Vets are warning owners to get their pets vaccinated after the deadly and highly infectious parvovirus nearly killed a puppy. Blue, a Doberman, required seven days of treatment in an isolation ward to pull through.
His condition was so critical that vets warned his owners that their beloved pup might not survive. Now, his owner, Danielle Hargreaves, and Armac Vets in Bury who treated him, are urging people to get their dogs protected to prevent the spread of parvo, with puppies and unvaccinated dogs – including those that have not yet had their booster injections – most at risk.
Blue’s symptoms started with vomiting when he was ten weeks old shortly before he was due to have his second vaccination. Danielle initially assumed he had a stomach bug but his condition worsened over the next 24 hours.
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As well as being sick, he also became lethargic, lost interest in food and had diarrhoea. The following morning, Danielle saw that Blue was passing blood and she rushed him to see a vet where he tested positive for parvovirus.
Blue received 24-hour care at Armac Vets’ veterinary hospital receiving anti-sickness medicines, antibiotics, pain relief, fluids and food through feeding tubes, and blood transfusions.
Danielle, from Rochdale, said: “They couldn’t give me a prognosis. That was hard. I know with parvo they can throw all the treatment at it and some dogs survive, and some don’t. The vets were really good and gave me regular updates. I could tell they really cared and wanted to get him better.
“On the Thursday night they told me he had deteriorated a lot. They asked if I wanted them to resuscitate him if he went into cardiac arrest. That shocked me. I wasn’t allowed to see him until that night because I have another puppy at home and parvo is so infectious.
“They spoke about me seeing him to say goodbye. The following morning, he started to pick up. I don’t know whether he had heard! He was in hospital for about a week. During that time, I also had the worry about his brother, Thor, because the vet said he would already have been exposed to it. I could have lost them both. It was an emotional rollercoaster.”
Danielle does not know how Blue caught parvo. Neither puppy had been outside except in the family’s garden in Rochdale, and both had had their first vaccination, with the second due a week after Blue fell ill. Parvo lives in the environment and is shared in dogs’ faeces. Unvaccinated dogs can spread the disease or owners can bring the virus into the home on their shoes.
Puppies are vulnerable when their mum’s protection from milk is wearing off before they are vaccinated, so they are most at risk between eight and 16 weeks. Puppies are usually given two vaccinations, between two and four weeks apart. Armac Vets recommends a third parvo vaccine at 16 weeks, because of the number of parvo cases in the community.
With Blue back at home, Danielle is urging other owners to ensure vaccinations are up to date to prevent the spread of the disease and avoid the same heartache. Untreated puppies rarely survive.
Vet Hannah Darke, who was part of the Armac Vets team that cared for Blue, said: “He was really poorly. His blood pressure was up and down, and he was very sleepy. As we were rehydrating him, the parvovirus was dehydrating him at the same time. His temperature was quite low throughout his stay. His body was shutting down, so he was really critical.
“He deteriorated a lot. We did another blood test, and his protein was getting lower. We had to get in touch with the Pet Blood Bank and order two units of blood. He had multiple transfusions over the next 24 hours. This is how it is with parvo; they can start to improve and then suddenly go downhill, especially puppies.
“I don’t think the owner ever lost hope. But it took a long time. We don’t often have patients for more than two to three days. Because we are open 24 hours a day, Blue was looked after by multiple vets from the day and night team, and lots of nurses, so it was a real team effort.”
