So, last year I lost a puppy to parvo. He was an adorable little male brendle pitt, about 7 weeks old when he died. Before he got sick, the vet told me he was too young to have his shots because he still carried some of his natural immunities. He told me that giving shots too early can affect a puppies health and growth.

On to the present.....

My friend gave me a miniature doberman/beagle mix. I was told he had his shots, but was not informed that he had not had his boosters (a dog has to have a series of shots 3 - 4 times to become fully immune to parvo, corona, etc....). About 4 1/2 days ago, Bruiser began showing some of the classic signs of parvo infection: depression, lethargy, loss of appetite, and vomiting. Unfortunately those symptoms are also classics signs of parasites (worms!!!!), so it was a tough call. I wormed him immediately (along with 8 other dogs...yep, we got nine!) and waited 24 hours. After showing no sign of improvement, I started him on a heavy dose of Erythromycin (about 100mg every 8 hours), as well as 24cc's of Pedialite an hour. To keep his stomache settled (parvo is notorious for causing vomiting and diarrhea) I have been giving him Pepto-Bismol (yep...the pink stuff) every four hours. This has been going on for 2 full days now. He is also quarintined from the other dogs, and must remain so for at least 2 weeks.....

So I woke up this morning feearing the worst, since parvo can quickly go from bad to death in a puppy. To my surprise he wagged his tail when he saw me! I gave him his medication (which he actually fought about... Pepto makes a dog foam at the mouth lol) and his pedialite (got to keep up those electrolytes, folks!), and decided to try feeding him a little food (I chose cat food....the levels of protein are different, making it easier on his stomach). With something akin to joy he trotted over to the bowl and ate just a few bites (a relief- he hasn't eaten in 4 days or so). We went outside where he decided to chase a frog, and then decided I would make an easier target.

I'm so thrilled. For anyone who is an animal lover, watching a beloved pet die from a dreaded disease is heart-wrenching. To see one actually begin to recover? It actually brought years to my eyes to see his little tail wag when he ate.