Things are gradually returning to normal with ups and downs over the past day or two. While Raimi was on the mend and looking at me with Big Sad Eyes when I didn't put any more than a cup of rice and some hamburger in his dish, Leeloo was turning her nose up at any food and shivering on the couch. I had rather hoped she was over her little bout but she seemed to have taken a turn. I called the vet who recommended we put her on anti-biotics as a precaution. She threw up all her rice in the kitchen at 4am Monday night and although she ate a little Tuesday morning that she managed to keep down during the day, she wouldn't eat Tuesday evening. I decided not to force the issue and let her dictate the terms of consumption.
Today has seen a drastic turn-around in her and Raimi's out look on life. Apparently the time for food is NOW. Leeloo is up to no good and demanding attention and Raimi is all bounce and no brains again ... status quo for my home. They will stay on anti-biotics for the next ten days but it seems as though the storm has passed. This weekend will be fun and frolick while I wash and bleach everything in the house.
The vet is telling me that there are different strains supplied by vaccination companies based on the area you live. I'm not sure I entirely believe this so I'll be calling the vaccination company to get the real scoop. If there are different strains out there which vary from region to region then what is the point of vaccinating at all? I had assumed, based on information supplied by and assurances from vaccination companies, that once you vaccinate and maintain the boosters, your dog will not get the diseases in the shot. In my lifetime immersed in dogs I have never heard of an adult vaccinated animal getting parvo but it seems to be a trend for 2010.
I have heard from other sources that skunks and raccoons also carry parvo and if that is the case the dogs almost certainly are not vaccinated against whatever strains the wildlife sheds. Who knows what kind of mutant parvo a raccoon might carry? This bout has me questioning both dog's auto-immune systems but this doesn't seem to be an actual immunity issue, it seems to be more of a "they don't have the vaccination against it so they got it" and each to varying degrees. Auto-immune has more to do with a dog's immune system turning on itself, is less about external influences and generally presents as things like allergies, arthritis, and skin and gastro issues. Clearly parvo falls under none of these.
Who knows how or why they got sick, the bottom line is that they are and I just need to support them as the disease progresses and is finally beaten. It's been a very tiring and trying time for us all ... except Esme who stubbornly refuses to get sick at all.
1 comment:
Tamzin,
The different vaccine companies come up with their own versions of vaccines, based on what strains of parvo they think are out there, but as of now, I believe all the vaccines cover the same strains. They are not regional.
However, parvo and all viruses are ever evolving, and new strains will emerge from time to time. Sometimes a vaccine will be semi protective against a new strain, sometimes it will not.
The last really big parvo mutation happened in the early 90's and at this time, many fully vaccinated animals came down with parvo. After this happened, the vaccine companies changed their vaccines to include the new strain. It is a good idea to report this to the vaccine company, because if they realize that traditional vaccines are not protecting dogs, they will start looking for these new strains.
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