescue that was shut down for animal cruely a few weeks later - pup came with parvo, coccidia, worms, fleas..... Kept poor Fred alive at home for 10 days before we finally lost him. Still a sad place in my heart.

Please keep us posted about how Annie does and post a pic of your little survivor when you feel up to it!

And I sure hope you can take of yourself, too - all those really sick living creatures, human kids and parvo pup, can drain you into vulnerability.


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## caroline (Sep 29, 2009)

Bless you for being so dedicated to your dog! I was a vet tech in days gone by and I have never seen this kind of care and dedication from an owner.

I am so glad Annie is doing so well.
Snoopy sends a big hello bark and I send a hug to yu both.:bouncy:


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## LoneStrChic23 (Jul 30, 2010)

Parvaid is great stuff! I lost a Dane/Mastiff mix puppy to parvo several years ago....he came to me with parvo and we lost him 3 days later (at the vets office) after that a Danr breeder friend of mine told me about Parvaid and I've kept some on hand every since then... It was $49 bucks at my local vet supply, and worth every penny! Especially since the vets aren't having the best success rate right now with this awful parvo. 

Annie is now in her crate....she wants to move around and was trying to jump on the couch and I want her to take it easy....she's giving me the evil eye as I type this. She's not vomited anymore and is drinking the DYNE mixed with Pedialyte on her own so I think I'm going to go take a shower and wash my hair, lol. Were going to continue the Pedialyte, probiotics, Parvaid and DYNE/Nutri-Cal and I have a vet appointment scheduled for Wednsday afternoon to have blood work done. 

Here's a picture of Annie 3 days before she got sick:










And here is one of her and her sister at 9 weeks old...her sister now has 7 slate colored spots on her body, spotted ears and one blue eye:


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

Rain said:


> Your 15-minute alarm clock reminds me vividly of when Spencer had acute pancreatitis at age 1...


Sorry to be a bit off topic of the OP.... But, your dog overcame pancreatitis? How? We lost one to that disease a few years ago. The treatments from the vets didn't help, and she just kept loosing weight.


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

Awwww, keep up the good fight. HUGS!


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## gaucli (Nov 20, 2008)

omg i am so happy for you...i thought about him as soon as i woke up this morning. So glad that he is doing better. I wish I could have been the owner you are and could have treated my dog instead of taking mine to the vet. He might have lived..he couldn't handle the intense medicine he was given...did him in. :-(


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## Rain (Dec 29, 2010)

Crystal, Annie and her sister are adorable! I'm all for pro-biotics. My other pug, Winston suffers kidney disease and he's been on pro-biotics for 4 years now, they are doing wonders for him. 



mekasmom said:


> Sorry to be a bit off topic of the OP.... But, your dog overcame pancreatitis? How? We lost one to that disease a few years ago. The treatments from the vets didn't help, and she just kept loosing weight.


Mekasmom, Spencer kept losing weight too, he was on an iv that medicated and fed him for 11 days until I was told to expect the worst. Well, he responded one day to the potatoes I brought him and ate like a pig. It was geez...14 years ago, I can't for the life of me remember what meds they gave him to be honest. I just remember that the first vet told me he was QUOTE "as good as dead", terrible...so I took him to another vet who let me try at home to medicate and feed him, but after a day or two, I had no choice and had to bring him in. I was lucky my boss let me use the company credit card at the time or it would have been dire. I could try to find out if you like, I no longer have those files, but that vet might still! It's one I'm on good terms with, eek, there are so many I'm not! :shocked: Just PM me if you'd like!


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

What an adorable baby you have there. So glad she is recovering. Where in Tx are you. I don't have puppies. Two of mine will be 3 in March and the other one is between 4 and 5 so the vet thinks.

I lost a whole litter to parvo several years ago. The pups were only 4 weeks old. It was a very sad painful time.


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## LoneStrChic23 (Jul 30, 2010)

Thanks all for the kind thoughts and well wishes. 

Annie is doing great......I'm having to force her to stay calm and take it easy... the weather was nice and she hates using the pee pads so I took her out for a potty break...she rolled in the grass...did a bit of sunbathing and harassed the cat. She ate a bit of chicken earlier, but still isn't drinking much on her own, so as much as she hates it, I'm still giving her the Pedialyte. Also continuing the Parvaid, probiotics and DYNE and think I will until she starts looking better. It's amazing and awful how much body condition she lost in such a short time...her hip bones show, several ribs are very visible and I can even see a bit of back bone in a few places  She's having normal potty breaks though and even had a BM .....it wasn't typical firm stools but it also wasn't diarrhea, and no blood in it (sad when you get exited about your dogs bathroom breaks huh?)

I'm just so happy things are going so well..... I felt horribly guilty over bringing her home from the vets and its been eating at me, but luck was on our side I suppose and I really think she's going to be okay....she's chewing on my socks as I type this and is being a bit of a brat in her demands for attention, lol 

Ruby, the closest town to me that you would recognize is probably Abilene.


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## SageLady (Jun 10, 2008)

So glad your little Annie pulled through. I think it was a good thing you brought her home from the vet as the TLC you gave her is what got her through. She sure is cute too!! Will keep Annie in my thoughts and prayers. Sending healing vibes for her continued recovery.


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## lamoncha lover (Mar 1, 2009)

I love my vet..BUT will never leave one overnight at the clinic again. She is not staffed 24/7 and therefore I can do anything she can do..only better. I have lost 2 pups that "spent the night" One was Parker the st poodle pup that got mauled last year, and a french bulldog pup with pneumonia.BOTH died and if nothing else they could have died at home in my arms rather then in a strange place alone.
YOU are awsome. You should consider a vet career.


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

Lonestarchick, I use to live in Abilene. Have a cousin in Big Spring. My uncle use to live in Roby and Noodle. My aunt use to live in Clyde. So yes I know where Abilene is.

Loved it when we lived there back in the '60s. But the last time I was in Abilene visiting relitives it seamed like it wasn't as lively as it was back then.

Sorry for the thread drift. I think the sun will do Annie good. I know my dogs get depressed when they can't go out. They are all three out now laying in the sun.


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## gaucli (Nov 20, 2008)

I was just wondering how annie is doing now...it has been a few days. Sure hope he is getting back to normal.


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## gaucli (Nov 20, 2008)

lol sorry *SHE


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## twohunnyz (Apr 27, 2006)

So glad Annie is recovering! Good for you for taking the non-conventional treatment route! 

As a side note, I have a cat with chronic pancreatitis who is doing well on the protocol our veterinary Naturopath outlined for her- enzymes, rabbit meat, and diffused essential oils.


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## LoneStrChic23 (Jul 30, 2010)

gaucli said:


> I was just wondering how annie is doing now...it has been a few days. Sure hope he is getting back to normal.


Annie is back to being a pint sized disaster  She's stealing socks, harassing the barn cats & constantly under my feet when I'm busy.  

She's still in need of some weight gain, but she doesn't look like a skeleton anymore. Went to the vet for a check up and he was shocked I pulled her through on my own. Her blood work came back normal, no temp and no parasites......

Now the kids are better, puppy is better, and now I'm sick with the flu and a serious case of sleep deprivation......go figure lol


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## SageLady (Jun 10, 2008)

LoneStrChic23 said:


> Annie is back to being a pint sized disaster  She's stealing socks, harassing the barn cats & constantly under my feet when I'm busy.
> 
> She's still in need of some weight gain, but she doesn't look like a skeleton anymore. Went to the vet for a check up and he was shocked I pulled her through on my own. Her blood work came back normal, no temp and no parasites......
> 
> Now the kids are better, puppy is better, and now I'm sick with the flu and a serious case of sleep deprivation......go figure lol


That is wonderful news!! :clap: So glad your little girl pulled through the parvo, you gave her such wonderful care. No wonder you're sick now though with all you've been through. Glad the kids are better too.  Hang in there and hope you feel better ASAP. Sending you healing vibes and hugs.


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## crispin (Jun 30, 2010)

wow what an impressive job you did.


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## Otter (Jan 15, 2008)

Wow! You are amazing! I am so happy for Annie!


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## Rain (Dec 29, 2010)

I've copied and pasted this entire thread into a Word document for future reference. I'm so glad that Annie pulled through. You did such a wonderful job, goes to show that you should never give up, it's always worth a try.  Hope you're doing okay Crystal!


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## Oat Bucket Farm (Jul 28, 2006)

I just read this whole thread, went and looked up everything you gave her and saved the links and made the dicision to start a medical box for the dogs. I already have one for the goats. Thank you for all of the information, I have learned quite a bit.


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## LoneStrChic23 (Jul 30, 2010)

Oat Bucket Farm said:


> I just read this whole thread, went and looked up everything you gave her and saved the links and made the dicision to start a medical box for the dogs. I already have one for the goats. Thank you for all of the information, I have learned quite a bit.


My dogs medicine kit has saved many of my furkids over the years. I've dealt with parvo, bloat, bobcat attack, ripped paw pads ect. ect...... since we live so far out, having as much as possible has really helped. I have several syringes full of the contents of several bottles of Gas X capsules......any time with my Danes or Weimaraners that I even suspected bloat I gave the gas x. Most times it just helped the tummy and prevented an upset from turning into something worse, but with one of my Dane fosters that bloated, the ER vet said that us giving the gas x bought us the time we needed to get him to the ER....

Relatives laugh at me because my critter med kit is better stocked than some of their home 1st aid kits, but I'll never be without a fully stocked kit for the critters and humans..


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