Thursday, February 10, 2011

This is one sick puppy!


This little guy is Sebastian, and the second picture is the results of his Parvo test, which is positive and is making him feel very sick.  Parvo is a very serious virus in puppies which is included in the vaccines of puppies.  The virus is spread by the fecal-oral route, which means it is shed through the feces and picked up by other puppies by ingestion. The incubation period for the virus is 7-14 days, therefore it could take that long for the puppy to show clinical signs once the puppy has been exposed to the virus.  Clinical signs are inappetance, vomiting, diarrhea, and weight loss. Parvo is primarily a virus of puppies, but cases have been documented in adult animals.  The average time to see Parvo in a puppy is between 6 weeks and 6 months.

Vaccinating appropriately and maintaining clean living quarters is the mainstay of prevention.  Puppies are not considered completely vaccinated until they have had a set of four vaccines one month apart beginning at the age of 5-7 weeks.  The last vaccine should be given after 16 weeks of age which is when it is believed all maternal antibodies are gone, which may interfere with the vaccine.

Sebastian will stay with us on IV fluids, anti-emetics, antibiotics, and analgesics until until hopefully he can regain his strength and go home. Parvo is a tough virus to have and Sebastian has a long fight ahead of him.

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