Monday, June 15, 2015

Getting Better From Parvo Dog Virus

We were so happy when Abby was getting better from Parvo dog virus.  The odds were against Abby for getting better from the Parvo dog virus when we first rescued her.  She was so sick and underweight.  Abby was very dirty and was very weak.  She smelled bad too.  We were trying all our efforts into getting her better from the Parvo dog virus.  The Parvo dog virus is fully known as the Canine Parvovirus which is a very severe infection that can go viral that attacks cells by dividing them in their body.  This virus is highly contagious, and we made sure that Anze had all of his vaccines and immunizations before letting him go near Abby. As Abby lived in the Kern County Shelter with the other dogs, she was in a small area that was surrounded by other dogs feces (which is how the Parvo virus is spread). If dogs do not get the Parvo virus treated, or severe cases like Abby, there is a slim chance of survival and the mortality rate is extremely high. 


We first found out that Abby had the Parvo Dog virus because she showed every symptom.  She was laying on this white little dog bed that we bought her and she was so lethargic but she refused to drink water.  She was vomiting yellow liquid and had uncontrollable bloody diarrhea (with worms in it).  Thank goodness Abby's Aunt Brianne was there to help out, because Abby's Mommy was definitely concerned something was seriously wrong.  Abby wouldn't eat and wouldn't drink and was so weak.  She could barely lift her head and only wanted to stay in her crate. 



To read more about click here:  Abby's Parvo Story    

We were so excited when we started noticing that Abby was getting better from the parvo dog virus! The vet told us in the beginning not to get too attached to Abby in case she didn't get better.  We knew we had to give her the most love and care either way.   Abby was such a fighter! She pulled through. She started lifting her head and playing with her toys. **Although once she started recovering from the Parvo virus and getting better, we threw those infected toys and the white bed away. We also sprayed the crate inside and out with Lysol and cleaned it out with bleach took it out to the garage and never used it again! 

Here is Abby starting to become active.. Although she isn't moving her entire body, she gained enough strength to shake her head back and forth and play with her little yellow plush raccoon toy!

 

We were very overprotective over Abby because we wanted to make sure that she didn't fall into a relapse. We also cleaned everything in the house and sanitized everything because the Parvo virus can live the contaminated area for up to 4-5 months on surface areas and even longer in carpet or threaded areas. We used bleach and warm water to disinfect. We are so proud to say that Abby got better from the parvo dog virus and is strong survivor!


Thursday, June 11, 2015

Tobey the Doxiepin Dog


Tobey the doxiepin dog is such a cool dog.  We are so excited to add Tobey as one of our doxiepin friends.  Tobey is 1.5 years old and is male dog.  He has beautiful chocolate and tan markings.  He loves to cuddle under the blankets.  He always hides his bones and treats to enjoy later. Tobey is quite the active little guy but when everyone is sitting down he tends to relax.  Tobey is a very sweet doxiepin and loves people.  He is just like Anze and does not like to be left alone.  His owners were first told by the Humane Society that he would be a chihuahua, but he is a whopping 16 lbs. and definitely looks like part dachshund/miniature pinscher.  Anze weighs 15 lbs. so they are right on par matching weight! Tobey has a very bright red harness and it looks like this little doxiepin loves to go out on walks!


Tick Key Survival Tool For Hiking

Woo hoo! We got a Tick Key survival tool for hiking! Anze & Abby were so excited when they ordered and received the Tick Key survival tool for when they go hiking.  Ticks are really gross bugs (external parasites) that feed off the blood of animals (and even humans).  They live outdoors in the grass, brush, woods and trees and can jump onto dogs and bury their heads into a dog's skin.  This can be a concern, especially if you take your dogs hiking.  As Abby is a patterdale terrier dog and Anze is a doxiepin dog, they love to expend a lot of energy, and hiking is one of their favorite activities to do!  We always check them after our hikes to make sure that they did not catch any ticks or fleas.  The ticks can carry diseases, like lyme disease, and can cause serious injuries like swollen joints, fever, loss of appetite and neurological injuries.  


There are many ways and theories of how to remove a tick that is embedded in the skin/body.  However, if these potential solutions are not performed correctly, the tick could break off, or bury itself deeper, or possibly be worse off than it was before trying to be corrected. 

We looked online and found amazing reviews on Amazon about the Tick Key. The Tick Key was listed with the other survival tools for hiking and camping. They had different colors and can fit on a key chain. The Tick Key looked like it was painless, fast and effective! Abby got a pink one and Anze got a blue one! 

 

Thankfully we have not had to use the Tick Key yet, but if we ever do, we will definitely be prepared with our survival dog tool!  The Tick Key would have come in handy when we first rescued Abby from the shelter.  She was very sick with parvo virus, kennel cough, worms, fleas, TICKS and was on the verge of death. We had to take her to the vet and have all the ticks professionally removed as well as nurse her back to health.  Here is a picture of our view from one of our weekend hikes!


Abby and Anze would totally recommend every dog owning a Tick Key!