Our Sweet Sassy Has Parvo!?!?

[abbiesdogs]

well done sassy we knew you could beat it! regarding the antibiotics, i used to crush lotties and put them in some milk( i know they should'nt have milk but it was the only way she would take them) or you try yoghurt or even cheese. good luck i know what its like when they clamp their jaws shut! hugs again. abbie

[ahhhbe]

Today Sas hasnt been very hungry! I had to squirt her antibiotics and appetite stimulant down her throat this am so I dont know if I turned her off....she is eating a few bites here and there....she also had a small jar of baby food chicken...she is drinking really well though....she also has some diarrhea today....very dark brown...almost black and gooey.....called the vet and she said to give her a tablespoon of pureed pumpkin 2-3 times a day....so, I cant even get her to eat dog food...or much of anything and I have 2 pills to give (one once a day and once 3 times a day), then I have to get her to eat that now too!! AND still try and get some nutrition in her.....sigh....Im not sure what else to try....I even tried to give her a hot dog w/her pills this am and she just spit it out! Any suggestions?!

[kilasmamix3]

Way to go Sassy!!!!!!
Keep down that food baby!
I bet your really happy shes keeping it down.
I'll keep my prayer!

Dezaree

[blisscodisco]

Clear it with your vet first but I give my dogs pills in butter. First they get a plain pat with nothing in it, then the pill pat, then another chaser pat. (all very small peices). If they don't eat it the butter helps squish it down their throat.
My thoughts and prayers are with your Sassy, I grew up with a rott cross named Sassy, best dog ever, she loved and protected us kids.
-bliss

[Nishasmom]

I would just try and stick the pill as far down her throat as possible (where you can't even see the pill). Shut her mouth then massage her throat until she swallows.

**This is how I give medication; if you think Sassy is too frail, check with the vet.

If you can't do this, they sell "pill syringes" at petsmart. You just "shoot" it down the throat (I have never used these, but heard they work great).

[moondog]

Originally Posted by ahhhbe

Today Sas hasnt been very hungry! I had to squirt her antibiotics and appetite stimulant down her throat this am so I dont know if I turned her off....she is eating a few bites here and there....she also had a small jar of baby food chicken...she is drinking really well though....she also has some diarrhea today....very dark brown...almost black and gooey.....called the vet and she said to give her a tablespoon of pureed pumpkin 2-3 times a day....so, I cant even get her to eat dog food...or much of anything and I have 2 pills to give (one once a day and once 3 times a day), then I have to get her to eat that now too!! AND still try and get some nutrition in her.....sigh....Im not sure what else to try....I even tried to give her a hot dog w/her pills this am and she just spit it out! Any suggestions?!

Black and gooey is digested blood. It's still clearing out of her system.

Be careful not to feed her too much at once. I'd give her several very small 1/4-1/3 cup meals each day (if you can do one every 3 hours that would be good 6am9am12noon3pm6pm9pm) until she gets acclimated to eating again. She probably just isn't hungry after eating what must have seemed like two Thanksgiving meals yesterday. Easy does it, and she'll build her appetite and interest back up. As she does, you can increase amounts and eliminate some of the extra meals, but I'd definitely keep her on at least three until she gains her weight back.

It's great that she's drinking well - that is still the most important thing.

[ahhhbe]

Originally Posted by Nishasmom

I would just try and stick the pill as far down her throat as possible (where you can't even see the pill). Shut her mouth then massage her throat until she swallows.

**This is how I give medication; if you think Sassy is too frail, check with the vet.

If you can't do this, they sell "pill syringes" at petsmart. You just "shoot" it down the throat (I have never used these, but heard they work great).

I will check at petsmart thanks!! She is doing great so far....rests on and off throughout the day! It was like a WWF wrestling match this am....well maybe not that bad...but it was definitely a chore! LOL Thanks again!

[OnyxGold1]

Glad to hear that she is well on the road to recovery...I hope it continues!!!

In terms of giving pills to my dogs, they seem to be far too smart for the normal stuff.....hotdogs/cheese/ etc gets picked thru and then eaten AFTER the pill is picked out

What I have found works 100% of the time with my dogs, is peanut butter (altho perhaps check with your vet to see if pb is okay for Sassy right now). I just get a tsp of pb coat the pill entirely and down it goes. And trust me my guys are TOUGH to give pills too.....if I'm putting pills down their throat it is a battle and a half. But pb has worked wonders for us!!!

I have also found that the flavored sports drinks (Gatorade) are great for a dog that is dehydrated ~~ particularly at an outdoor HOT sieger show and the NutriCal flavored paste is great for a dog that has gone off of her food. Pumpkin works excellently for tightening up.

Glad to hear that she is recovering!!!!

Heather Peters

[Bear's mommy]

When I had to give my dog medicine, I used a pill crusher to crush it up into a powder and then poured it into a "Pill Pocket". They sell these at Petsmart and Petco, and that is exactly what they are called. :) They smell just like bacon, and my other dogs would go crazy when they saw me giving them to the sick dog. Of course, they didn't realize that there was medicine inside....they just didn't understand why he was getting all of the treats! :) My dog would always eat these even when he wouldn't eat his food, but your baby may not take them since she doesn't have an appetite at all. I'm glad she is home with you now, and I know you are too.

[ahhhbe]

The funny thing is that she WANTS it...like the hot dog...and I gave her a cheese cube...I think she thinks that she REALLY WANTS to eat it but she just cant....she took both of these and hid them behind the couch....so there I went crawling behind the couch because I didnt want them to get icky and her eat them later....I think I will try n find the pill pockets....and I will call the vet in the am and see about the peanut butter....thanks for all the ideas!

[ahhhbe]

So, I LOVE cinnamon teddy grahams....I had some sitting on the arm of the couch and she snuck one....she begged for more.....is this ok for her? LOL I am to the point that I am willing to give her almost anything!

[moondog]

I would be careful about giving her "junk" food. Try hardboiled egg whites (very good protein), if that settles with her a bit of the yolk. Scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, tofu, baby food meat, the baby rice cereal, tapioca cooked with water and an egg with baby food meat stirred in....those are all healthy foods for her to help get her started eating again.

[ahhhbe]

Originally Posted by moondog

I would be careful about giving her "junk" food. Try hardboiled egg whites (very good protein), if that settles with her a bit of the yolk. Scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, tofu, baby food meat, the baby rice cereal, tapioca cooked with water and an egg with baby food meat stirred in....those are all healthy foods for her to help get her started eating again.

Never thought about the egg....will try that tonight....she wants sweet stuff.....she was trying to get at the kids applesauce at lunch....what a punk, huh?!?

[makjamz]

Sounds like you are doing much better.

Keep Feeding a few of ounces "baby type" food like suggested by other posters, every few hours. You can mix in a little plain yogurt for the enrichment of the intestinal baterial flora. You could add flavored pedialyte mixed with a little brown sugar (1tspn per cup), into her drinking water - say 50:50 ratio. Only set out about 60cc for her to drink every hour can be slowly increased provided she has no nausea, vomitting or diarrhea. SHe may not be eating due to nausea and/or abdominal pain. Reglan shots every 6 -8 hours are benificial. Or po - if that is not an option.

The key is small amounts of food and water frequently. Do not let her eat/drink a bunch - as this will upset her GI tract, and send her backwards in the healing process.

Recently I had a young dog return from a show & he had a blowout of musosy bloody diarrhea, and threw up 2x prior to. I immediately gave him Kaopectate orally, & Reglan IM. !5 minutes later I began to syringe him the pedialyte sugar with contents of a lactobacillus capsule mix = 10cc every 15 min - he swallowed it, licking his lips. He had no further vomitting so I gradually increased the volume as he tolerated. Key is assessing the condition of the dog. Knowing how much to give them. I used Reglan IM a couple more doses over the day, and Kaopectate every 3 hours. Stool improved, next time he went. 18 hours later he got a teaspon of yogurt mixed in with bland cooked chicken and rice. But had he not turned around so fast - I would have been right into the vet. I kept him crated separately in a quiet room during this time. Onto the area he stooled I cleaned it, and poured bleach mixture to kill whatever might have been the organism. None of my other dogs were or got sick. So I figured he probably ate someting toxic to his system.

Indeed - it is Wonderful news you have come this far.
Best of luck in her full recovery.

Mary-Ann

[ahhhbe]

Thanks again everyone for all the suggestions....she REFUSES to eat the baby rice cereal...she will lick the baby chicken off the spoon....she has had 2 small jars of this today so far....4 times total about every 2-3 hours.....she ate about 2 handfuls of lean ground beef yesterday but doesnt want to eat that today.....EVERY time I am eating something she wants what I have....so I took a small lick of the baby rice cereal and then offered to her and she wasnt interested....smart girl....she is doing very well with the water....we have had no vomiting at all since home and 2 last days at hospital no vomiting either.....my friend stays with her in the am while I am at work and offers food every 2 hours.....she didnt see any poop.....I havent either today so I am going to search the yard in a few.....she is on remeron 15mg 2-3 tab 2-3 times a day for appetite and nausea suppression....this is a human antidepressant that we also use as an appetite stimulant in humans....I tried the boiled egg (just gave about half of the egg white) and she ate some of it and she must have liked it because the part that she spit out she stood over and growled at me when I tried to put it in a bowl for her....thats the first growl at me since we've been home....overall she is playing with the kids and our other dog (a long haired chihuahua) like old times....just wish she would eat more....