We recently purchased a Silky Terrier who we named Addy. She was just two months old and she was awesome. We currently have two White Labs Named Pops and Brooklyn.
Addy was being kennel trained and was allowed outside to use the restroom and when we would go and play with her outside and sometimes we would let her tell our Labs who was boss. Brooklyn our female Lab loved her and played with her all the time.
We previously had two Shitzos but they were both older and eventually passed from old age. It has been a year or so since we lost Cleo the last Shitzo and we thought it would be nice again to have an indoor dog.
Two weeks after her purchase Addy had a rectal prolapse which we had treated and was found to be caused by a parasite although we were informed that she was dewormed and given all treatments. I figured it was no big deal paid for the treatment and figured it was the chance you take sometimes.
Only a few more weeks after that, she would contract Parvo and ultimately pass away due to the virus. I have two issues with Parvo and the treatment of as well as possible origins.
We informed the seller who refused to admit any responsibility and at some level I agreed. I figured I was just emotional and that dogs can get it quite easily. But I was disturbed to find out later that several other dogs purchased around the same time and one on the same day as our family have also passed away due to Parvo. Not only did the puppy pass away but at another home the current resident dog was infected with the Parvo virus and passed away as a result.
None of our smaller dogs ever contracted parvo nor did our Labs. I am very skeptical at times in regards to vaccinations so our Labs have not recieved any vaccines for about 2 1/2 years except for rabies. Now they did not get sick either. Nor are they sick now. Although we are going to get vaccinations today.
I suggested that the Parvo came from the store we purchased the dog. They wanted to call their vet and even the vet we visited said it is not possible to transmit from the pet store to your home over the course of 6 weeks the virus would have died. (??????) I figured I was just overly emotional about the whole event.
Then I started doing some reading and all the research states that it can live in their bedding and other areas for sometime. We purchased a bed from them and collar which we placed her in immediately upon leaving the pet store. There is no evidence to support that the virus came from our home but there seems to be a history of Parvo puppy deaths from this pet store. They stated that it was our fault and they would never guarantee against Parvo. HMMM why not I know a lot of breeders do.
In addition our dog was already in bad shape before we got her to the vet. It was like overnight. She sound like she was coughing one night by morning she was already deficating blood and she was only 6 lbs at the last check up and now she was 4 lbs. The vets never suggested uthenizing Addy they only kept talking about treatment. My sister who works at a vet could not be reached for direction. After much deliberation and reservation we paid the $800.00 for the first night only to leave and have a vet rep call and tell us that Addy passed away only 3 hours after leaving her there. When I asked how much of the $800 was used we were told almost all of it. YOUR KIDDING RIGHT. Nope and not only that there was a small fee for disposal.
The nurse when giving us the news about Addy stated that when they are that far along the chances of survival are very slim.
WOW this is not what was consistently told to us in the vets office and I actually visited two of them because I thought I was getting fleeced. Chances are 50/50 were stated over and over again with a smile on of course.
NOthing ever said that she is in really bad shape and I don't think that she is going to make it. IN fact nothing ever stated that the statistics of survival are really representative of older and larger dogs. Small dogs usually never make it through Parvo.
If there was a chance I could not in good conscience not pay the money which I had to borrow cause I didn't have it. She was a life. If I had known that small dogs rarely make it through I would have made different choices. Especially subjecting the little girl to all those injections.
Finally my sister called me back after it was too late. The money was spent and Addy was gone and they had our money as well as the pet store. Over $1300.00.
So two questions? How likely is it that the parvo came from our home as opposed to the recurring incidence from the pet store? Secondly Has anyone else felt that Vets are not forthcoming in regards to the condition of their dog in an effort to get the $$$$?
Or am I just crazy?
