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by hexe on 04 October 2013 - 02:10
Something many of us already know--"...it is possible to treat dogs with parvovirus on an outpatient basis..."--but nice to see that the veterinary community is developing a protocol for doing so:
"New Protocol Gives Parvo Puppies A Fighting Chance When Owners Can't Afford Hospitalization"
"New Protocol Gives Parvo Puppies A Fighting Chance When Owners Can't Afford Hospitalization"
by Jenni78 on 04 October 2013 - 11:10
I posted my long parvo protocol and then took it down quickly, afraid some idiot who had no idea what I was even talking about as far as drugs and applications, let alone had the skills to put it into practice, would let their pup die because someone on a forum said they've treated puppies this way w/100% success and they thought they could do the same w/no vet help.
The biggest plus I see in that article is that hopefully, fewer pups will be pts before leaving the vet if the owners can't afford treatment. Many vets try to make you feel like there is zero chance if you walk out those doors with that pup, and that's simply not true. I was read the riot act by a new vet when I went in for a snap test to confirm 2 cases I already pretty much knew were parvo. I had to get another vet (owner of the practice involved) to get them to sell me the fluids. I didn't even bring the pups with me. They push for euthanasia- and they push hard. They lay a pretty big guilt trip on you when you want to opt for home care (which I feel has a HUGE emotional benefit for the poor sick puppy). It's basically a "You can do two things; you can be a good owners and let us take care of him, or you can kill him now because if he leaves here, he dies for sure." It's a scary thing and I bet the vast majority of pet owners are convinced that it's accurate. I found a vet who tries not to treat them inpatient unless the owner is totally inept. He has had extensive parvo experience with rescue dogs and he feels they do much better at home with love and support and thinks they fight to live, whereas, taking a shelter dog with parvo back into a sterile, crowded, shelter environment when that sick seems to push them over the edge. He thinks they simply give up in some cases, where if at home where they were comfortable and loved and had only familiar people administering to them, they often find the strength to keep going. He's also a huge proponent of Tamiflu for prevention/early intervention.
Parvo at home is HARD WORK and depending on how many pups you have, be prepared for around the clock, and I mean 24 hours, for a couple weeks. I had one young litter get it, at the same time I had a personal new puppy home, and by the time they were all out of the woods, I hadn't slept for more than 1 hour at a time in almost 3 weeks. I lived on a timer and a rotating schedule as far as who was due for fluids, enema, shots, meds, etc. I was a total and complete zombie by the time the last pup was eating on her own. It's NOT something to be undertaken lightly with multiple pups, and you cannot be squeamish. I was giving enemas hourly as well as sub-q fluids and anti-nausea shots, so you have to have a level of comfort with that stuff. If you don't, I suppose the alternative would be to have that stuff "started" at the vet and if you couldn't even continue it at home, perhaps bring the pup back once a day for IV fluids if you're unable to do enough other supportive care at home. The long-acting antibiotics are a godsend for this kind of thing.
Anyway...it certainly can be done- but don't think it's easy.
The biggest plus I see in that article is that hopefully, fewer pups will be pts before leaving the vet if the owners can't afford treatment. Many vets try to make you feel like there is zero chance if you walk out those doors with that pup, and that's simply not true. I was read the riot act by a new vet when I went in for a snap test to confirm 2 cases I already pretty much knew were parvo. I had to get another vet (owner of the practice involved) to get them to sell me the fluids. I didn't even bring the pups with me. They push for euthanasia- and they push hard. They lay a pretty big guilt trip on you when you want to opt for home care (which I feel has a HUGE emotional benefit for the poor sick puppy). It's basically a "You can do two things; you can be a good owners and let us take care of him, or you can kill him now because if he leaves here, he dies for sure." It's a scary thing and I bet the vast majority of pet owners are convinced that it's accurate. I found a vet who tries not to treat them inpatient unless the owner is totally inept. He has had extensive parvo experience with rescue dogs and he feels they do much better at home with love and support and thinks they fight to live, whereas, taking a shelter dog with parvo back into a sterile, crowded, shelter environment when that sick seems to push them over the edge. He thinks they simply give up in some cases, where if at home where they were comfortable and loved and had only familiar people administering to them, they often find the strength to keep going. He's also a huge proponent of Tamiflu for prevention/early intervention.
Parvo at home is HARD WORK and depending on how many pups you have, be prepared for around the clock, and I mean 24 hours, for a couple weeks. I had one young litter get it, at the same time I had a personal new puppy home, and by the time they were all out of the woods, I hadn't slept for more than 1 hour at a time in almost 3 weeks. I lived on a timer and a rotating schedule as far as who was due for fluids, enema, shots, meds, etc. I was a total and complete zombie by the time the last pup was eating on her own. It's NOT something to be undertaken lightly with multiple pups, and you cannot be squeamish. I was giving enemas hourly as well as sub-q fluids and anti-nausea shots, so you have to have a level of comfort with that stuff. If you don't, I suppose the alternative would be to have that stuff "started" at the vet and if you couldn't even continue it at home, perhaps bring the pup back once a day for IV fluids if you're unable to do enough other supportive care at home. The long-acting antibiotics are a godsend for this kind of thing.
Anyway...it certainly can be done- but don't think it's easy.
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