Receiving a new puppy for whatever reason can be a whole lot of fun. If you specifically went out and chose a great puppy for you and your loved ones, or if you were given one by someone who could not take care of theirs or had to many to deal with. Which ever one was the reason for you, you now have this wonderful new life to take care of and love. When you first get the puppy you should always make sure that he or she is as healthy as they could possibly be. You can do this by making his first check up and exam with your local vet, this way if anything is wrong with your new puppy you will be able to spot it and treat it quickly. The problem is a lot of pet owners take their new puppies in to the vet and get him or her examined and find out that nothing is wrong and a few months later their pup becomes very ill and the owner comes to find out that the puppy is in fact dying from the horrible disease Parvo. Parvo every year kills millions of puppies, even when the puppy has been vaccinated for this horrible disease. Some people often say that Parvo is some what like a version of AIDS that attacks small puppies. This disease never harms dogs that are over one year of age, and when a puppy contracts this disease they do not have much time to live. The bacteria and parasites attack the central nervous system of the puppy and cause him or her to become very ill, and die within days if not treated by an emergency animal clinic. To decide if your puppy does in fact have the Parvo virus you will want to find out the symptoms for what to look for.
Symptoms of a puppy that has been infected with Parvo:
Number One: Vomiting. If you see that one day your puppy all of the sudden begins to vomit for no reason that you can find, you might be dealing with Parvo. When a puppy first is attacked by the Parvo virus they begin to vomit and are not able to keep anything down. That includes water and any type of sports drink that you try and give your puppy to stay hydrated. This symptom will continue until the puppy either receives medical help from your vet or he or she passes on.
Number Two: Diarrhea. As soon as your puppy begins to vomit from the disease you might also notice that your puppy has diarrhea. This symptom as well as vomiting will continue until the puppy receives medical help.
Number Three: Walking around aimlessly. After some time of being very ill, which happens very quickly might I add, your puppy will probably begin to walk around like he or she has no idea where they are. This symptom is the easiest to spot and determine if you puppy does in fact have the Parvo virus. When you call your puppies name he or she will probably not come to you, because they have no idea where they are, or who you are by this point. Your puppy is very sick and needs to see medical attention quickly if you notice this symptom.
As soon as you see that your puppy is having any of these problems, a good idea would be to take them to an emergency medical hospital for vets that are usually open twenty four hours in case your pet becomes very ill in the middle of the night. When you get to the vet or animal hospital of your choice the staff will immediately take your pet back and run tests to make sure that your puppy has the Parvo virus before they before they begin to treat him or her. Treatment usually starts with an I.V. for your puppy and a series of medication that should help your puppy if the disease was caught in time. This is why it is very important to take your puppy to the vet immediately if he or she shows any signs that they could of gotten this disease. Treatment you will find can be very costly but with the right credit your vet can offer you a payment plan that might help with the cost. As soon as your puppy is well again you need to make sure that he or she will not get sick again. To do this you will have to clean down your home with bleach because the parasite that causes puppy Parvo can lurk in your home for months and infect any puppy that comes near it. You will also want to throw away your puppy’s bowls and toys before he gets home and buy new to ensure the disease does not come back.
With a careful eye and knowing what to look for you should have no problem keeping your puppy away from the horrible Parvo virus that takes the lives of so many puppies each year. One more thing, never forget to get your puppy his or her annual shots to keep them well.
