One sick dog :-(
Well I took Kirby (puppy finally has a name!!) to the vet today. He has been having uncontrolled diarrhea since I got him. About 2 hours before my appointment he totally crashed. He was very lethargic and trembling uncontrollably. I took him in early because I was really worried about him. He had a 105.1 tempterature!! (normal is around 101). We did a fecal and he is INFESTED with giardia. REALLY REALLY REALLY bad infection. The vet said his intestines feel really inflamed and thickened. He also has pretty bad kennel cough. We sent some bloodwork to the lab because the vet was worried about his fever. Kennel cough doesn't really cause a fever so he isn't sure if the fever is from the giardia or if he has something else going on. He kept asking me over and over and over if he is vomting so I am thinking he was maybe suspecting parvo due to the thickened intestines, severe lethargy (today), and high fever. So glad I was able to report no vomit! I am really really frustrated with the rescue though. Just frustrated that I had an application in to Kern Animal Control where I could have got him for around $60, but instead the rescue pulled him "to prevent him from getting sick" and then charged me $375, and now look where we are! I'm $300 poorer and my poor baby is still incredibly sick! Also, the rescue posted a new dog for adoption yesterday that they had just finished treating for kennel cough! I want to tell her how I feel about this but need to find a constructive way of venting my frustrations to her. I know they can't control who gets sick and who doesn't, but to pull a safe dog and use the excuse of preventing disease, and then adopt him to a new home loaded with giardia and sick sick sick is just a bit ridiculous. They didn't even do a fecal or a heartworm test on him and he was supposed to come with 30 days health insurance but she made no mention of that at all when she gave him to me (not to mention didn't give me his rabies vaccine certificate or tell me how to register his microchip!) And he is less than a year old and she said he is fine with just one DHPP vaccine, when ANYWHERE I've ever worked and EVERYTHING I've ever learned about the immune system and how vaccines work say you have to have at least one booster for almost all the dog vaccines (there are a few exceptions but DHPP is NOT one of them). Just so frustrated with all of my dealings with this rescue and its so sad to see Kirby so sick :-(
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Vee Luther on
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There's probably no satisfaction in this other than getting Kirby through it all and healthy. As much publicity over the mistakes made --maybe even a letter to the editor of your paper or a note on angie's list--is waht the "rescuer" deserves. Wishing you the best with Kirby
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Permalink Reply by Chris, Kadi & Brodie on
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What a mess! They definitely didn't do him any favors, other than matching him up with you! What if someone had gotten him that didn't know as much as you? He might not have survived!
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Permalink Reply by Melissa and Franklin! on
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Yeah I guess it was meant to be for the both of us. He is now on 3 different medications and a course of de-wormer to be repeated in 3 weeks as well as prescription food for his tummy (easier than making chicken/rice everyday until his gut heals). Today was his first day in an entire week of semi-normal stool and he isn't coughing as much today. Thursday and Friday were probably his worst days but a whopping dose of antibiotics, cough medicine, and de-wormer seem to be putting stuff right again. His white cell count was almost double what it was supposed to be so his body was fighting a pretty serious infection. Now I'm just waiting to see if Franklin comes down with kennel cough. He's a healthy boy so hopefully his immune system can fight it. I've decided to cease all contact with the "rescue". Any further contact will just frustrate me more and more and not do any good anyway. Can't change people like that at least I saved this little guy and hopefully future dogs won't end up in the wrong hands because of her.
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Permalink Reply by Chelsea and Wyatt on
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Aw, I hope Kirby recovers swiftly and successfully. That rescue should always conduct fecal exams as a rule of thumb, particularly since they often don't know the health history of many of their dogs. I understand your frustration. I would pay them a visit and deliver a very pointed letter indicating how they could improve the health and well-being of their puppies and dogs by conducting fecal exams, heartworm screenings, and a complete round of vaccines.
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ok, I lied about ceasing all contact. I just sent the rescue a pretty nasty e-mail. She only JUST decided to enroll him in his free insurance that I was supposed to get the day he was adopted, as such, none of the medical expenses I have incurred so far will be covered by his "free insurance". I basically told her I was incredibly frustrated with the whole experience working with her rescue and how it would have been nice to go home with the insurance I was promised when I adopted him since it is basically useless to me know. And to have her pull him and charge me quadruple the adoption fee only to end up with the same sick dog I could have gotten at animal control was incredibly frustrating. I said she should have done a fecal on him in addition to keeping him for a quarantine period to make sure he was in fact healthy before adopting him out. And that about sums up the e-mail. I am really angry that she only now decided to send this stupid insurance policy that would have covered everything had she been organized and responsible. I still haven't received his rabies information. AUGH! At least he is starting to feel better. I hope to never hear from her again unless it is to give me a refund!
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Permalink Reply by Ellen Andersen on
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I'm just glad Kirby is with you now...where he belongs!
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Permalink Reply by Sandy Stickney on
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Hey Melissa, good luck with Kirby. It is so unsettling when they are sick. He is lucky to have you! PS. Love the name "Kirby!" (I have a "Kirby" also.)
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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on
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This is the first first-hand account of a dog with giardia I've heard. Supposedly, it's fairly contagious, so be very careful about hygiene. Go through lots of hand soap, wash everything. Do the hospital routine, 20 sec handwashing, special attention to fingernails and fingertips.
What are they giving him -- Flagyl?
Looking forward to a healthy Kirby.
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yes it is very contagious. I am worried about both me and Franklin getting it. The vet said due to the SUPER high number of parasites in the fecal we ran, he thinks he is probably just covered in it.I have been bleaching the patio where he goes potty from day one, but it never really occured to me that he would have giardia so I wasn't washing my hands EVERY time he licked me. He was a big sumbissive licker when I first got him so it was CONSTANT. Now that I know, I am not allowing him to lick me at all, am washing my hands A LOT, and continuing to bleach outdoors. Crossing my fingers Franklin and I don't get sick too!
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You might ask your vet if he thinks a round of Flagyl would be in order for Franklin as a precaution. I would recommend asking your own physician the same about yourself. It's a very safe and cheap drug and a round now might save you a lot of worry!
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Giardia is probably oral/fecal transmission -- which should of course be called fecal ---> oral. In other words, you're unlikely to get it from his mouth (unless he's recently been snacking on his own poop, or licking his butt). Just be wary of the subprime end of the dog and everything that comes out of it. An intestinal parasite, it should not be in his urine.
If you have little kids crawling around in the dirt, well...
You might google giardia to learn the transmission routes and persistence in soil. I'd always thought it was waterborne.
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It is oral/fecal but mostly animals and people get it from contaminated water. The thing with oral/fecal doesn't mean you have to actually eat the feces. If the dog walked around in or near the feces or licked his backend, he can transmit the parasite, the eggs can contaminate most surfaces. I am hoping it will be fine and thus far Franklin hasn't shown any symptoms. I haven't even been cleaning up his poop by hand, I just worry more with a heavy load eggs are EVERYWHERE.
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