# Puppy with Parvo :(



## ella114 (Apr 1, 2012)

Hello,

I am new to this site and am looking for some support for me and my puppy, Ella. On Wednesday, I purchased Ella from a private breeder (at least that's what I thought). In my life, my family and I have bought dogs from many different sources, breeders and humane societies. I have not had any problems in the past. 

However, this time I had a healthy pup for all of 24 hours before she started becoming sick. She vomited and had diarrhea all Thursday night. Even though I was reassured by friends that she was probably just adjusting to a different place/diet, I still decided to take her to the vet on Friday. The pet went ahead and tested for Parvo--and the results came back today: my baby Ella has parvo.

I immediately took her to a 24-hour dog hospital and left her there (where she will remain, I am told, for 3-7 days). Since then, I have been doing a lot of reading about Parvo and though the vet says there is a 85-90% survival rate, I am so worried about her. She is so young-11 weeks, and so small-3.2 pounds.

Has anyone had any personal experience with Parvo? I could really use some support at this time. I will post updates as I hear about them. I am going to visit her tomorrow.

On a different topic, on which I will expand more later, this has gotten me concerned and fired up about irresponsible breeders and puppy mills. I know it is my fault for not using a reputable breeder (I was impatient and she was just too adorable to pass up), but I would like to find a way to spread the word about the dangers of buying from people like I did. I know this cause has been around--does anyone know of any active organizations I could support?

Hopefully I will have more positive posts in the near future!


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## Summergirl73 (Sep 18, 2011)

Hi and welcome to SM. I am so sorry to hear that your sweet puppy has Parvo. It is a very serious illness, but often times quite treatable. It's a great thing that you took your puppy to the Vet so promptly. I'm kind of surprised that they are keeping her there for so long, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I would suggest (if you have not yet already done so) that you contact the breeder and notify them of the situation so that they can properly clean their property and treat other pups if necessary. You might also request that they assist you with Vet bill (which will likely be very expensive) and/or refund your $ for the purchase of the puppy. You will also need to thoroughly clean all areas in & around your home in which the puppy may have had contact. I wish you and your puppy all the best.


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## allheart (Oct 3, 2008)

ella114 said:


> Hello,
> 
> I am new to this site and am looking for some support for me and my puppy, Ella. On Wednesday, I purchased Ella from a private breeder (at least that's what I thought). In my life, my family and I have bought dogs from many different sources, breeders and humane societies. I have not had any problems in the past.
> 
> ...


Oh dear Emily,

Hugs to you. I just said a prayer for your dear baby Ella. I've never had experience with Parvo, but there are so many knowledgable people on here, that will help you, and all of us will definetley support you.

It's just a wee bit early in the morning, so just hang in there. Support and love is on it's way. 

As far as organizations or even foster homes, who get the end result of these precious babies, give them love and care, get them well, and then are placed in loving forever homes, you came to the right place. There are foster organziations, that need so much assistance, in so many areas and there are very special representatives of these wonderful organizations right here on the fourum.

But first things first, let's get dear baby Ella better, and back in your loving arms. 

PLEASE do not blame yourself, YOU did not give the baby parvo, nor performed the irresponsible breeding. 

I tell you what, yes, you couldn't resist precious Ella, and knew it was not the best way to get a furbaby, but you know what, I give you a whole lot of credit, the reason being, is there are so many dear folks out there, who have no idea at all, to avoid such people who do these things. You are human, and saw a darling baby, and couldn't resist. 

I think each of us, or I should really only speak for myself, did not know any better, thought I was doing the right thing, also did the same as you, and if it were not for this forum, I still would be in the dark. So, I do give you a great deal of credit, for at least knowing the difference.

The main thing now, is for all of us to give you, the love and support, prayers for Ella, and I know other members can help you out with the Parvo, issue.

So please stick around, as we all are here for you and baby Ella. She is at the vets now, getting care, which is wonderful.

Hugs and huge prayers,
Christine.


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## TLR (Nov 13, 2011)

Emily,
I will have little Ella in my prayers. I am so glad that you took her to the vet so promptly and that she is being cared for. 
Did the "breeder" start any of her shots? Parvovirus is such a scary thing and I know this must be hard on you. Just know that we are here for you and please keep us posted on little Ella.


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## LexiMom (Feb 7, 2012)

I am sooo sorry to hear what happened and applaud you for following your gut and taking her to the vet.

I would DEFINATELY call the breeder - not saying you want to return your pup but they are responsible for the vet bills - did you sign a contact when you go her? Here in NJ they have the puppy lemon law - I found this on MO

_Missouri does not have a pet lemon law. However, Missouri courts have decided that, despite their special place in our hearts, pets are considered to be property._
_Because a pet is considered property, if the pet was purchased for more than $25.00, __the federal lemon law__ might apply. As well, depending on the pet’s condition, there could a violation of an __implied warranty__._

If the breeder is not willing to assist then I would surely call the Missouri Alliance for Animal RIghts Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation.

FIrst and foremost is to get your baby healthy but I would immediately contact the breeder so they can not say you did not contact them to rectify and they do need to clean their facility.

We are all here to help support you go through this - I will keep ella in my prayers and I am soooo angry :exploding:that you you have to deal with this irresponsible breeder.


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## aksm4 (Nov 28, 2011)

Im sooooo sorry about your little Ella prayers coming your way


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## ckanen2n (Jan 2, 2012)

I'm so sorry to hear this, but send Good wishes for health to you and baby, Ella. You are a good Maltese mommy for getting her to the vet right away! Definitely tell the breeder and please keep us posted on her progress.


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

I'm so sorry about Ella and praying your little fluff recovers. 

As far as spreading the word about irresponsible breeders and puppy mills - talk! Talk to anyone who will listen. A number of us volunteer for rescues and have seen first hand the results of this irresponsible breeding as well as the cruelty humans can inflict on animals. 

When given the opportunity, gently educate people about what really happens to dogs from puppy mills and from irresponsible breeders. Share your own story - I know someone who has a very similar story with a puppy she purchased from a pet store (against my advice). The puppy became very sick with multiple illnesses in a very short time and did not recover. When it comes from someone who has lived it, people start to listen, and when they hear it enough times, they learn.

I hope your Ella recovers and becomes your living testimony to why you should never buy from a pet store or less than reputable breeder. Or, as we say in rescue, "adopt, don't shop."


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

I am so sorry about Ella. I see you live in Missouri which is nicknamed The Puppymill Capital of the World. Unfortunately, your state is very supportive of their wholesale puppy business and there are no lemon laws to protect the consumer.

Since Ella is 11 weeks and already over three pounds, she probably has a better chance of surviving Parvo than most of the puppymill puppies who are sold at eight weeks.

Have you spoken to the breeder?


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## ella114 (Apr 1, 2012)

*Update on Ella*

Oh my goodness, you all are so great. Thank you for the words of support and prayers for Ella. The vet called this morning and say that they are keeping her stable. She hasn't made a turn for the worse, but also hasn't made a turn for the better yet. I am going to go visit her this afternoon and give her some love.

The Pet Specialty Service where I took her has great reviews and I was referred by my current vet. I know that she is getting the best care there and the hard part is just waiting.

I did already contact the breeder immediately when I found out. The breeder did give one round of parvo shots (administered by them-not a vet). Apparently puppies can still get parvo until weeks after their final round has been given. I did not inquire about her help with the payment, because all I have is a receipt of sale and did not sign any contracts. I also looked up Missouri lemon law for pets and saw we don't have one. I am focused currently on Ella's health. Once she is hopefully back to me, I may consider asking for a reimbursement. I am not sure if I have the grounds or the strength to fight for more.

Any suggestions on getting the house ready for her return? I have already washed all of my bedding/towels that she laid on and her washable toys, and have thrown out her (cute) doggy bowls she was eating from. I am planning to use a bleach-based cleaner today to clean the areas of the house where she played/slept. Any other precautions I should take?

Again, thank you so much already!


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

:Welcome 4:

Emily, firstly welcome to SM---I am sorry you found us for this reason but we are glad to help as we can. This is a good, easily readable article about how to sterilize w/parvo:
How to Sanitize a Home After Canine Parvo - Yahoo! Voices - voices.yahoo.com
You will also want to sterilize any shoes you are any household members had, or toss them as parvo is so highly contagious. As this article states the garden, soil is probably the worst place---and even your feet in the car, pedals etc. if the parvo was in the home where you collected your pup. 
Get a can of lysol to spray your shoes w/when you bring her home again as you come inside.
I pray all goes well & that your baby's life will be spared. Please keep us up-date! Big hug.


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## allheart (Oct 3, 2008)

ella114 said:


> Oh my goodness, you all are so great. Thank you for the words of support and prayers for Ella. The vet called this morning and say that they are keeping her stable. She hasn't made a turn for the worse, but also hasn't made a turn for the better yet. I am going to go visit her this afternoon and give her some love.
> 
> The Pet Specialty Service where I took her has great reviews and I was referred by my current vet. I know that she is getting the best care there and the hard part is just waiting.
> 
> ...


 
oh Emily, thanks so much for the update. I would think "stable" is a good update and not turning for the worse (hugs to you). 

I think the way your are completely sterlyzing (sp) the house, is perfect. 

I'm glad you contacted the "people" just to let them know, in case any of their other dogs may have it.

As far as asking for a reimburesment, many may disagree with me, but I wouldn't want one sticken dime from them. More than likely any money they have is made off the the precious backs of the babies. It is completely not right for you to carry the burden of the cost, and I am so sorry about that, but you have the right mindset for right now, concentrating on getting dear sweet Ella better. 

We can worry about the other stuff later (like maybe shutting them down).

The only thing I am thinking, and Lady's Mom, could probably address this far better than me, I don't know if you need to do anything with the clothing or shoes you may have been wearing. But I know Lady's Mom will know about that.

Praying so hard and sending so much love and hugs to you and sweet baby Ella.

Christine


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## allheart (Oct 3, 2008)

edelweiss said:


> :Welcome 4:
> 
> Emily, firstly welcome to SM---I am sorry you found us for this reason but we are glad to help as we can. This is a good, easily readable article about how to sterilize w/parvo:
> How to Sanitize a Home After Canine Parvo - Yahoo! Voices - voices.yahoo.com
> ...


 
There we go, thanks Sandi, I thought all the above may be necessary as well. Thanks so much for posting that.


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## Zoe's Mom88 (Apr 25, 2011)

Emily....so sorry Ella is sick. Taking her to the vet immediately was so smart. Praying for a quick recovery for your little baby and please keep us posted on her progress.

Hugs


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## zooeysmom (Aug 1, 2011)

I'm so sorry, Emily. Well, at least she is stable and you are doing everything you can to help her get better. Will keep little Ella in my prayers.


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## Sylie (Apr 4, 2011)

Summergirl73 said:


> Hi and welcome to SM. I am so sorry to hear that your sweet puppy has Parvo. It is a very serious illness, but often times quite treatable. It's a great thing that you took your puppy to the Vet so promptly. I'm kind of surprised that they are keeping her there for so long, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I would suggest (if you have not yet already done so) that you contact the breeder and notify them of the situation so that they can properly clean their property and treat other pups if necessary. You might also request that they assist you with Vet bill (which will likely be very expensive) and/or refund your $ for the purchase of the puppy. You will also need to thoroughly clean all areas in & around your home in which the puppy may have had contact. I wish you and your puppy all the best.


Hi, and welcome to the forum. I quoted Bridget, because I think that is what I would have said. Please tell us when your little puppy is well.


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## Furbabies mom (Jul 25, 2011)

Gosh!! I'm so sorry for Little Ella. I'm praying for a complete recovery for her. I wonder how many other puppies at that breeders has parvovirus??


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## *Missy* (Oct 7, 2011)

Emily welcome! I'm praying for sweet Ella and for you! We are here for you! I think one thing you could do is let the word it about this "breeder" amd wrote reviews or anything you can think of to get the word of and like others have said talk to anyone you can especially since you have this experience. It's good to let people around you know and I have found many wonderful videos about this stuff that I will post on my Facebook and show anyone I'm around lol that way if they know then they can tell others too. I need to start doing more things and I have a certain flea market that I'm going to try to get to stop allowing the sale of puppies because they are all lying on the ground and I'm so certain many of them will get parvo as well it's so sad! We need people to stop buying from petstores and these unethical people or the cycle will never stop! There are just soapy people who don't know. I was one of them


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## babycake7 (Jan 30, 2012)

Sending you and Ella prayers! I am so glad you took her to the vet right away. I'll be thinking of you an sending positive energy your way.


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## ella114 (Apr 1, 2012)

*Ella Update*

I went to visit Ella today. They say she is stable, but she just seemed so sad and in so much pain. I suppose I would be too if my stomach was in knots and I had two IVs in me. She is just so small; I am so worried about her.

Thank you for your kind words and your support, it is helping a lot. Hopefully she will turn for the better soon and not for the worse.

Positive thoughts!


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## Zoe's Mom88 (Apr 25, 2011)

So happy you got to see Ella today and she was able to see you. I know your worried about her but stay positive as much as you can. Prayers and hugs for you and Ella my heart aches as if she were my own.

Hugs to you.....please keep posted on her progress.


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## zooeysmom (Aug 1, 2011)

Lots of positive thoughts and prayers will continue for Ella. I know it's so hard to see your baby in pain :'( I'll pray for you too, Emily.


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## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

Emily - I'm so sorry that you and Ella are going through this. You probably saved her life by getting her to the vet so soon. Praying she'll take a turn for the better.
As soon as Ella is out of crisis, I would try to get the breeder to refund some of your money or pay part of the vet bill. That was your money that they have for a very sick puppy so it's not like you're taking someone else's money. And then as others say, spread the word about puppy mills. See if you can get a newspaper or TV station to do a piece on their consumer reports on what happened to you and Ella. It's a very important story and could save other's heartache. Glad you found us here on SM and look forward to happier days ahead. We're here for you. :wub:


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## hoaloha (Jan 27, 2012)

Sending positive thoughts your way... Hope little Ella recovers fully and swiftly!


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## lydiatug (Feb 21, 2012)

My prayers are with you and your tiny baby as well. My step-daughter rescued a pom-yorkie 4 years ago, and several months later she contracted parvo. Luckily she immediately took her to the vet, and they were able to save her. She is so adorable and we are so thankful she survived. I was very worried about my Lexie, but her vaccines seemed to have done the trick and she was fine. Best of luck to you


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

Emily, it is mid morning in Greece & I am here thinking about you and your baby girl---praying for the best for her. Thank God for vets who know how to help.
I hope you were able to sleep some & that today will be encouraging. It is good if you can show her when you visit that someone cares---be strong & give her courage. 
Please let us know how you both are doing. Big hug.


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## Silkmalteselover (Apr 1, 2010)

Emily Welcome to SM.. I haven't been on SM much in the last few months but last night when I read your post my heart sank.. Parvo in a new puppy-- terrible .. so hoping your Ella recovers. Please keep us posted.


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## ella114 (Apr 1, 2012)

*Ella Update*

I spoke with the vet this morning. Ella is still stable but has continued to have bloody diarrhea and has begun vomiting again. (doesn't sound very stable, but I will take his word for it.)

I am planning to go see her after school again today. (I am a choir teacher.) I am trying to remain positive. Have been having a hard time sleeping and eating myself. Just so worried about her.

Thanks for your continual support.


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:rayer:rayer:


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## TLR (Nov 13, 2011)

Thinking of you and Ella today and hoping she is doing better.


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## Furbabies mom (Jul 25, 2011)

Praying to see an improvement today.Bless her little heart!


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## Zoe's Mom88 (Apr 25, 2011)

Emily....prayers and hugs for you and Ella. Hoping by the time you visit she is feeling a little better. Please keep us posted.


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## babycake7 (Jan 30, 2012)

Just stopped by to see if there was an update on Ella. I hope she is improving. Prayers your way...


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## lynda (Oct 11, 2005)

I just read this post and I am so sorry to hear about your sweet baby. I will keep you both in my prayers. Sending positive thoughts for a full and speedy recovery.


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## ella114 (Apr 1, 2012)

*Ella Update*

I love getting all of the positive messages and seeing the pictures of your adorable Malteses!

I went and visited Ella this evening. Though she was still VERY lethargic and had the sick look in her eye, she was much more alert for my visit than she was yesterday. She stayed awake the entire time I was there and moved her head around a bit. I could tell she was glad to see me though she couldn't even wag her little tail.

I am hoping tomorrow we see even a bit more improvement. I know she is fighting and staying as strong as possible. I am continually anxious to get another update.

Luckily for me, my boyfriend is coming home tomorrow (he has been out of town) so it will help me to have some in person support when he gets here.

Joining this community has been one of the best decisions to help me get through this awful time. I cannot say thank you enough, you all are great.


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## Zoe's Mom88 (Apr 25, 2011)

Emily.....I have been thinking about you and Ella all day since your last post and hoping things were okay. It seems like she may be making some progress and that is great. My heart goes out to both of you. 

I am happy that your boyfriend will be there with you to tomorrow to support you. 

Little angel Ella is in my prayers.....big hugs for you both.....please update as soon as you can. :heart:


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## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

Emily - glad that things are improving, even if slightly. The important thing is going in the right direction. It's so sad to think of how devastating Parvo can be. A lesson to all about taking it very seriously. Hoping that tomorrow might even bring a little tail wag. Gee we need a tail wag emoticon. :thumbsup:


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## MalteseJane (Nov 21, 2004)

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:


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## reanut1379 (Oct 10, 2011)

Oh Emily, I'm glad to hear that Ella is doing slightly better. Even if it's not much, it is still better then she was. I will keep you and little Ella in my prayers.

My good friend had a five month old lab puppy with Parvo. But it wasn't their breeders fault. They got the puppy at around six or seven weeks when the found him in a burnt down house. As much as I appreciated them doing that, they had no idea on how to properly care of a dog. They didn't give him any shots, and they had him outside tied to a short chain. He ended up nearly dying of Parvo because they didn't take him to the vet when he got sick. He stayed at the vet for four days and came home fully recovered. Unfortunately, they still didn't learn their lesson and kept him outside without shots. He ended up getting hit by a car and breaking his leg, and they had to re-home him, but that's a different story. 

So what I'm trying to say is, thank you so much for taking Ella to the vet as soon as she got sick. After what happened with my friend, I can't stand it when people don't take their dogs to the vet.


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