URGENT ADVICE NEEDED - VERY SICK LABRADOR

[Jool]

i am asking for dog rescue lady friend who is very worried indeed. Found a young labrador last week, only about 1 year, never very interested in eating, then came in to season. Has now been vomiting for 3 days, been to vets twice, on a drip before, but still no better. Vet said gastroenterities but dog is not interested in food and cannot keep even a drop of water down. Lethargic. Vet will scan for an obstruction later today but does not expèct to find anything.

Has anyone any advice or experience of this? Could it be related to hormones? Any info would be helpful please

[murbisa]

Could this be a pyometra???

[doglover]

Hi Jool I`d take her back to vet asap. Link below gives symptoms of pyo, it can happen at any age & during any time in or out of season in a complete female dog.
http://www.helium.com/items/1319017-sym ... f-pyometra

Blockage is also possible, as is any kind of gastric infection too.

Good luck, hope you find out whats wrong with her pretty soon.

[annfoto]

Could be many things. Either a severe liver infection or parvovirus spring to mind.
Not eating or drinking water isn't a problem as long as it's on a drip. I take it the vet has analyzed a blood sample?
If the dog is currently staying with the vet then it's in the best place.

[Julie]

Jool,

Please do let us know the outcome,I do hope that the dog will be ok.

[Jool]

Thank you for your fast responses.

Sadly it is parvo. There is a new strain this year it seems that can affect dogs up to 3 years and is proving almost impossible to treat. The poor dog is in hospital til Monday, if she lives that long. All dog lovers are asked to think of her and will her to be well, please.

[annfoto]

Sorry to hear that, I will will her well.
I know of 2 dogs that survived parvo by being at the vet on a drip, untreated they often die of kidney failure through not being able to drink anything
Sadly parvo is one of the biggest killers of young dogs in these parts so it is very important to keep your dog's vaccinations up to date.

[TinaTapas]

How's she doing, Jool?

[Jool]

Thanks for asking - She is still alive, on a drip, not eating, and fighting for her life.

I have been reading up on this and I am not sure whether local vets vaccinate against parvo beyond puppy hood, yet articles seem to indicate an annual booster should be given?? Any advice from anyone?

[annfoto]

Good to hear she is still alive.
I checked my dogs passports and they have been given this every year (description from manufacturer's website)

Nobivac DHPPi Vaccination will give your dog protection against diseases like distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, infection and parainfluenza infection. Your puppy should be vaccinated at the earliest opportunity and boosters should be maintained throughout the dog’s lifetime. Just like human vaccines, the immunity provided by each vaccine will wane and we recommend your dog is boosted every three years to maintain optimum protection against distemper, hepatits and parvo virus infection. Although the healthcheck and annual vaccination against leptospirosis and parainfluenza infection will still be required.



Nobivac DHPPi contains live, attenuated, freeze dried canine distemper virus, canine adenovirus-2 (CAV2), canine parvovirus and canine parainfluenza virus

[doglover]

Thats good to hear she`s fighting!! I wouldn`t be worried she`s not eating, as long as she`s on a drip & being kept from becoming dehydrated
I nursed a litter of pups back to health after they caught parvo & it was a long time before 1 of them could eat a normal diet.

Parvo vaccine isn`t needed every year & when she recovers she`ll be immune for life.

Heres a very informative link about vaccines & their duration of immunity.


http://www.eskievet.com/Articles/vaccine%20duration.pdf

[TinaTapas]

Glad she's hanging in there, Jool.

Don't want to jinx anything by sounding too optimistic, but if she's survived more than48 hours, it looks promising

Hopefully the vets are not just leaving the dog alone for long periods of time if she's now conscious rather than sleeping all the time? We had a night shift where staff would sleep over in the flat adjacent to the practice, and checked on the in-patients every 3-4 hours or so

Also during the day, it's important that the dog feels reassured by gentle touch and tone of voice - sometimes makes the difference between the dog living and dying in my experience.

I believe it's not routine for vets here to vaccinate at all (apart from rabies, although many Spaniards in the campo ignore the law)

I've seen many ads for puppies with the prices with and without vacs although of course that's not the vet's fault.

However, many vets out here could do more to educate pet owners, imo.

Vacs (depending on the brand) are promoted as being necessary every year, but in the UK, many vets are now advocating a vaccination programme of every 2 or 3 years

Problem is that immunity against some of the nasties lasts longer than others....but it's usually just the one booster shot that's available

In Spain, we choose to vaccinate our dogs every 18 months -2 years, simply because we are in the campo and there are so many sick dogs/goats etc. passing through the same land where we walk our dogs.

Thankfully the sun kills off many nasties, otherwise things would be even worse for stray dogs.

Just because a dog recovers from Parvo or Lepto etc, does not mean that they are immune for life.

Different strains develop all the time and your dog's immune system is not always at full strength - just like us humans who catch measles or chickenpox more than once!

[doglover]

Hi Tina Tapas, vaccines should be given according to manufacturers advice & duration of immunity they give.

Procyon gives DOI for 4yrs http://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/MSD_Ani ... 40884.html

You can look up Nobivac who give DOI for at least 3yrs & Vanguard which also gives 4yrs.

According to Dr Hal Thompson of Glasgow Uni Animal Diagnostics my pups that had parvo will be immune for life & will never need vaccinating for it again.
http://www.gla.ac.uk/media/media_183802_en.pdf

This was also confirmed to me by Dr Jean Dodds
http://www.itsfortheanimals.com/DODDS-RESUME.HTM

And Ronald Schultz makes very interesting reading.

Unfortunately parvo loves the sun & heat & it will linger around for up to 1yr & the vaccines for canine parvo at this moment cover ALL strains of it.

Really hoping this doggie pulls through:))

[TinaTapas]

Hi Doglover

As a retired vet(not due to my age but injury, unfortunately) I must say that I find none of your links convince me to amend anything in my last post

No vaccination that is currently available protects from all major diseases for the same amount of time - in the UK, I was recommending 2-3 years as a safe period, however convincing customers to come in more regularly to update Lepto proved difficult.

Sadly, most major diseases in dogs (be they bacterial or viral) mutate over the years (much like disease in us humans), and research that is decades old, whilst most certainly valid in its time, needs to be up-dated on a regular basis

I would certainly prefer dogs with healthy immune systems, instead of adding money to the drug companies' coffers!

Many people think that there is a big profit margin in booster shots for the veterinary surgeon. There isn't, nor should there be.
If there is, you need to change vets, and preferably let your vet know why you are leaving their practice.

UV light renders some strains of Parvo inactive, although it survives extreme temps.
Hot temperatures coupled with outbursts of rain really helps Parvo to survive and multiply
Hot sunny weather in a dry climate is not hospitable to Parvo, although it can still easily survive for decades.
Bleach used to kill Parvo 100% but resistance is creeping in.

Fully vaccinated adult dogs, as well as puppies, are being infected by and dying from the most recent 2c strain of the Canine Parvovirus, which may also be transmitted by air rather than by fecal matter and vomit, which is worrying to say the least.

There are dogs who develop Parvo-like symptoms several times in their lives - whether Parvo was misdiagnosed, or whether the virus is mutating is still unclear.

Some breeds, such as this poor Lab, appear to be more at risk of developing Parvo - but this research is in early stages at the moment.

In the case of Lepto, even if you do vaccinate, it doesn't provide any guarantee in preventing infection and development of a carrier state. The dog may well be clinically asymptomatic for disease yet provide a source of contagion through the shedding of serovars in its urine.
Even if you vaccinate against these specific serovars does not provide protection against other serovars.

Anyway, Jool, please keep us informed of this poor dog's progress.

[starynightsky]

Hi Doglover

As a retired vet(not due to my age but injury, unfortunately) I must say that I find none of your links convince me to amend anything in my last post

No vaccination that is currently available protects from all major diseases for the same amount of time - in the UK, I was recommending 2-3 years as a safe period, however convincing customers to come in more regularly to update Lepto proved difficult.

Sadly, most major diseases in dogs (be they bacterial or viral) mutate over the years (much like disease in us humans), and research that is decades old, whilst most certainly valid in its time, needs to be up-dated on a regular basis

I would certainly prefer dogs with healthy immune systems, instead of adding money to the drug companies' coffers!

Many people think that there is a big profit margin in booster shots for the veterinary surgeon. There isn't, nor should there be.
If there is, you need to change vets, and preferably let your vet know why you are leaving their practice.

UV light renders some strains of Parvo inactive, although it survives extreme temps.
Hot temperatures coupled with outbursts of rain really helps Parvo to survive and multiply
Hot sunny weather in a dry climate is not hospitable to Parvo, although it can still easily survive for decades.
Bleach used to kill Parvo 100% but resistance is creeping in.

Fully vaccinated adult dogs, as well as puppies, are being infected by and dying from the most recent 2c strain of the Canine Parvovirus, which may also be transmitted by air rather than by fecal matter and vomit, which is worrying to say the least.

There are dogs who develop Parvo-like symptoms several times in their lives - whether Parvo was misdiagnosed, or whether the virus is mutating is still unclear.

Some breeds, such as this poor Lab, appear to be more at risk of developing Parvo - but this research is in early stages at the moment.

In the case of Lepto, even if you do vaccinate, it doesn't provide any guarantee in preventing infection and development of a carrier state. The dog may well be clinically asymptomatic for disease yet provide a source of contagion through the shedding of serovars in its urine.
Even if you vaccinate against these specific serovars does not provide protection against other serovars.

Anyway, Jool, please keep us informed of this poor dog's progress.

Are there any confirmed cases of the new strain of Parvovirus over here in Spain??

[TinaTapas]

Hi SNS

The new strain was first detected in Italy (although of course that doesn't mean it wasn't elsewhere first)

It's also been detected in other European countries (including Spain), the Far East/Asia and the Americas

I'm sure I've missed a country or two out, but that's the extent of my knowledge on the geography of the virus.

[starynightsky]

Thanks for the information.

[Jool]

Thank you and yes this "new" strain has also been confirmed by vets in the UK.

[Jool]

Just to let you know she came home from the vet today, on antibiotics (to prevent secondary infection taking advantage) and can take a tiny amount of water, so please still keep thinking of her, the next few days are crucial. She will be fed with tiny teaspoons of bland food ....so here´s hoping....

[TinaTapas]

Hurrah!

She'll be much happier and more relaxed in a home environment - much quieter and less stressful than in a cage at the vet

This is what I would recommend as a recovery diet (obviously if the vet's advice differs, then he/she has seen and treated the dog and I have not, so I would defer to their advice):

Little and very often with the water (especially in these temps), perhaps with an electrolyte added (I'm sure your friend is already aware of this and the human ones from the chemist are fine) and don't worry if the food is refused initially....boiled chicken, no skin, with rice or boiled pots/flesh of baked potato will be ideal -

Again very small amounts every 3-4 hours or so and no large chunks of food - cut it up very small/mash it well etc

After the vet is satisfied with her progress, the dog can have normal food added VERY GRADUALLY over a week or more, to the bland diet