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Puppy was found on Monday hobbling down a highway on 3 legs. Picked up and taken to a shelter who called the local rescue. They took him to a vet who found he had a broken leg which healed incorrectly and a massive infection in the bone. He was vaccinated and they needed a foster who works with the unusual situations. So, Monday night, he was brought to me.
After 2 days of giving him antibiotics and forcing fluids - syringing the last day, we took him back to the vet. After spending the night at the vet, he was pts since he had so very many other issues and the parvo was just too much for him.
My very first foster was a puppy with parvo and we pulled her through it. Similar situation, rescued and given vacs immediately but otherwise healthy yet within hours, she went into full symptoms - all the typical symptoms. My second encounter was a friend's puppy - she got it to train as her service dog. She was a trained, experienced vet tech who helped me get my first puppy through the parvo so if anyone could have saved that puppy, it was she. But it wasn't to be - the first sign of anything wrong hit her so hard she died within hours. And now this boy.
Sometimes the symptoms aren't what you'd expect. Withdrawing was my first puppy's first sign. The only thing in common for all 3 was refusing to eat or drink.
I'm so glad we were able to offer that puppy some love and that he didn't die without knowing kindness. It amazes me sometimes how much it affects me. At least when they are adopted, it's bittersweet - knowing that I helped get a dog/cat/bunny ready for a furever home is rewarding but i still miss them no matter how short a time they had to steal my heart.
You say he was found on monday with a "massive infection" of the leg...Can't understand how vaccinating a very ill dog could possibly help him/her.
The same day they gave him to you, why didn't the vet keep him for a few days? Did the vet even bother to correct the leg that had healed wrong? I'm guessing not, or you wouldn't have got him that night.
I'm thinking the vet didn't want to bother,the shelter gave up on him, and the "local rescue" didn't live up to it's name...should be called "local euthanasia"...too bad, he mighta had better luck surviving, being left on the side of the highway.
And believe it or not I LOVE dogs.
You say he was found on monday with a "massive infection" of the leg...Can't understand how vaccinating a very ill dog could possibly help him/her.
The same day they gave him to you, why didn't the vet keep him for a few days? Did the vet even bother to correct the leg that had healed wrong? I'm guessing not, or you wouldn't have got him that night.
I'm thinking the vet didn't want to bother,the shelter gave up on him, and the "local rescue" didn't live up to it's name...should be called "local euthanasia"...too bad, he mighta had better luck surviving, being left on the side of the highway.
And believe it or not I LOVE dogs.
That was really uncalled for. Don't you think Annie feels bad enough as it is? Would you rather have had the dog die alone on the side of the highway?
Purehuman, I understand your pov. The shelter receives a pup and protocol is to log it in and vaccinate. Luckily that's what this shelter does because most of the other shelters do not vaccinate at all. Because of the conditions here in this part of the country, most owned animals are never vaccinated and seldom, if ever, see a vet. While rabies vaccination is required by state law, there's no enforcement in the law and therefore no penalty for not doing so.
The rescue was called in due to his injuries because the shelter does not treat injured animals. I was called to ask if I would foster him before he'd even seen the vet - because without a guaranteed foster home, the rescue could not take him. Then it was take him to the vet who determines if he can be saved. His examination does not include surgery because he is squeezing the animal into his schedule. Was the leg broken and reset? not going to happen at a first visit. and certainly not if there's infection. So that was the preliminary diagnosis and treatment plan: take care of the infection first.
I have been the go-to foster home for the sick and injured animals because I accept only 1 at a time and I give special treatment. If it's feral or wild, I will tame it if it's possible. If the animal doesn't go through a shelter, I will vaccinate according to rescue protocol (all of them require this as a first step). Yes, it's possible the vaccination will bring on a dormant parvo, but the risks involved in handling unvaccinated animals has been determined as a greater risk than vaccinating. That isn't my conclusion, it's the conclusion of many vets and rescues in the area.
And for that reason, any strays that wander onto my property that has no tags/collar or a chip is vaccinated by me. I can't take the risk with my other animals. I learned with my first rescue what to look for as signs of parvo. We saved her because I caught it quickly and the vet was fantastic including sending her home to get medication and subQs in a loving environment - maybe because she was at home and not in a cage at a vet's is why she survived.
I know that the vax brought out the parvo and yet I still think it had to be done that way. That pup was with me only 3 days and touched us. I still cry for him - for him not having had loving for long before he came here. My two old dogs were so kind to him and whenever he made a cry of discomfort, they were right there beside him. He slept next to the big old dog (a former stray who adopted us). He had love at the end. He wasn't just picked up, thrown in a kennel at the shelter and then euthed. He was pts with loving hands and had known love, no matter what his life before.
I hate that parvo hasn't been eradicated. I hate that there are so many dogs living in shelters. I hate that there are so many ignorant owners who don't ever take their animals to a vet. I hate that owners treat their animals as livestock - or tools. But I can change that one animal at a time for now - and through working with organizations who are trying to educate people.
I do not believe we should save every animal - but I do believe in compassionate pts.
I don't find your comments cold or calloused. I understand, Purehuman.
Clark Fork Fantast, the comments come from compassion, not an intent to hurt.
That was really uncalled for. Don't you think Annie feels bad enough as it is? Would you rather have had the dog die alone on the side of the highway?
Truth is never uncalled for. I never meant to make Annie feel bad, not at all...she tried as best she could, which is more than some people would.
I didn't put Annie down...too bad you saw it that way.
Truth is never uncalled for. I never meant to make Annie feel bad, not at all...she tried as best she could, which is more than some people would.
I didn't put Annie down...too bad you saw it that way.
I'm glad Anne didn't see it that way, either. I read it as though you included Annie in the "local rescue" criticism. I can see now that I was reading something else into it. Parvo is dreadful--we almost lost First Dog to it, but we got her to the vet in time, and he pulled her through. And it is very interesting that Annie comments on the vaccine bringing on the Parvo, because that has been our theory all along, with First Dog: She got Parvo 3 days after being vaccinated at the vet's.
Be that as it may, emotions tend to run high when dog stores don't end well. I'm sorry I jumped to the wrong conclusion.
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im so sorry!
