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.
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