Urgent warning for dog owners over highly contagious and deadly virus
A DOG owner had issued an urgent warning over a highly contagious and deadly virus, as her beloved pooch fights for her life.
Amy Riley’s puppy, Cookie, is currently seriously ill after catching parvovirus earlier this month.
It’s thought the six-month-old mixed breed picked up the virus near Ivinson Road or Ash Grove in the mum’s home town of Darwen, Lancashire.
Amy, 25, has since set up a fundraiser to help her pay the £4,000 vet bills.
Amy told the Lancashire Telegraph: “I took her for a walk around the streets where I live.
“She is usually only in my back garden as it is quite a large garden but on this day I took her around the block.
“It is my biggest regret because this is the only place she could have picked up the virus.”
Cookie started showing signs she was ill on June 12 when she started vomiting and vets initially thought she had a stomach problem.
The vets believed she had gastritis and treated it with anti-sickness medication and diarrhoea treatment.
But Cookie’s health didn’t improve and Amy took her back to the vets the next day.
Her diarrhoea now contained blood.
The vets reassessed her and told Amy it looked like Cookie had parvovirus and needed to be admitted.
Although, because Amy couldn’t afford to admit the pet, Cookie was sent home with some antibiotics and said she should perk up in three days.
Sadly though, Cookie’s health worsened and Amy said she became so weak and was barely eating or drinking and was still vomiting and losing a lot of blood.
On June 14 though the kind-hearted vets accepted a £100 deposit so Cookie could be treated until Amy is able to provide the remaining funds in the future.
Cookie is still very poorly and currently on a number of medications but so far isn’t responding to the treatment, Amy said.
The pup is vomiting and bleeding and currently has a feeding tube.
Both Amy and her child are very concerned for Cookie, who they see as another member of the family.
Amy said: “If you have a dog you know they become family. Myself and my four-year-old child just want her home.
“I will never forget this experience and the guilt I hold inside me knowing I took her on that walk that has left her in critical condition.”
How she is going to pay for the vet bills is also a big concern because without the money she cannot continue the treatment.
The mum said she had already spent £1,000 on vet bills and has already used up all her monthly money and now has nothing left.
Cookie is the second reported case of parvovirus in Darwen in the last month.
Emily Irvine’s cockador, cockerspaniel mixed with Labrador, became ill after possibly catching the disease at Blacksnape playing fields.
Emily has also set up a fundraiser to help with Bailey’s vet bills.
A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: “Parvovirus is a highly infectious disease in which the virus attacks cells in the dog’s intestines and stops them being able to absorb the vital nutrients they need.
“It quickly causes them to become weak and can prove fatal, particularly in puppies.
“Haemorrhagic diarrhoea can come on suddenly and causes vomiting and bloody diarrhoea.
“We would encourage owners to ensure their pets are vaccinated to help avoid the heartbreak of losing a much-loved pet to this awful disease.”
Anyone wanting to contribute to Amy’s fundraiser can click here.
Earlier this month, an ER vet revealed the five things he would never let his dog do.
Among the things Dr Marcus (@thefriendlyvet) warned about in a TikTok video was the possibility of pups catching parvovirus at dog parks.
“Number one, we’re not going to any dog parks. Can he catch a tennis ball? Maybe. But you know what [else] he can catch there? Parvovirus, Giardia. ‘These hands’ from another dog,” he joked.
“Way too many bite wounds that I’m healing or stitching up in the hospital for me to take my chances there.”
Symptoms of parvovirus include:
Bloody diarrhea (often severe)
Fever
Lethargy (lack of energy)
Loss of appetite
Malaise (discomfort associated with illness)
Rapid weight loss
Vomiting