Taking Care of a Puppy With Parvo at Home

Two of my dogs died of Parvo this week and my little runt Cupcake caught it. I gave her IV fluids and we are on day 7. She is up and running and eating solid foods. I think it's good, but I'm not sure. I tried giving her a bland diet and she wouldn't eat it. Should I let her eat what she wants?

By karinatlopez from Fresno, CA

Answers:

Taking Care of a Puppy With Parvo at Home

It is possible to treat Parvo at home and even though going to the vet is recommended, we do love our pups but just don't have the money.

I've dealt with death caused by Parvo since the age of nine, when my Rott died, she was not even two months old; she had all her shots and everything. It was our first pup and we didn't know the symptoms. A few months later we got another pup and she also was infected. She pulled through somehow, but I can't remember how.

Last year, another Rott pup got Parvo, but we somehow managed to treat it and she survived and is strong as ever. We crushed vitamins and aspirin together and mixed it with the powder Propel (since she was throwing up the water mix) and slowly she recovered. It's not as easy as it sounds, though. Also, as unsafe as it might be we also gave her a small dose of a penicillin shot. Don't know if that helped or not, but she pulled through.

Now, my Chihuahua, who was donated to me via a friend of a friend and I believe was abused and not given his shots, is infected. We've been giving him Pedialyte with the same as above and vitamin water. It's the third day and I hope he pulls through. I can only hope that you treat your pups with great care and be patient with them. I don't believe that going to the vet is necessary, but I still recommend you do in the case that you can't find the time to heal your pets. And I also believe that pulling through does not make them weaker, in fact it makes them stronger. My older Rott (above) has never gotten infected with Parvo or anything ever since she pulled through and she's going on nine years now.

Wish you the best and hope this helps. (04/23/2009)

By melissa