I'm sharing this because I want to shed light on what it's like when your puppy is diagnosed with Parvo. Going through this experience has been incredibly stressful, and I have been desperately searching for someone else's story to relate to during this challenging time.
I will be including a detailed timeline of his health and the cost of his treatment.
My family and I adopted Bruiser, a Pug/French Bulldog mix on December 14, 2023. He was 8 weeks old at the time. I am very familiar with the pug breed as I grew up with one and we currently have two adult, rescue pugs. I have not owned a puppy since I was a kid, so it was a very new experience. He was extremely playful and energetic from the moment we adopted him. He got along well with our two adult pugs and was growing so fast. He instantly became a beloved member of our family.
Bruiser was taken to the vet for the first time on December 15, 2023, the day after we adopted him. There he received his first round of vaccines, and we scheduled an appointment for him to be neutered on January 19, 2023 where he would also be given his final round of vaccines. I now know that he required six rounds of vaccines, particularly for Parvo, however, I believed at the time that he was fully vaccinated after the second round. I admit I should have done much more extensive research instead of blinding trusting our vet. I heard that some vaccines have different manufacturers so they can require different dosages. I understand that there could have been a mix up.
We waited a month to take him out on walks or to the park just to be safe and continued caring for our new puppy. We thought we did everything right until he got sick.
Saturday, May 4, 2024: Bruiser was his playful self and had no problem eating his dinner. There was nothing out of the ordinary until he vomited at around 11:30 PM. I actually took a photo because I was concerned with the amount of vomit he produced. I assumed that he had eaten to fast, or he had gotten into something he wasn’t supposed to have.
Sunday, May 5, 2024: Usually Bruiser is the first one in the house to wake up. My family and I were in the living room around 9:00 AM and noticed he was still in bed in the other room. He wasn’t his normal self that day, very calm and lethargic. He barely touched his food, but he had not vomited again. We again figured he ate something bad outside or got into the trash can. Our vet is closed on Sundays, so we decided to wait it out and call in the morning.
Monday, May 6, 2024: Bruiser was not getting any better. The vet said they were booked for a week, so I took him to the nearest pet hospital at approximately 11:30 AM. He tested positive for parvo. They took him in immediately for treatment. They explained that parvo has no cure, but they can care for him while his body fights it off. This particular hospital was only opened during the day, so we would have to keep him home during nights. Bruiser was given and 80% chance of survival and I went home after paying $630.06 for his first day of treatment.
We immediately deep cleaned our home and yard with a 30:1 water and bleach solution. We replaced everything, food bowls, toys, dog beds, etc. just to be safe.
At this point, I decided to call a friend of mine who used to be a vet tech. She told me that Bruiser required 24-hour care and I needed to transfer him to a new vet. I checked him into a 24-hour hospital that evening. There he was given a 50% chance of survival.
That night we put a down a $1,500 deposit.
[https://imgur.com/a/4uRe5wG\\](https://imgur.com/a/4uRe5wG/)
Tuesday, May 7, 2024: The vet called in the morning to let us know that they had been keeping him hydrated via IV and planned to give him a plasma transfusion later on. My sister visited him and said he was not looking good.
That afternoon, the vet told us he was getting his plasma treatment and were going to start him on an appetite stimulant. He had not eaten but was showing some interest in food. They were still unsure if he would survive.
In the evening, they called to say that his blood work was beginning to look normal but there were more tests to be done. His electrolytes were still low, and he still had no appetite. They said the next step was to syringe feed him. There is no possibility of administering a feeding tube as his nostrils are too small due to his breed. He still had diarrhea and he was depressed.
Wednesday, May 8, 2024: The vet called me in the afternoon to give an update. She said that Bruiser’s case was on the severe side, but they would continue to treat him. After talking for a while, she mentioned an experimental treatment that had just come out two months ago called Canine Parvovirus Monoclonal Antibody or CPMA.
She explained that it was similar to early COVID treatments and pretty promising, but from what she had heard, it was hit or miss. It either significantly helped or did nothing at all and it was mainly given to patients who had just begun to show symptoms. This particular vet did not have access to the treatment as it was still so new, but a pet hospital down the street did. I didn’t want to put Bruiser in unnecessary stress by temporarily transferring him, but I asked the vet if she would do it for her dog and she said yes, I was sold.
We paid our balance due ($2,228.50) and discharged Bruiser. My sister took him to the nearby hospital to get his treatment. It took 30 minutes to thaw and the administered it in the car.
This treatment cost $1,300, pretty expensive but not nearly as much as a hospital stay. The vet who administered it said they had only given the treatment 3 times. We took Bruiser back to the 24-hour care hospital.
Thursday, May 9, 2024: The vet called in the morning to give an update. Bruiser still had diarrhea and could not keep food down. They continued with medication and scheduled an x-ray to look at his intestines. They were worried that his intestines had begun to essentially swallow themselves and wanted to check for signs of pneumonia. I went to visit him before the x-ray.
I brought some white rice because sometimes dogs are more likely to eat if fed by their owners. I was nervous waiting for him, the vet on the phone earlier did not sound optimistic. As soon as I saw him, I was relieved, it was clear he was doing much better as he was sitting up and more alert. He did not eat any rice but seemed interested in it.
Later that day, I was told his x-rays were clear. He started to eat a little on his own but was still vomiting. His overall white blood cell count was up but his neutrophils were still down. I’m not sure if the CPMA treatment was working or if he was improving naturally. There isn’t really a definitive way to know.
At this point, the vet began to say, “when Bruiser gets home” instead of “if Bruiser gets to go home.” We were so relieved. We paid $1,556.80 for treatment that day.
Friday, May 10, 2024 (today): I went to visit Bruiser this morning. He looked even better than yesterday! He even walked around a little and was visibly excited for a visitor. We took his cone off for a little to let his pointy ears stretch out. He didn’t eat any rice, but he ate by himself before I arrived.
In the middle of writing this post, the vet called to give an update. Bruiser hasn’t thrown up since 2 PM and he even ate more food on his own. He still has diarrhea, but it is green (I guess that’s a good sign). His glucose and white blood cell levels look good. Once they know for sure he can eat without vomiting, he can come home. This is so that we can give him oral medications.
I think he will get to come home soon. His bill was $3535.80 today.
This experience has been extremely stressful so far. Please make sure to properly vaccinate your pets, I feel terrible for him and what he’s been through, but I am beyond grateful that we were able to give him the proper treatment.
Again, I decided to post this because this is the type of post I searched for when Bruiser was first diagnosed. I hope this helps put a dog owner’s mind at ease if they ever experience the same thing.
I will be including a detailed timeline of his health and the cost of his treatment.
My family and I adopted Bruiser, a Pug/French Bulldog mix on December 14, 2023. He was 8 weeks old at the time. I am very familiar with the pug breed as I grew up with one and we currently have two adult, rescue pugs. I have not owned a puppy since I was a kid, so it was a very new experience. He was extremely playful and energetic from the moment we adopted him. He got along well with our two adult pugs and was growing so fast. He instantly became a beloved member of our family.
Bruiser was taken to the vet for the first time on December 15, 2023, the day after we adopted him. There he received his first round of vaccines, and we scheduled an appointment for him to be neutered on January 19, 2023 where he would also be given his final round of vaccines. I now know that he required six rounds of vaccines, particularly for Parvo, however, I believed at the time that he was fully vaccinated after the second round. I admit I should have done much more extensive research instead of blinding trusting our vet. I heard that some vaccines have different manufacturers so they can require different dosages. I understand that there could have been a mix up.
We waited a month to take him out on walks or to the park just to be safe and continued caring for our new puppy. We thought we did everything right until he got sick.
Saturday, May 4, 2024: Bruiser was his playful self and had no problem eating his dinner. There was nothing out of the ordinary until he vomited at around 11:30 PM. I actually took a photo because I was concerned with the amount of vomit he produced. I assumed that he had eaten to fast, or he had gotten into something he wasn’t supposed to have.
Sunday, May 5, 2024: Usually Bruiser is the first one in the house to wake up. My family and I were in the living room around 9:00 AM and noticed he was still in bed in the other room. He wasn’t his normal self that day, very calm and lethargic. He barely touched his food, but he had not vomited again. We again figured he ate something bad outside or got into the trash can. Our vet is closed on Sundays, so we decided to wait it out and call in the morning.
Monday, May 6, 2024: Bruiser was not getting any better. The vet said they were booked for a week, so I took him to the nearest pet hospital at approximately 11:30 AM. He tested positive for parvo. They took him in immediately for treatment. They explained that parvo has no cure, but they can care for him while his body fights it off. This particular hospital was only opened during the day, so we would have to keep him home during nights. Bruiser was given and 80% chance of survival and I went home after paying $630.06 for his first day of treatment.
We immediately deep cleaned our home and yard with a 30:1 water and bleach solution. We replaced everything, food bowls, toys, dog beds, etc. just to be safe.
At this point, I decided to call a friend of mine who used to be a vet tech. She told me that Bruiser required 24-hour care and I needed to transfer him to a new vet. I checked him into a 24-hour hospital that evening. There he was given a 50% chance of survival.
That night we put a down a $1,500 deposit.
[https://imgur.com/a/4uRe5wG\\](https://imgur.com/a/4uRe5wG/)
Tuesday, May 7, 2024: The vet called in the morning to let us know that they had been keeping him hydrated via IV and planned to give him a plasma transfusion later on. My sister visited him and said he was not looking good.
That afternoon, the vet told us he was getting his plasma treatment and were going to start him on an appetite stimulant. He had not eaten but was showing some interest in food. They were still unsure if he would survive.
In the evening, they called to say that his blood work was beginning to look normal but there were more tests to be done. His electrolytes were still low, and he still had no appetite. They said the next step was to syringe feed him. There is no possibility of administering a feeding tube as his nostrils are too small due to his breed. He still had diarrhea and he was depressed.
Wednesday, May 8, 2024: The vet called me in the afternoon to give an update. She said that Bruiser’s case was on the severe side, but they would continue to treat him. After talking for a while, she mentioned an experimental treatment that had just come out two months ago called Canine Parvovirus Monoclonal Antibody or CPMA.
She explained that it was similar to early COVID treatments and pretty promising, but from what she had heard, it was hit or miss. It either significantly helped or did nothing at all and it was mainly given to patients who had just begun to show symptoms. This particular vet did not have access to the treatment as it was still so new, but a pet hospital down the street did. I didn’t want to put Bruiser in unnecessary stress by temporarily transferring him, but I asked the vet if she would do it for her dog and she said yes, I was sold.
We paid our balance due ($2,228.50) and discharged Bruiser. My sister took him to the nearby hospital to get his treatment. It took 30 minutes to thaw and the administered it in the car.
This treatment cost $1,300, pretty expensive but not nearly as much as a hospital stay. The vet who administered it said they had only given the treatment 3 times. We took Bruiser back to the 24-hour care hospital.
Thursday, May 9, 2024: The vet called in the morning to give an update. Bruiser still had diarrhea and could not keep food down. They continued with medication and scheduled an x-ray to look at his intestines. They were worried that his intestines had begun to essentially swallow themselves and wanted to check for signs of pneumonia. I went to visit him before the x-ray.
I brought some white rice because sometimes dogs are more likely to eat if fed by their owners. I was nervous waiting for him, the vet on the phone earlier did not sound optimistic. As soon as I saw him, I was relieved, it was clear he was doing much better as he was sitting up and more alert. He did not eat any rice but seemed interested in it.
Later that day, I was told his x-rays were clear. He started to eat a little on his own but was still vomiting. His overall white blood cell count was up but his neutrophils were still down. I’m not sure if the CPMA treatment was working or if he was improving naturally. There isn’t really a definitive way to know.
At this point, the vet began to say, “when Bruiser gets home” instead of “if Bruiser gets to go home.” We were so relieved. We paid $1,556.80 for treatment that day.
Friday, May 10, 2024 (today): I went to visit Bruiser this morning. He looked even better than yesterday! He even walked around a little and was visibly excited for a visitor. We took his cone off for a little to let his pointy ears stretch out. He didn’t eat any rice, but he ate by himself before I arrived.
In the middle of writing this post, the vet called to give an update. Bruiser hasn’t thrown up since 2 PM and he even ate more food on his own. He still has diarrhea, but it is green (I guess that’s a good sign). His glucose and white blood cell levels look good. Once they know for sure he can eat without vomiting, he can come home. This is so that we can give him oral medications.
I think he will get to come home soon. His bill was $3535.80 today.
This experience has been extremely stressful so far. Please make sure to properly vaccinate your pets, I feel terrible for him and what he’s been through, but I am beyond grateful that we were able to give him the proper treatment.
Again, I decided to post this because this is the type of post I searched for when Bruiser was first diagnosed. I hope this helps put a dog owner’s mind at ease if they ever experience the same thing.