# Brutus getting parvo...



## BrutusBuckeye (Apr 5, 2011)

So Brutus will be 11 weeks tomorrow and we've had him for 10 days. This morning he woke up and had vomiting and diarrhea about 5 or 6 times, the vomiting was white and foamy and the diarrhea was nasty with the last one being a milky white. I called the vet immediately and then called the breeder, the breeder thought that it might be an intestinal blockage. Took him to the vet where she said he was severly dehydrated and she did a parvo test, it came back positive!!! I was heartbroken!!! He has only been inside the house except for going potty and taking him to pick up my kids at school to be socialized but I never put him down outside. His puppy classes dont even start until next week at 12 weeks.The vet said the treatment would be $1400.00, so I called the breeder back and told her, she was devestated and upset, she immediately said she wanted to take the dog back and have him treated herself because she didnt want me to go through all that and the expense seeing as how I have only had Brutus for a couple of days. So, off I drove, over 1 1/2 hours away to give Brutus back for maybe the last time I would see him, crying the whole way. I gave him up and the breeder took him to her vet. He did a fecal exam and it tested negative! He tested for parvo and coccidia and giardia and other baccterial diseases and he tested negative for all! They said he was a false positive and they think it was some sort of intestinal blockage that he passed. He is starting to eat and drink again and hasn't thrown up or had diarrhea since about 10am. The vet and the breeder think that he was a false positive because she gave him an extra nosode protocol in addition to the vaccine about 4 days befor I picked him up and it was enough to show parvo in his system from the protocol. Anyway, she is SO sure that he is ok that she brought him home to her house to be with all of her other dogs including his mom, dad and brother(can't imagine she would risk that if she wasn't sure). Anyway she is going to see how he is doing with his next bm and let me know when he can come home. So, that is my scary story of the day! Lets hope thats the only scare I have!!! I miss him already


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## tcollins (May 1, 2011)

Oh, I am so glad to hear that he will be ok. How scary that must have been! We have had Oliver for almost a month now, and we are so attached to him already! I would agree that she must feel that he's ok if she brought him with the other dogs. I hope you have little Brutus back with you soon! Thanks for sharing your story!


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## Pipersmom (Jul 27, 2009)

OMG Lindsay! I'm so sorry you're going through this.

I hope the worst is over and Brutus will be on his way back to you soon. I'm sure you're missing him like crazy.


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## BrutusBuckeye (Apr 5, 2011)

I just wanted to say how much I love my breeder! She was amazing through all this, she really loves her dogs and was so great!!!


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

That is very scary!!! The gestation for Parvo is 7 to 10 days, it can stay active in the ground for a long time (usually on feces). It is unlikely a breeder would risk taking the dog home if he truely had Parvo not because the older dogs would get it, but because the kennel could become infected and remain so for a long time. When your pup comes home and the diagnosis is wrong, do look into a different vet. I hope your boy is back soon.


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## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

Oh wow, I don't even know what to say but my heart goes out to you!! Parvo is SO scary... I can't even imagine what you felt... I am SO glad that Brutus Buckeye seems to be getting better and doesn't appear to have that very, very scary disease! I, like probably many people on this forum, have been following him since your first post, and I am praying for his safe recovery and return home to you.

Out of curiosity, did he get a DHPP vaccination? I think those are usually first given around 8-9 weeks... not that that first single dose would prevent a puppy from getting sick necessarily (I assume that is why they recommend getting 2-3 doses during the first few months) and I know that apparently he doesn't have parvo, but I was just wondering...

Also, not to be all 'practical' during your time of emotional trauma but you might want to look into pet insurance when you get him back - for $20-$40+ (?) dollars a month you can mitigate the majority of the cost for a lot of things that might go wrong in the future, including in most cases sicknesses, surgery, car accidents, and even in some cases (depending on your plan) hereditary issues... insurance is personal choice (which doesn't always make sense, depending on your situation, and every plan covers different things) and I am not saying you *should* get it, just that you should at least look into it and into all of the different plans that are available. -Not that it would have helped at all with your current situation - when I signed Ceylon up for pet insurance there was a waiting period of 3 weeks (and I don't even know if his plan would have covered Parvovirus)... but as I'm sure you know, you never want to be weighing the cost of treatment against your pet's life or wellbeing if at all possible, so getting insurance made sense for us.

Anyway, my heart just aches for you, and I am SO glad little Brutus is doing better - - please keep us informed!!!


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## SnickersDad (Apr 9, 2010)

Lindsey -- I'm really happy to hear that Brutus is going to be able to come home. Parvo is very very scary. I was terrified that Snicks or Snoops might get someting when they were fresh out of their breeder.

Speaking of which, being a Californian also, I'd like to know who the breeder was, as they sound like wonderful, caring folks who deserve a recommendation should they be mentioned. (If you don't feel comfortable posting the name publicly please feel free to send me a PM).


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## BrutusBuckeye (Apr 5, 2011)

heatherk said:


> Oh wow, I don't even know what to say but my heart goes out to you!! Parvo is SO scary... I can't even imagine what you felt... I am SO glad that Brutus Buckeye seems to be getting better and doesn't appear to have that very, very scary disease! I, like probably many people on this forum, have been following him since your first post, and I am praying for his safe recovery and return home to you.
> 
> Out of curiosity, did he get a DHPP vaccination? I think those are usually first given around 8-9 weeks... not that that first single dose would prevent a puppy from getting sick necessarily (I assume that is why they recommend getting 2-3 doses during the first few months) and I know that apparently he doesn't have parvo, but I was just wondering...
> 
> ...


Yes he did get his first set of shots but has not completed them. I am definitely going to look into pet insurance, does anybody have a reccomendation as to a good kind that you like? I have no clue!
Thanks so much for all of your prayers and well wishes for Brutus! I can't wait until he gets home!!! I'll keep you posted!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I'm SO glad to hear that Brutus is getting better, and that it wasn't Parvo! It's hard to imagine how it COULD have been Parvo considering his lack of exposure. Good breeders who stand behind their puppies are worth their weight in gold! Give that little guy hugs when you get him home!


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Lindsay,
I am SO sorry you had to go through that scare and I'm sad Brutus is sick, but certainly relieved it isn't parvo and you will hopefully, have your baby home soon.

What a frightful day  

Keep us posted!
Kara


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## mckennasedona (Feb 20, 2007)

How frightening. I am so glad Brutus doesn't have parvo. It's a scary disease. Your breeder sounds wonderful!!


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

Oh My, That has to have been such a awful experience. I'm so sorry he got so sick . I hope Brutus gets to come home today. Did he eat something different?
Maybe his tummy is just still maturing?:hug:


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## dbeech (Jun 16, 2009)

So glad to hear that Brutus does not have Parvo...so scary.

I have Pet Plan insurance. I have not had a claim and hope I never do. Pet Plan seems to have the highest ratings among the companies.


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

Little Brutus


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## Gableshavs (Jun 19, 2007)

I had VPI and when I had to make a claim for knee surgery for Blossom it was not covered, not even the xrays. Don't choose VPI, it's a major rip off.
Paula


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## inlovewithhav (Feb 18, 2011)

I'm so glad Brutus is doing better. My neighbors dog had Parvo so when we brought Kipper home I was ADAMENT that he not go outside until his shots were complete. (neighbors don't fence threir dogs and they spend a lot of time in my yard) There were a lot of people who thought I was nuts but I stuck to my guns. Keep us posted with updates.
Shelly


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## BrutusBuckeye (Apr 5, 2011)

Suzi, that's so cute! Thanks!!!


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

I hope your little Brutus recovers quickly and is soon back home with you. Wow, not the best way to start out life with your new pup, but hope it will all soon be behind you and happy times ahead!

Suzi, very cute!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

inlovewithhav said:


> I'm so glad Brutus is doing better. My neighbors dog had Parvo so when we brought Kipper home I was ADAMENT that he not go outside until his shots were complete. (neighbors don't fence threir dogs and they spend a lot of time in my yard) There were a lot of people who thought I was nuts but I stuck to my guns. Keep us posted with updates.
> Shelly


Boy, is THAT scary. I think many people are TOO cautious about exposing their pups to the outdoors, but when you've had a known case of Parvo next doors, and the dogs are regularly in your yard, I don't think you have any CHOICE but keep your little one away from there!


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## Cherin36 (Sep 2, 2010)

We have Pet Plan Insurance too. I think we have the Bronze package. We paid the entire year upfront to get a discount. I remember it being pretty reasonable for what it covers, heaven forbid he gets really sick or has an accident. We haven't needed to submit a claim yet, thankfully...knock on wood.


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## Pattie (Jun 25, 2008)

How is Brutus now? I'm so sorry you had such a scare. Your breeder certainly sounds like she did the right thing by Brutus and you, too. I am sending positive thoughts Brutus' way and hope he is back with you soon.


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## Jplatthy (Jan 16, 2011)

OH wow! That must have been horrible. It is so scary when you don't know what is wrong but to have the vet diagnose Parvo would have been terrible. I'm so glad to hear that it wasn't really parvo. I know you can't wait to get him back. We get attached so quickly because they are so easy to love! Keep us posted on his progress and hope he is home soon with you!


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## BrutusBuckeye (Apr 5, 2011)

I get to pick up Brutus tomorrow!!!! I am so excited! My husband, the kids and I all miss him so much. He'll be in my arms by 10am tomorrow! yay!:biggrin1:


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## Pipersmom (Jul 27, 2009)

Yay Lindsay! I'm so happy for you and your family. I'm sure Brutus will be just as happy to see you tomorrow.


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

I am so happy for you!!! What a great story and you did the right thing calling the breeder, sometimes a good experienced breeder is far more experienced with their breed then some vets. A false postive can happen if a dog has had a parvo vaccination with in 5 to 12 days before a test among other things, that is why it is important to have all papers for the vet and draw attention to any vaccines. I actually know a good bit about Parvo (more then I'll ever need) the reason for this is about a year and a half ago I needed to do some public speaking about our County pound that had a policy of destroying all puppies under 6 months to control Parvo. I spoke to several vets at UC Davis, UC Davis is considered an authority on shelter medicine in this country. Anyway the problem is in the shelter setting false postive is very common. In a shelter setting Parvo often is spread by contamination by workers who come into contact with dogs and their feces that have succumbed to the illness and carry it on their shoes. I also learned that in a older pup it is treatable if caught early.

I am so happy you are bringing your little guy home. So scary, but such a happy out come!


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## Pattie (Jun 25, 2008)

A very big hug for you and Brutus!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Yay Brutus!!!:whoo:


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

I can imagine the terror you felt. I'm so happy for you that Brutus will be on his way home.


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

I'm just now seeing this - what a scary thing to go through and I know you all missed him so much. I'm hoping he is with you right now getting and giving lots of hugs and kisses!


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## z8alia (Mar 31, 2011)

Oh poor little Brutus. I am so glad it turned out ok!! l am looking forward to seeing more pictures of the little guy once you all have had some time to recover.


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

That's great news! Welcome home Brutus!!


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## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

How's he doing?


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## BrutusBuckeye (Apr 5, 2011)

Btw Brutus is doing GREAT!!! He went right back into his routine when he got home and has been a bundle of puppy energy ever since  He'll be 13 weeks tomorrow


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

Great news, Lindsay! Now, we need to see for ourselves which means more pictures!!!


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

Everytime I read about Brutus I still smile. So happy you have him back with you where he is meant to be.


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## JacksSusan (Apr 6, 2011)

I am so sorry you had to go through that, but I have to say I know exactly how you feel. Jack came down with coccidosis, and before the Vet tested him he told me it could be Parvo and to be prepared. The only way Jack could have gotten coccidosis was picking up a piece of old poop out side the Vet's office. That was the only thing I saw him do before the diarreah and vomiting started. It can be the simplest thing. It had been so long since I had raised a puppy I didn't even give it a second thought when Jack picked up the poop, I just made him drop it and picked him up.

I am little behind on the news, please let us know how Brutus is doing?


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## clare (Feb 6, 2010)

Good to hear,that Brutus is back to full strength.Now enjoy that little bundle of puppiness!!


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