# The high cost of parvo



## bigdawgs (May 21, 2006)

For those of you who don't think shots are important, or they cost too much or are a risk, let me tell you what happened in our clinic over the past two weeks.
On Labor day, a client called with a sick min pin. Diagnosis, Parvo. The dog was hospitalized with IV fluids, antibiotics and vit b12 injections. the dog was still alive after 7 days, but still refused food. Add plasma transfusion. the sister also came in the day after with parvo. Fortunately, both survived.
total hospitalization costs for two dogs for 10 days, 1000.
cost of DHPP series for 2 dogs, 75.00
you do the math.


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## SiNNiK (Jul 12, 2006)

that's not entirely fair though, when i got Chance, he was current on all his shots for an 8 week old puppy, and we finished his shots as instructed and he STILL got parvo, paid another $500 for IV's.


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## luv4gsds (Jul 27, 2006)

Sorry to hear about the mini pins. But there is a chance that a puppy can still get parvo even if the puppy had its vaccinations. I'm not against vaccination but now and days pets take way to many vaccination and it is really bad on their immune system.

Good read.
Changing Vaccine Protocols


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## Cheetah (May 25, 2006)

An 8-week-old puppy cannot realistically be finished with its vaccinations. If you start vaccinating too early (I believe 6-8 weeks is too early), the puppy still has its mother's immunity, and any vaccinations usually don't take, at least according to a few vets I've talked to here. So if you give any vaccinations before 6-8 weeks, it's basically a waste.

My corgi got his 1st set of vaccinations at 9 weeks, then again at 14 weeks, and then the last ones I believe at like... 20 weeks. ><


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## bigdawgs (May 21, 2006)

Cheetah, you are correct. All I am saying is not vxing your dog poses incredible risks both for you pet and for your pocketbook.


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## Cheetah (May 25, 2006)

Oh yes I understand that... When I was 11, I lost a border collie puppy to parvo, because my dad wouldn't take him in to get him vaccinated.


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## Lorina (Jul 1, 2006)

Last year, we hospitalized a parvo puppy where I worked. The owner had bought it sight-unseen from a breeder and had it flown in from another state. It was very ill by the time it arrived at the airport. The dog recovered, but the poopie-head owner never showed up for a follow-up visit or vaccinations afterwards. You'd think after spending $800 for the puppy, then another $800 or so in vet bills a few days later, he'd want to at very least protect his investment, nevermind just doing the right thing for your pet.


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## midnightbluemamma (Sep 24, 2006)

*sick 14 week old puppy*

my husband got me an american blue pit bull pup (gurl)4 days ago. at first i thought that she was just a mellow pup but then I noticed swelling in her stomach and took her to the vet only to fine out that they belive she might have parvo were in a wait and watch game over the weekend, she has to be totaly isolated from every other one of our pets and should not be handled much they said, it is just heart breaking, but i definetly know if she does have parvo i will do what ever it takes to make her well again she is my baby


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## tirluc (Aug 29, 2006)

i believe that all dogs, just like children, should have their shots as babies and a booster at the first yr.....after that i don't think that they are really necessary.....i mean, you give a human baby shots in their first 6 mo, boosters at (i believe 18 mo; been too many yrs since i've had little ones) and then (maybe again) at 5 yrs......so, why does a dog need them every yr?

and IMO, pups do not need their first vaccine til 8 wks, as they should have the immunities from the mother for up to 2wks after nursing.....but this is assuming that mother has had all her vaccines to begin w/ and is healthy, and that pups aren't weaned too early....


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## Kabbie (Oct 11, 2006)

*Sick little puppy*

Hello everyone...I was reading all the comments about Parvovirus. I am in the midst of dealing with a sick 9 week old puppy I have only had for one week. He is the cutest little pure-bred beagle named Amos. This is our very first pet ever! I got him from a Rescue 3 1/2 hours away from my home. The adoption fee was $175.00 and I fell in love with him instantly. 4 days after bringing him home he got sick. I took him to the pet hospital and it turned out he came up positive for parvo. He spent two days in the hospital and came home on medications. He was released on Saturday, October 14th and it is now Wednesday, October 17th and I had to take him back to the vet today because he developed kennel cough. Now he won't drink anything. I am so scared because I don't want this little guy to die but I don't know what else to do for him. He is on antibiotics and pepsid but without drinking he has no chance of getting better. The vet said that if he isn't drinking by tomorrow he will have to stay in the hospital again. I got him for $175.00 but have already put $800.00+ into trying to keep him! I welcome any ideas and suggestions.


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## blackgavotte (Sep 28, 2006)

I'm really sorry to hear your sad story. But now is not the time to quit. You have already gone so far, kennel cough is not as bad by far as parvo, and the vets can hydrate him with fluid therapy, he likely does not want to drink if his throat is sore. Good luck.


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## Kabbie (Oct 11, 2006)

*Update*

Blackgavotte...thanks for the words of encouragement. I cannot give up on this little guy...he is just so sweet and helpless. We had a very good day today. He is sprite and cheerful...wagging his tail, eating and even drinking some all on his own. I hope each day will only get better. So far, we have had a good day, then a bad day, then a good day again. Hopefully they will all be good from now on. Thanks again!


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## chawie78 (Oct 26, 2006)

*Sick puppy*

If you only had a puppy for a few days before he showed signs of being ill go back to the breeder!! That puppy had already been exposed and you should get your money back! If they don't work with you, report them!


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## PeppersMama (Apr 25, 2008)

My 17 week old shorkie has parvo. Just diagnosed today and she has had her shots. don't know how much it is gonna cost and don't care. I have had he for a month and she is a part of me. I will sell or do whatever it takes to take care of her. You woould do this if it was your human child. And she is my BABY.


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## TucksMom (Apr 23, 2008)

Rickey told me about Pepper! I am soooooo sorry! Here's praying and praying she gets better very soon!!


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## Spicy1_VV (Jun 1, 2007)

*Re: sick 14 week old puppy*

I agree with the other poster. Its not fair because vaccines help, a lot for most dogs but don't always work 100%. 

As well I did the math. 

Vaccines for 2 dogs about $24

Treating parvo for 2 dogs about $75-100 (if you use tamiflu as an option then expect another $70-100)



midnightbluemamma said:


> my husband got me an american blue pit bull pup (gurl)4 days ago. at first i thought that she was just a mellow pup but then I noticed swelling in her stomach and took her to the vet only to fine out that they belive she might have parvo were in a wait and watch game over the weekend, she has to be totaly isolated from every other one of our pets and should not be handled much they said, it is just heart breaking, but i definetly know if she does have parvo i will do what ever it takes to make her well again she is my baby


Do you mean a blue american pit bull terrier? Your pit looked black to me I think, maybe that was another poster. 

That is bad news to hear regardless. Did they not do a parvo test? Swelling in the stomach could be caused by other things. Its important to know as soon as possible to start treatment. The earlier the better.


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## PeppersMama (Apr 25, 2008)

*Re: sick 14 week old puppy*

Well, my Pepper got well from the parvo and then had a seizure which caused her to have a heart attack and her little body couldn't take it all. She crossed the rainbow bridge. And it still cost $283 and I believe that was rather cheap. My friend paid $700 to get her baby treated and she had had her shots as well.


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## Kabbie (Oct 11, 2006)

PeppersMama,
I am so sorry to hear about your baby, Pepper. Having made it through the parvo is tough enough but then having the seizure after that. So very sorry. My little guy, Amos, is doing very well and has had no ill effects from the parvo. My experience was quite expensive though. The total when all was said and done was over $800.00. I am grateful that he survived the parvo...it was worth the cost. In August he will be 2 years old and is just a joy to have around (most of the time lol).


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## chul3l3ies1126 (Aug 13, 2007)

My past pup died of parvo at 7 months. He was fully vaccinated and healthy... but over the weekend just deteriorated ad we took him to the vet. They tested him 2 times and the second one came out positive. He fought, but he just couldnt anymore.
Nessa


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## Dogsareme (Mar 1, 2007)

Been here before. 

Had a foster pup turned in at 4 months old. We got all her shots done, a month later she was diagnosed with PARVO! My worst nightmare in fostering/rescue came true!

She was really sick for two days and we had no clue what was wrong......she was not eating and losing weight fast so I made an appointment. That morning of the appointment was day 3 she had her first bought of bloddy dierrehea...I was thinking "oh S*#!" 
We got her in and they tested and then hooked her up to the IV. I went home and threw out all blankets she used, bleached all the toys and dishes. Bleached the floors, half of all the walls, the crates, I even did my entire lawn! Yep I sprayed it with bleach. I don't care if it dies as much as if any other dog dies. I bathed my dogs, threw out their pillows.........everything I could not wash was garbage. Luckily for me I keep all foster dogs in a blocked off portion of the house where everything is able to be wiped down. 

4 days after she was admitted to the vets she started chewing her IV and pulling it out, was eating and getting restless. Day 5 she came home!! 

She is doing great now, you would never know she had gotten sick. She is now 8 months old, has been up for adoption for sometime and no one is looking at her. They don't know what they are missing.


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## 4dogs3cats (Dec 21, 2007)

Do the math:









Chance came from a BYB who claimed he gave shots- they did...but they waited too long after they bought them to give them. My puppy was given a 40% chance of survival, he fought it... and he survived. He is now just over a year old, very healthy. Spring is here so parvo is going to come back with full force. Vaccination may not be 100% accurate, but I'd feel worse if my dog wasnt vaccinated and caught it, than if I did everything to prevent it.


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## brighteyes (May 14, 2008)

*Re: sick 14 week old puppy*

As well I did the math. 

Vaccines for 2 dogs about $24

Treating parvo for 2 dogs about $75-100 (if you use tamiflu as an option then expect another $70-100)


This math is either not accurate or your vet is dirt cheap....true, the vaccinations are very inexpensive (and both my dogs goth their vaccinations)
but parvo treatment is already at over $1000.00 with out hospitalization (hospitalization treatment was $1500.00 per night)! and that dog did not pull through, and treatment on the second dog has not even started!!!!! Other than routine de-worming etc. to prevent a secondary infection....I spent hours on the phone just trying to find a vet that would consider the Tamiflu treatment....if we hadn't found on, we would be on our way to Mexico right now, just to save the other dog!


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

I'd rather go to the vet who knows what they're doing over any "natural" parvo methods. Parvo ain't nothing to play with.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

ChristSavesAll said:


> You see results within 12 hours and it could even be less, that's pretty quick to see improvement and substantially less money, not to mention completely stopping the progression of such a horrid illness, full recovery was in 3 days... why would anyone shun such amazingly helpful info?


First of all, I'll never try it to see results. I'm not a veterinarian, so I don't play around with veterinary meds. I will ask a vet but I highly doubt there is a magical three day cure to parvo. The 20 some puppies at my shelter that survived parvo this last summer say there is not.


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## lucidity (Nov 10, 2009)

If it really does work, it would've been published somewhere with controlled studies to show how well it works.......

That's how science goes. Anything that's "this happened to me I SWEAR IT WORKS"... is bollocks. How about "I gave my dog lots of grapes and that cured his cancer. SWEAR IT's true. Vets will not tell you that this works because they DONT KNOW IT YET". Right.... very good argument.

Guess you also believe that faith healing works?

ETA: Instead of suggesting some magical cure, I think it's better to just advise people to BRING THEIR PETS TO THE VET. Money or no money. The day you adopted/bought a pet was the day you promised to be committed to it and that includes bringing it to the vet when it's sick, not scour the internet for some fairytale cure that would probably kill their dog.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

ChristSavesAll said:


> How can a vet, or any vet share with you a cure they have not discovered? Not because it isn't there but because their training is in pharmaceutical drugs and not in any other methods. DE can be given beforehand to prevent the illness in the first place, it also has other wonderful health benefits that a quick search would pull up so is beneficial if given on a daily basis anyway.
> I understand and respect your position, I shared this for those who are unable to afford the treatment the vet offers and it's by far a better choice than to sit by and wait and see, for thos who have no other choice I hope this is of use to them.


So, like Lucidity said, if it supposedly works and is a magical cure then why isn't there studies on it and why aren't vets doing it? I cannot respect or understanding posting information like that publicly. People will come across it, forgo going to the vet, and likely lose their puppies as a result.


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## PatchworkRobot (Aug 24, 2010)

ChristSavesAll said:


> full recovery was in 3 days


 3 days is also the average length of time that Parvo takes to kill a puppy, to my understanding.
I'd rather take my dog to someone who has spend copious amounts of time studying veterinary medicine.



lucidity said:


> If it really does work, it would've been published somewhere with controlled studies to show how well it works.......


Also, this.


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## Pawzk9 (Jan 3, 2011)

*Re: sick 14 week old puppy*



brighteyes said:


> As well I did the math.
> 
> Vaccines for 2 dogs about $24
> 
> ...


I had a young rescue dog (about a year old MAS) come down with Parvo. He came in with a very young Aussie pup (he had been reported to be a 4 month old Aussie) and my vet was the one who suggested and prescribed Tamiflu. The little guy required hospitilization even so - he got very ill. But with the female puppy getting the Tamiflu before becoming ill, she was fine. It's my understanding that it stops progression of the virus, but if the virus is already advanced, you still have problems.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

ChristSavesAll said:


> The reason why it has not been studied is rather simple, funding for studies is paid for by those who would stand to profit, since DE can be purchased at $1 per pound or less in bulk and one would need less than a cup for treatment, there is no profit to be gained and even moreso since it is an at home treatment, one wouldn't need to see a vet during treatment and thus the vet gains no profit.


Anyone can fund a study, although it's often drug manufacturers. Veterinarians don't typically fund studies. But heck, YOU could fund a study if you really wanted to prove that your advice isn't just internet bunk.


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