This is thor

Bought near Lake Line Mall, roadside on 2/11/01
Dead 2/17/01
Costs: thor - $325, Vet Bills - $1,048.35

His Story:

by: Tiffany Schoening TiffanyLei@aol.com

A loving family was frantically searching for a toy poodle to fulfill their daughter’s birthday wish. They drove by the 183/620 crossing and saw the toy poodle puppy signs and thought it was fate. These people were animal lovers and had no idea that by buying a puppy roadside, there was a chance they would be contributing to the atrocities of puppy mills. After all, the breeders seemed like nice people; respectable and fellow animal lovers. Some of them are. But some of them are not.

Thor was given to his new mommy on a Sunday night and they instantly bonded. He was a precious and loving puppy. He was taken Monday morning for his well puppy check-up and it seemed all was fine. But on Wednesday morning he seemed tired and depressed. He also didn’t have much appetite and had soft stool. His mommy kept a close eye on him all day but thought is was probably due to the transition of a new home and the fact that he had not been completely weaned. Wednesday night he vomited and was immediately taken to the Emergency Animal Hospital. He was diagnosed with parvo. His mommy’s family had had many puppies over the years and considered themselves pretty knowledgeable about pets. They had heard of the parvo vaccine, but supposedly Thor had been vaccinated. So how could he have this horrible virus now?

Over the next couple of days, Thor was in excruciating pain but he fought hard to live. He had to be isolated in a tiny, sterile room. His mommy stayed with him because he was depressed. She had to sit on a concrete floor with nothing but the sounds of his whimpers for hours on end. But as long as he was fighting, she wasn’t going to give up on him. He needed round-the-clock care so his mommy would take him from the regular vet to the Emergency Animal Hospital every night and make the reverse trip early in the morning. On the second night at the Emergency Animal Hospital, Thor’s brother, Romeo came in. He also had parvo. The family who had bought him had three beautiful young girls under the age of ten who adored their new puppy. Romeo died from parvo on Friday morning. His family cannot get another puppy for at least 6 months. Thor continued his fight until early Saturday morning. But finally, his little 1.5 lb body could not fight the monster virus anymore. His little organs gave out and as awful as it is, he was in unbelievable pain that only progressed throughout his ordeal.

The breeders were called as soon as Thor got sick. It was assumed that they would want to inform the other puppy buyers that their puppies had been exposed to the virus. Initially they showed concern. But in a second conversation, they were rude and even called names. They felt they did not need to create unnecessary panic. The Parvovirus is so strong and resilient that one thimble full of stool can contain millions of virus particles. Contamination occurs easily and readily. The only way to kill the virus is with a bleach solution. The breeders have been back selling puppies several times since this case. It is highly possible that they have an infected environment and therefore, all of their puppies have been exposed to the virus and many of them will get sick!

Getting the puppy of your dreams Responsibly!

There is an excellent article I recommend at

http://www.petfinder.org/journal.cgi?section=1.1.7.

A Few Tips:
  • § Research! Never buy a puppy on a whim. It is a major responsibility for many years and you need to be prepared and know what you are in for.

  • § Consider a rescue or shelter. If you do not intend to show the dog, why do you need a registered purebred? There are MANY purebred dogs and puppies in need of a loving home that can be easily found with a little research and patience.

  • § See the facility. NEVER buy a puppy from alongside the road or in front of your local grocery store. It is imperative that you see that the puppy has been in a clean and nurturing environment. Furthermore, if you have any problems, how will you ever find that breeder that was on the side of the road?

  • § See the parents - both parents if at all possible. You want to have realistic expectations as to how big your puppy is going to get, etc.

  • § Get all records at time of transaction - medical, registration, a receipt, etc.

  • § Pay with a check or credit card. Never give cash!

  • § If you are buying a purebred, research the registration. Most of the time you want only dogs that are AKC registered.

  • § Immediately take your new puppy to your vet for a check-up

  • § Don’t take your puppy to the park or other populated areas until he is through all of his vaccinations!

    Parvo Viral Enteritis

    The canine Parvo virus causes inflammation of the stomach and intestine in dogs.

    The disease can be mild to severe depending on the strain of Parvovirus infecting the dog, the vaccination status of the dog, and the overall health of the dog prior to infection.
    The disease affects young dogs most often, but has been seen in dogs of all ages. Very young puppies (3-10 days of age) are affected with a cardiac (heart) form and may die suddenly without showing any signs.

    Signs of infection include:

  • § BLOODY DIARRHEA
  • § LACK OF APPETITE
  • § FEVER
  • § VOMITING
  • § DEPRESSION AND LETHARGY
  • § WEIGHT LOSS

    **** Because these signs are not specific to Parvo, it is important to have your dog examined to determine the cause.

    Left untreated, Parvo can result in severe dehydration, shock, septicemia (bacteria in the bloodstream), and death. Parvo causes a loss of fluid, blood, and important proteins from the body. Prevention of this disease is through completing a series of VACCINATIONS. A course of 3-4 vaccinations is given to puppies starting at 5-6 weeks of age. Boosters are given every 3 weeks until the series is completed. Certain breeds such as Rottweillers, Dobermans, and Dalmations may require more boosters to be adequately protected. Some vaccinated puppies CAN STILL GET PARVO. This usually happens in puppies in the middle of their vaccination series, puppies that do not have a properly functioning immune system, and those exposed to a very virulent strain of Parvo.

    **** Many times Parvo shows positive but the problem is Campylobacter. Campylobacter is cureable if caught in time and given the proper medications. Texas A&M states: " Treatment for Campylobacter should start immediately as the medicaitons for this problem will not hurt the dog with Parvo. Assuming Campylobacter instead of Parvo is the most aggressive way to treat the symptoms. If the puppy lives more than 24 hours then the Vet should assume Campylobacter."
    Resources

    Texas Animal Shelters & Rescues, http://www.saveourstrays.com/texas.htm
    Texas A&M Research, Brian, College Station, Texas - Research line
    Central Texas SPCA - 260-7722, www.centraltexasspca.org
    Humane Society of Austin - 837-7985, www.austinspca.com
    Williamson County Humane Society - 260-3602, http://www.io.com/~wchs/
    PAWS Shelter - 512-268-1611
    www.pic-pal.org
    www.nationalpetnetwork.com
    all-creatures.com
    http://www.akc.org/
    www.petlibrary.com
    www.thepoop.com
    www.petfinder.org
    www.pets911.com
    http://www.hua.org/Prison/Puppymill.html




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