Help!!! Our brand new puppy has parvo!

[Jey12]

I'm right there with ya!

I thought this pup looked like a pit when I saw it as well... I'd bet my next paycheck it's at least a mix.

OP - I hope you get it all worked out!

I'd like to take you up on that bet.

 

[PFlamingo]

At the risk of being flamed, I don't the the specific breed or mix is the point here. We have a little rescue mix, and no one has a clue what he is - maybe some cairn, maybe some lhasa, most likely some alien (related to 626), but we don't care, we love him and would mortgage the house to pay his vet bills.

Glad to hear your pup is hanging in there. You mentioned that you own your house. Have you considered taking out an equity line on it? Rates are super-low right now. Might be worth looking into. I have one on my house and it has come in very handy, like when the engine blew on DH's car and we had to get a "new" (aka, used) car. We only tap into it for emergency situations, and only take out just as much as we need. You don't want to use your house like an ATM.

 

[lttlmc3]

I have another message of hope. Nine years ago, our family adopted a dachshund/beagle puppy from our local shelter. He started vomiting the second night with us (and was thus named Ralph), and got sicker and sicker. The vet diagnosed him with parvo, but we didn't hospitalize him. Fortunately, I was on college break and could stay with him all the time and gave him all the meds myself. Well, now Ralphie is a big old, happy doggie. I so hope your pup pulls through this.
Not sure if you know this yet, but from now on, make sure your new puppies are vaccinated before he comes home and into your yard. The parvo virus can live a while in dirt.

 

[scbelleatheart]

I'd like to take you up on that bet.

Thanks. I do know my breeds.

 

[Jey12]

Thanks. I do know my breeds.

I'm just hoping for the paycheck. I agree the pup looks nothing like a pit mix. I see boxer, and even the markings honestly remind me of a dane, but I don't think the pup is big enough to have dane in him. I'm pretty sure I'll win since there's no recognized breed that's called a pit bull. There's american stafforshire terrier, american pit bull terrier, american bulldog, etc.. but nothing called a pit bull. Many people mistake boxers for pits.

Not really the point of the post, but I couldn't pass up a chance at someone else's paycheck!

Any update on the pup? How's he doing?

 

[cc1013]

Any updates on the puppy?

 

[PFlamingo]

Just wondering if there's any news on your pup.

 

[ryan840]

Hi, sorry I didn't get back sooner, I've been crazy busy. Romeo is home and doing well for the most part. He's been super high maintenance and refuses to drink anything but gatorade (not even water or pedialite) and for the first day home wouldn't eat anything that wasn't sweet either so I had to give him peanut butter. Spoiled little pup! Even now he will only eat his puppy food out of my hand. If I leave it in the bowl he totally ignores it. I'll worry about breaking those bad habits once he's made a full recovery, right now I'm just happy that he will eat or drink anything... He loves his medicine, which is sweet, so I think that's what started it all.

On another note, I have no idea how we will survive the next month with a cooped up puppy! He is still a little under the weather and getting more rambunctious by the minute, I can't imagine how he'll be when he's fully recovered and not allowed to go for walks or run around on the grass and play with the neighbor dogs. I feel so bad for him, being quarantined for so long. I can't wait to take him for walks and show him off!

Thanks to everyone for the replies!

 

[ryan840]

What would be the point? Say the others are sick, what would you expect to then happen? The time to deal with this was when the pup first got sick. You could have called and asked for your $50 back (prob just what you would get in small claims court, the value of the dog) but you would have given back the dog. You could have decided to put him down (as sad as that thought is, that's what many people did back in the late 70's, early 80's when parvo first exploded), rather than incur the vet bill (and we never had to report cases of parvo, no idea who we would have reported them to, or why).
As for bargaining with the vet, because the bill was over the estimate. That's why it's called an estimate..your vet wouldn't know how your pup would react, so all he could do was guess. You could have said, ok, I have $2000..that's my limit. Once you hit that, we need to bring him home.
I'm sorry you are going through this. I wish your pup didn't go through this. I don't think I'll ever forget the smell of parvo. It got so we could tell a dog had it when brought in by the smell. It's a horrible disease. But you had choices, and I don't think the vet should be blamed for the cost, and I don't think you have a leg to stand on in court against a backyard breeder with no health contract. You choose (as a responsible pet owner) to treat, and that comes with a cost.

OP here. I'm not sure why the attack, but all of the issues you brought up have been addressed in previous posts. I wasn't the one who you quoted, btw. I didn't blame the vet or anybody else for anything, nor did I expect to see any money from the person I bought the dog from. I just asked for some ideas on raising money and advice about recouping costs on the off chance someone has been through this before.