|
| Success Stories |
|
Otto, a newborn Vizsla
puppy, was already adopted and named by his new owners
within a few days of his birth. During his first few
weeks of life, his new family watched him grow via
emailed photos from his breeder in Texas. After the long
trip from Texas to Lafayette, Otto spent only a few days
at home before he stopped eating and became very ill
with vomiting and diarrhea. When he arrived at Four
Seasons Animal Hospital, he was just over 6 weeks old,
weighed just 5 pounds and was diagnosed with parvovirus
and hookworms.
Because parvovirus is highly contagious and potentially
life threatening, Otto was confined to the hospital’s
isolation unit in order to prevent contamination, limit
exposure to other patients, and to provide 24 hour
intensive care. During his stay, Otto’s care was a
collaborative effort by doctors and nurses from the
general practice, internal medicine and emergency and
critical care departments.
Parvovirus destroys the lining of the intestines and
compromises a puppy’s already weak immune system. It
causes severe vomiting and diarrhea, and an increased
risk of life-threatening infections, dehydration, and
bleeding problems. Unfortunately, Otto was severely
affected with a highly virulent strain of the virus that
necessitated an intensive and aggressive treatment
regimen and a prolonged hospital stay. Otto’s
round-the-clock supportive care included intravenous
fluid and electrolyte therapy, antibiotics, anti-nausea
medications, deworming medications, plasma and blood
transfusions, and, because he couldn’t eat on his own,
Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN), which bypasses the
gastrointestinal system and provides complete nutrition
through an intravenous catheter.
The severity of Otto's symptoms waxed and waned
dramatically during his two-week hospital stay, and he
lost body weight despite intensive efforts to maintain
an adequate level of nutrition. Otto’s owners reported
that while one littermate was never affected by the
disease, two of his littermates were in intensive care
back in Texas, and the others had died. Despite this sad
and discouraging news, Otto’s family remained committed
to giving him the best chance for recovery by staying in
close contact with doctors regarding his care and
visiting daily. His treatments were constantly adjusted
as his condition changed, and as he began to rebound, he
was slowly unhooked from his fluid pumps, syringe pumps,
monitors, and his numerous intravenous catheters.
Eventually, Otto started to look and act like a puppy
again, barking and wagging his tail at the sight of his
family and his caretakers. When he started to eat and
drink on his own, he was released from the hospital.
With detailed instructions for nursing care and daily
follow-up by his doctors, Otto continued his recovery at
home. After one week, he returned for his routine puppy
vaccinations as a skinny but energetic nine-week-old
puppy. With the anticipation of a normal life ahead,
Otto’s biggest challenges were potty training and
learning to sleep through the night in his crate
(instead of happily sleeping in bed with his family).
Everyone at Four Seasons Animal Hospital looks forward
to watching Otto grow up into a happy and healthy adult! |
| |
|
|
 |
|
|
|