Q: My veterinarian says my 12-week-old puppy has the Parvovirus. He was utterly healthy yesterday, and he has already received one puppy vaccine! How is this possible?
A: The Parvovirus is a virus endemic in the environment and can be contracted when a dog is exposed to the virus. The disease manifests itself starting with lack of appetite and lethargy and will progress to severe vomiting and diarrhea; without treatment, this disease can be fatal.
Treatment for a dog with the Parvovirus is aggressive, supportive care with hospitalization, intravenous fluids, medications, and nursing care. If treated aggressively, most dogs can survive Parvo and have a normal life.
The good news about Parvo is that there is a vaccine that prevents the disease if your dog is exposed. Unfortunately, puppies need a series of boosters to become immune to Parvo, so a puppy under four months of age is still susceptible to the disease even while receiving the boosters.
The puppy booster recommendations for the Parvo vaccine are at ages eight weeks, 12 weeks, and 16 weeks. It is not until the booster is given at 16 weeks that your puppy is protected. So, a 12-week old puppy that has only received one vaccine is unfortunately not protected from Parvo.
We recommend protecting your puppy from being exposed to Parvo while they are still vulnerable by avoiding places where there are a high number of dogs, such as the dog park. Also, try to avoid any place where there has been a known Parvo dog because the area where the dog had been defecating will be contaminated as there is no way to disinfect the environment.
However, socializing your puppy is also important, so we recommend having healthy older dogs come to your house to play with your puppy. Once your dog is over four months of age and receives that last vaccine, then you do not need to worry!
Q: My dog had a urinary tract infection a year ago and was prescribed antibiotics. She is exhibiting the same symptoms, and I want my veterinarian to prescribe more antibiotics. Still, they will not do it and are making me come in for an exam. Is this some way to get more money out of me?
A: This can be a common frustration for owners because it can be inconvenient to bring a pet into the clinic for an exam. However, it is not just a ploy to get more money out of you. A physical exam is a vital instrument for diagnosing your animal, so other issues are not missed, and the diagnosis is accurate.
Without an accurate diagnosis, your pet can unduly suffer from inaccurate treatments and therapies. Without a diagnosis, you can spend more money by having to try multiple different therapies until you find the one that works. This can be a very frustrating and drawn-out process, so the diagnosis is the key to appropriate treatment. Unfortunately, diseases do not read the textbook. Although your dog's symptoms might appear to be the same as the previous infection, this time, it might be something entirely different and could be more life-threatening.
It would be negligent to assume that your dog has another urinary tract infection just from hearing the description of the symptoms; we must confirm that your dog has a urinary tract infection. The last thing we want to do is breed antibiotic resistance because we were unwilling to diagnose the issue accurately.
So, although it can be frustrating, a good thorough physical exam and diagnostic workup are essential in accurately diagnosing your dog. With this information, we can provide a treatment plan that is specific and therapeutic. This approach will get your dog back to a healthy life quicker and with less frustration.
Dr. Julianne Miller is a Flagstaff veterinarian. She can be reached at drmiller@canyonpet.com
February 16, 2021 at 07:30PM
https://ift.tt/2NxuIDf
Ask the Vet: Booster vaccines essential to protect from Parvo - Arizona Daily Sun
https://ift.tt/2DVP6sH
No comments:
Post a Comment