Animal Spotlight - CLIFFORD

At only nine-weeks-old, Clifford embarked upon a journey that took him all the was from Brazil to become a part of his new family here in California. Being a beautiful Bichon Frise with a lively personality and beautiful disposition were not enough for Clifford. Without warning, he soon became severely weakened by vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration. Within hours of becoming sick his life was in jeopardy.

The biggest obstacle was to find a catheter (or intravenous tube) small enough to get into his tiny vein to supply the needed fluids, electrolytes, antibiotics, and other medications to fight his sickness, Once this was done we performed diagnostic tests, x-rays were taken, and supportive care was started to give Clifford the greatest chance to fight off this sudden illness.

The test results revealed the Clifford had Parvo Virus Diarrhea. he was quickly dehydrating into a weaker and weaker puppy. Now that we knew his diagnosis, we treated him aggressively with intravenous fluids, antibiotics, electrolytes, anti-vomiting medications, constant baths, and a lot of loving care.

Even though his diarrhea practically turned to pure blood, we kept fighting and so did Clifford. He was very weak, and was getting weaker as time progressed. After 48 hour, Clifford started to show some signs of acknowledgement. He actually wagged his tail when we talked to him, but not much more. This was still not enough to say he was better, so we continued around the clock with fluids, antibiotics, anti-vomiting drugs, and intravenous nourishment.

By 72 hours, Clifford actually woke up wanting to play. This was weak playtime and he soon tired and went back to sleep. By evening, he actually ate a small amount of food without vomiting. Upon hearing this, the owners got excited and so did we. However, with our experiences in treating many Parvo cases over the years, we knew it was not yet time to celebrate. But,, by the next day Clifford looked and acted like a healthy puppy and went on to a full recovery.

This was a happy ending for an animal with a disease as fatal as Parvo, especially for young puppies like Clifford. Being stressed due to his long flight from Brazil added to the severity of the disease. Parvo Virus is a preventable disease with an appropriate vaccine regiment. A series of three to five booster shots must be given to build up the immune system. The last booster should be give after at least four months of age. During this critical time, puppies should not be taken to parks or other areas where they can be exposed to other infected animals. When a new puppy is brought home it is very important to bring it to your veterinarian so that proper immunization can be started along with other disease preventative measures.

We are all happy for Clifford. Hopefully, this article will inspire other owners to vaccinate their new puppies to avoid all the worry and enjoy their new family member!

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