Pete's Poem

It takes a great dog to inspire poetry, and Pete is just that kind of dog. As he courageously recovers from a serious brush with Parvo, he has become quite the muse for his foster mom who has even penned a poem in his honor. The one-year old Chihuahua mix was brought to us as a stray in an unconscious state. He displayed the classic symptoms of Canine Parvovirus (CPV), commonly referred to as Parvo: lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea. Highly contagious, Parvo is spread from dog to dog through direct or indirect contact with feces or vomit, and can live in soil for up to a year. An infected dog will quickly  become dehydrated and weak from lack of protein and fluid absorption. While Pete was still in a lethargic state, Dr. Camblor and team quickly began intensive treatment with IV support including fluids to help rehydrate him, dextrose to combat his low blood sugar, and antibiotics. His situation was so critical we were not certain that Pete would survive. He was on IV support for five days and  had to be fed by syringe while the treatments did their job. It was touch and go but he gradually began to respond to the care and pull through.

  

  As soon as Pete was healthy enough, he was able to leave the shelter hospital. He has been rehabilitating further in his foster home where he gets stronger every day. His foster mom reports that he was a little shy at first, but is now getting along great with her dog pack (he's not so sure about the cats though)! She describes him as rarin' to go - he's even been brave enough to run alongside her goat pen. He's also becoming very affectionate and loves curling up on her lap in the evenings, indicating that he should be easily adoptable once his foster period ends.

 

Parvo is highly contagious and an infected dog continues to shed the virus for up to two weeks after being treated. Pete's foster mom's other dogs have been vaccinated against it so they are not at risk. This point clearly illustrates how easily preventable Parvo is. Generally puppies are vaccinated against CPV with a series of doses in their first months. Adult dogs over 6 months require just one vaccine. With a simple inexpensive vaccination, Pete's critical illness could have been avoided. Has your dog been vaccinated? For Pete's sake - why not make sure your dog is protected.

 

For more information about CPV symptoms, transmission and prevention, click here.

The Bingo and Live Auction is officially sold out! This event benefiting the Sonoma Humane Society features lunch, wine, dessert and fabulous prizes!
If you missed this year, you can still donate to help the homeless animals!

A special thank you to VIP Petcare Services for scheduling all of our SpayPAL appointments.