One of my "kids" is sick.  It has been a long couple of weeks around here. 

He's been under the weather for a while and it was with great apprehension that I took him to the doctor.  Jack's and old man in both dog and people years.  I love him so!

The team at White Sands Clinic in Bonita Springs is just awesome.  They've always been awesome.  They've litterally saved Jack a half dozen times so far.  I am counting on them to do it again. 

He'$ the Prada pur$e I've alway$ wanted. I think he's pushed on to belt, $hoes and he'$ working through acce$$orie$, now.

The battery of tests revealed he is, for the most part, healthy.  I was dreading liver or kidney disease since he's been pukey and he's a geezer.  His blood and heart are normal.  When they did the X-ray it was discovered that there is something foreign in his stomach.  We don't know what, but it's there none the less.  Now we're playing the waiting game.  (I hope you're not eating your Cheerios) We give him laxative medicine and wait for the "prize" to come out the other end.  If the waiting game doesn't work, they'll have to do something more inva$ive.

The Doctor was sharing with us the great threat that is now befalling dogs in the Bonita Springs area - Parvo.  (Jack does not have Parvo, thank gosh) There is a major outbreain the area and many dog owners are crying themselves to sleep at night.  A lot of these dogs aren't making it.  I listened to the vet recount case after case that he's treated or euthanized because they were suffering so badly.

!!!!!  If you have a four legged kid, get that dog shots and make sure they're up to date  !!!!!

Parvo is highly contagious and extremely merciless.  It is a virus that attacks the intestinal tract of dogs preventing them from absorbing nutrients and fluid.  It causes vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration and often, death.  If you ever see any symptoms like this, IMMEDIATELY take your dog to the vet.  Every minute counts.

Here are some shocking facts I've learned about Parvo:

• The Parvo virus can live up to two years in the soil.  If someone's dog goes in your yard, you guessed it, up to two years later the virus can be present (if the dog was infected).
• If you walk through a yard, field or woods with Parvo virus present, and go into your home you can infect your dog because it's on your shoes.
• Parvo is a fast and drastic disease.  The mortality rate is extremely high.

The Doctor also shared with me that it's almost a flip of a coin if a dog lives or dies from Parvo.  He told me two dogs, brother and sister, had just moved into a new home with their owner.  The dogs were juveniles, in between their shot series.  Within weeks the dogs fell into the clutches of Parvo.  Although the team at White Sands treated them both aggressively, one lived and one died.  It had never occurred to the owner that the yard could be a silent killer of his dogs. 

Please make sure your dog's vaccinations are up to date.  It would be a tragedy for this to happen to the dog you love.

Read Also:  Canine Parvo Virus  and Working Dogs.