Question re Parvo and the vaccine.

[Cataholic]

I have a 6 month old shepherd pup that I am fostering. Her name is Gretchen. She came to me two Sundays ago, about 11 am. She was pretty listless, wouldn't eat, wouldn't do anything. I had been pre-warned that she was SUPER timid (and that has borne out to be 100% true).

Anyhow, around 8 pm, she had a horribly smelly bowel movement, about 99% unformed. The stench was beyond anything I had ever smelled. I cleaned it up and went on with things. At around 11 pm, she had a second episode, the stench woke me up- I kid you not. This was 100% diahhrea. Black, no blood.

I panicked, called the lady from whom I got her from, and I told her I needed to take her to the vet. So, I packed up J, and we went to the clinic. They tested her for parvo, told me that it usually takes 15 minutes for the results. They came back 5 minutes later and told me it was positive.

So, 48 hours later, she came home. She had NO vomiting or diahhrea in the clinic. None. Nothing. The only time she had it was with me, and it was 2 times. (She does get car sick...and did vomit a little on the way home...but, it wasn't throw up type sickness...it was carsickness, I could tell.).

Now, one week later, she is still the most timid thing I have ever met. But, after about 2 days, she has perked up, eats like a champ, drinks fine, no diahhrea, nice normal poops. Inside only, since she won't really walk outside, LOL. Oh well.

Anyhow, I talked to the lady that I got her from today, and she says she doubts it was parvo. Says the test can be false positive, thinks it was worms (either whip or hook....forget which (she is being treated for worms). She learned that Gretchen had just had the parvo vaccine (I forget what it is called..the DHPPT or something?) 3 days before she came to me and apparently, this can give a false positive. Strangely enough, I had been told this in a less specific way by the guy that runs the pet store I buy products from. He was very big in rescue for a while, and is pretty knowledgable. Both he and the lady from whom I got Gretchen from think it is pretty strange that she had Parvo, with just the two episodes of diahhrea...despite the positive test, and think it was a virus/worms.

I tend to believe both of them, and of course, would like to know that it wasn't parvo for my own sanity, sense of cleanliness, and the fact that I had her in my house, in my car, and it can mean no fostering for me for a year, since the virus can live that long. My house stinks like a bleach factory, currently.

Anyhow, anyone have anything from their experience to share?
TIA.

[*LabLoverKEB*]

Oh, scary!!
Parvovirus is an EXTREMELY horrible virus. Very contagious, and serious!! Parvo affects the gastrointestinal system in young dogs, it is not commonly seen in dogs that are over 7 months. The virus severely dehydrates them. Treatment for parvo includes IV fluids, and supportive care. Parvo has a VERY distinct smell, once you smell it, you will never forget that smell.

Recent vaccination against parvo with a live vaccine (the type of vaccine used in the parvo vaccination) may interfere with the test results, and this means that the test will pick up the live virus from the vaccine that was recently given, and show a positive reading, when in fact the puppy does not have the virus at all.
I will keep little Gretchen in my prayers!!

[Cataholic]

I really think Gretchen will be just fine. It has been one week since she was released from the hospital, and I have seen no signs of a setback- just forward movement.

I heard the worms (again, either hook or ring (which ever is cross contaminant to cats, lucky me, eh?) has a horrid smell, too.

Thanks for your info!!

[MonicanHonda]

I have recently heard it could cause a false positive. It seems to me it could also be stress related since she was moving around, and being treated for worms. I don't think I would worry too much considering she only had two diarrheas. The only thing that worried me about that was that you said it smelled horrendous. Parvo definitely has a unique smell like nothing else. :-/ But to me, it sounds like the vaccine might have caused a false positive.

[Cinder & Smoke]

??
How about going in to the Regular Vet and doing a RE-do on the Parvo test?

[Cataholic]

The test is 100.00. :0

[Catlady711]

The test for Parvo can indeed cause a false positive if the dog was recently vaccinated with a live vaccine. Since the test is done with fecal matter, I can't imagine the vet not also running a standard fecal test to rule out roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, or coccidia at the same time. From what I understand, if a dog does recover from Parvo they can spread the disease in their stools for up to 6 months.

Here's some links to give you a bit more info if you're interested.



http://www.avma.org/animal_health/br...o_brochure.asp

Glad to hear your new foster is feeling better and hopefully the personality will gradually become more open and trusting in time.

[Cinder & Smoke]

The test is $100.00.

Make ya a deal ... If The Kid wants to keep her ...
I'll pay his half of the re-test.

And hey - how about pulin out the CAMERA and show us who we're
talking about.

[Cataholic]

LOL, Phred! The kid doesn't want a dog, he wants more cats!

Gretchen climbed into my lap this morning, wagging away. Then, she kind of climbed away, prolly thinking, "why did I do that "?? It seems every day is getting better, except for the non walking away from the house part. She walks to the house, but not away. She has yet to go potty outside, too. She has been with me 9 days....

[Thatonechix]

Well, if the pup had black diarrhea then that can mean it was poisoned. Do you know if it ate any plants nearby or got into something it shouldn't have?

[Cataholic]

Welcome, thatonechix! No, I am pretty sure it wasn't poison. The pup was fostered for a few days before she came to me. It is either parvo, or the worm thingy.

She is doing so well! She is cute, so quiet, and really very little trouble to care for considering she is a puppy. Course, not having to take her outide to potty is a huge time saver. Wonder if anyone else has a shepherd that is paper trained?

[lizbud]

She is doing so well! She is cute, so quiet, and really very little trouble to care for considering she is a puppy. Course, not having to take her outide to potty is a huge time saver. Wonder if anyone else has a shepherd that is paper trained?

LOL Not a full grown GSD, I'l bet. I am glad she didn't have Parvo.
that is a killer disease.

As a foster, are you required to train her in lessons on housetraining?
Most GSDs are easy to train once you gain their trust.

[Cataholic]

LOL Not a full grown GSD, I'l bet. I am glad she didn't have Parvo.
that is a killer disease.

As a foster, are you required to train her in lessons on housetraining?
Most GSDs are easy to train once you gain their trust.

Liz- I am not sure if it were parvo or not. She tested positive, but, have no way of knowing if it were a false positive or not.

See, here is the story on my fostering. I usually only have the pup or puppies (as is usually the case, 2) for a week. Sometimes, it is even as short as 3-4 days. It has been as long as 10. In this case, Gretchen will be with me for 3 full weeks.

I usually work diligently to potty train the pups, teach them anything I can. Couple of things are working against me here. 1) our office moved 25 miles away from my home. It simply isn't possible for me to go home 2-3 times a day to let a puppy in or out any more. On shorter fosters, I would ask neighbors or my mom to help out, so, it has worked reasonably well. And, Gretchen simply would not respond to a stranger at this point. When my mom was over earlier this week, Gretchen wouldn't come out of her little compound.

The more serious issue here is Gretchen's timidness. I have never seen such a thing before like this as it is with her. We make incremental steps each day. Today was the absolute first time she potty'd outside for me (and it was pee). I have had her for nearly 2 weeks (minus the 48 hour ER stay). The very first time....I was floored, and excited and properly enthusiastic about it. LOL.

It is only the last couple of days that she will physically move in the yard with me. She has to be carried to the back yard (or, dragged, I suppose...not my style, though). She then will stand stock still for a few minutes, and I take little steps around, talking softly to her, to get her to move around. I have yet to put a collar on her, she is on a slip, so as to make escapes less likely.

So, no, she is not a full grown shepherd, and yeah, I normally do not paper train them...instead work on the outside stuff. Hah. You should have seen her when there was snow on the ground earlier this week! No movement at all.

I want to begin more outside efforts, and have every confidence that she will transition to an outside pottier yet. But, it might not be on my watch.

[lizbud]

Wow, I really am impressed with the changes you have helped her
accomplish in such a short time. Tiny steps are still steps in the right
direction. Hard telling what she has gone through in her short life.

Sorry about the extra stress of having to travel further to work.Bummer.

[Cinder & Smoke]

The kid doesn't want a dog, he wants more cats!

Couple of things are working against me here.

1) our office moved 25 miles away from my home.
It simply isn't possible for me to go home 2-3 times a day to let a puppy in or out any more.

2) And, Gretchen simply would not respond to a stranger at this point.
When my mom was over earlier this week,
Gretchen wouldn't come out of her little compound.

I want to begin more outside efforts, and have every confidence that she
will transition to an outside pottier yet.
But, it might not be on my watch.

WE need to *talk* to The Kid!
Your Kid **NEEDS** that Dawg!