How long should a 12 week old puppy with Parvovirus be on IV fluids?

Trace: How long should a 12 week old puppy with Parvovirus be on IV fluids?
My new puppy has Parvo and was under a doctors care but due to the holiday weekend he closed the animal hospital and told me to treat my puppy myself. My puppy was on IV fluids for two days and now is home resting. How long shall I wait to take her to another clinic to be hooked up to an IV drip if she will not drink?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Chigirl
I would not wait at all…Parvo kills!! & even with IV fluids life is not guaranteed

Good luck!! & next time vaccinate it cost less & you’ll never have this problem again.

Answer by Laura A
If she’s not well enough to be drinking, I’d start looking for another vet!

Find the local 24 hour vet emergency hospital and call them and ask their advice. Frankly, if my puppy was on an IV for 2 days and the vet pulled it for their convenience (closing hteir office for a holiday) without referring me to an emergency clinic for care, I’d probably blow a gasket.

Try baiting the water you offer her, use some chicken broth or some tuna juice…anything to get some liquids into her.

Good luck!

Answer by Bonzie12
The vet should have given you instructions. I also can’t believe that he just said well, we’re closed so you will have to take the pup home and treat him yourself. If that was the case, you need to find a new vet. I would take her to another clinic or an emergency hospital and let them continue to care for her. This is a very serious virus. Without intense treatment, the victims of parvo die of dehydration. Treatment generally consists of IV or sub-cutaneous fluids and antibiotics. There is no cure. Veterinarians can only treat the symptoms palliatively, and try to keep the dog alive by preventing dehydration and loss of proteins. As there is no cure for any virus, treatment for parvo is mostly that of supporting the different systems in the body during the course of the disease. This includes giving fluids, regulating electrolyte levels, controlling body temperature and giving blood transfusions when necessary.

Answer by WorkingYourDogs
If the doctor sent the puppy home, she should have been drinking and eating first. Seems a little irresponsible of him to just send her home if she wasn’t. We always have people there to take care of animals. I’m going in tomorrow to take care of a couple of animals on IV fluids. Did the vet not give you any instructions?

You can give fluids under the skin yourself, but he must not have sent any home with you or you would already know that. If the puppy won’t drink or eat, I’d be taking her to an emergency clinic. A 12 week old puppy can go downhill fast, and two days isn’t that long if the puppy has parvo. Some dogs do make a fast turnaround, but they’re usually older and the owners had caught it early. Good luck with the puppy, and I hope things turn out well.

Answer by Amanda
Chigirl– you are assuming the OP never vaccinated.

You are also assuming that vaccination means a dog won’t get parvo.

We have seen plenty of puppies vaccinated who come down with parvo. Maybe the vaccine was given to late…or maybe it was a bad lot…or maybe they just didn’t get enough immunity off of the 1st or 2nd vaccine.

Even a fully vaccinated older dog can come down with parvo..it isn’t often, but it seems to be happening more and more. There is talk of parvo mutating, attacking older dogs and killing them faster.

Answer by relswete
If she will not drink I would give her a few hrs or so. Is she even taking a little fluid in at all? Did he give you any medications for her? HAs she had any positive response? you both will be in our thoughts.
Add..just incase I wasn’t clear I mean less thana few hrs from the time you left the vet or she was pulled from IV. You need a new vet if your dog was not showing progression when he sent her home..they can turn quickly. Sorry she is ill.

Answer by dontknow86
Don’t go to that vet again! Closed? Make sure you let your pup rest don’t bother him by waking him up. Take water a tiny bit of food to him, See if he eats or drinks and keeps it down. If he is not eating or drinking, Find a new vet in the morning.