The following questions are the most frequently asked when people call searching for answers about their beloved puppy.
There are many ways a puppy can get parvo. Here are a few examples:
We have over 100 wonderful animal guardians here for over 20 years and have never chemically wormed them or ourselves. Natural worming remedies - herbs, homeopathy, food grade diatomaceous earth, etc. are very effective at eliminating parasites without putting chemicals or toxins into "OUR" or our animals systems.
When you start worming a pet with natural methods, it is best to continue treatment daily for at least a 4 weeks, in order to catch all the hatching eggs. We do NOT recommend you start worming one day with a natural remedy, then quit for a few days as this can produce a buildup of worms in the system.
Every vaccine vial, human and animal, advises to NEVER vaccinate an unhealthy being. It is best not to vaccinate when an animal or human is stressed, which means not to do so on an overly hot or cold day, when having surgery, when dis-eased (such as having parvo) or during times of stress. NEVER vaccinate when your pet is ill. We do not recommend vaccinating at the same time you have your puppy spayed or neutered either. We feel it is best to wait at least two weeks between having them vaccinated and spayed or neutered.
It takes approximately 10-14 days from the time a pet is vaccinated for their immune systems to mount a response to the vaccine. As such, for 10-14 days post vaccination, a puppy literally has no immune system. This is why we do NOT recommend immediately vaccinating littermates who have been exposed to a sibling with parvo. The fact that puppies literally have NO immune systems for 10-14 days post vaccination is largely why these puppies are the hardest to heal. As noted above, we strongly suggest you look into Dr. Jean Dodd's Vaccine Protocol. Dr. Dodd's is an immunologist and founder of Hemopet the world's largest blood bank for dogs.
NOTE: We have NEVER had a parvo puppy owner call who had vaccinated per Dr. Dodd's vaccination protocol above which utilizes ONLY a single parvo and distemper vaccine, separated by 2 weeks with another SINGLE parvo and distemper vaccine. ALL of the recently vaccinated puppies that have come down with parvo are those who were just vaccinated with 5, 6, or 7-in-1 vaccines.
Whether you choose to vaccinate or not, there are NO GUARANTEES your puppy will not come down with a dis-ease. Vaccinated and unvaccinated alike come down with parvo. As such, we believe it is of utmost importance to keep a puppy's immune system strong and healthy with the best quality nutrition you can give them. There are links to dog and cat nutrition information on ourNatural Dog & Cat Nutrition page. As well as daily fresh water, plenty of sunshine, exercise, love, TLC, proper training, etc.
Parvoguard appeared on the internet in April 2004. Here is some info about Parvoguard that people have sent us:
We have had many customers call us to order Paxaid (formerly Parvaid) & Vibactra Plus, after they tried Parvoguard and it didn't work. One Parvoguard retailer quit selling Parvoguard, because he said Parvoguard didn't work and called us to become a Paxaid retailer, after trying Paxaid and finding it actually does work to heal parvo puppies. He has been selling Paxaid for over 2 years now.
PAXAID has been on the internet for 10 years. Paxaid and Vibactra Plus are available in many pet stores, feed stores, grooming shops, rescues, shelters, and many veterinarian offices are using them and/or recommending them to their customers who cannot afford traditional parvo treatment.
Some veterinarians are recommending Tamiflu for parvo puppies. Of course, we get the hysterical telephone calls from parvo puppy breeders and rescues when products like Tamiflu or Parvoguard aren't working for them and the people are seeking a better alternative than dead puppies, so we can't vouch for their effectiveness.
I can only say, from what I have read about Tamiflu, it is NOT supposed to be given to children under 1 year of age. And most parvo puppies are under 1 year of age. And the list of side effects are ALL symptoms of parvo, so it appears Tamiflu could actually make parvo puppies symptoms worsen.
Here again, YOU are the decision maker in your household. Use your best judgement.
The number one reason Parvaid works is because of the herbs Paxaid contains. Read our Paxaid Page for information about the herbs in Paxaid.
Additionally, it is MY belief, and again, I am not a veterinarian, the Paxaid & Vibactra Plus remedies work most often more quickly than traditional vet IV's because Paxaid is administered orally, every hour on the hour and therefore goes through the digestive and intestinal tracts where the dis-ease is. Vet IV's keep puppies hydrated through the veins, NOT in the digestive tract where the disease proliferates. This is similar to keeping you hydrated by putting you in a bath tub. The herbs in Paxaid go directly to the intestinal tract to calm and soothe the digestive tract, stop the bleeding, boost the immune system which helps make the puppy feel better, and help bring back the puppy's appetite. The Vibactra Plus goes to work, again, in the digestive tract to attack the parvo virus and prevent any secondary infections the parvo virus can cause, plus it eliminates single celled organisms such as coccidia protozoan.
Even when having to give an enema, the herbs in Paxaid and Vibactra Plus are absorbed into the system and permeate the body, helping it heal.
And, often times, I believe they heal because they are at home with their family members and not stuffed in a cage, all alone, or with a bunch of other strange sick animals they don't know. The owners or foster parents of ALL parvo puppies we have helped heal with Paxaid would call us or we would call them while treating their puppies and we would allow the owner to talk through the phone to their puppy. So their puppy KNEW they weren't abandoned here with us. Some of these puppies were incredibly listless, but as soon as they heard their family member's voice on the phone their eyes would open or their ears would perk up.
If you have a parvo puppy at the vets on IV's, I would suggest visiting as often as you can and of course, I would also suggest you make all possible attempts at getting your veterinarian to administer "just" the hourly 2 to 15 drops of Paxaid orally, every hour someone is in the vet office to help hasten your puppy's recovery. It would further be "my" opinion, if you can get them to dump their traditional antibiotic and use the Vibactra Plus instead, do it!!
PAXAID is useful as a preventative for puppies who have been exposed to the parvo virus, but are not exhibiting symptoms. Dosed the oral 2-15 drops of Paxaid (based on their weight), 4x/day for 5 days, along with the Vibactra Plus 2x/day for 5 days helps to prevent majority of exposed puppies from coming down with the disease, if dosed as soon as you know they have been exposed. Preventative dosing helped prevent 2 of our own 5 puppies from coming down with any parvo symptoms. Unfortunately, we did not know about Paxaid before our own puppies started coming down with parvo and it took 24 hours to find out about it and obtain it. This is why I recommend everyone who has dogs have it on hand "just in case", as if dosed immediately upon seeing signs, the puppies will recover more quickly and treating non symptomatic puppies "immediately" will help prevent them from having any symptoms.
Our own puppies were 8 weeks of age when they came down with parvo. I made it a point to feed them ALL with one bowl, so the sick ones would see their siblings eating, knowing they would eat "their" share if they didn't eat. I made a fresh rosemary and sage tea and then mixed this in their meals of raw hamburger, liver, gizzards, etc. Even tho they weren't happy with the "tea" in their food, they would eat it, as they knew the others would eat it if they didn't...so I "believe" that feeding pups together might be useful in coaxing others to eat, especially when putting in ingredients they might otherwise not eat if fed alone. We did not force feed anyone.
We had heard that once a puppy recovers from parvo they should NEVER get it again. As such, we experimented with our own recovered parvo puppies that recovered from parvo with the Paxaid remedy in May 2001. Others have continued to bring us their parvo puppies, when our own were as young as five months of age, many with a different strain of parvo than the strain our own had and our recovered puppies have never come down with parvo again. Mind you, we did NOT disinfect ourselves when working with sick parvo puppies and playing with our own. Once they recover, they have natural immunity.
Possibly if a puppy was living on the streets or very poorly taken care of they could succumb to parvo again, but when people ask "our" opinion, we advise once their puppy recovers from parvo, we do not believe they should EVER be vaccinated for parvo again. They have natural antibodies and since parvo is a disease of puppies, annual revaccination is unnecessary and possibly toxic to our beloved furry friends. Of course, it is always best to seek advice from your veterinarian.
It is important to disinfect all areas infected with parvo. You don't want your infected shoes, clothing, home, or grounds to possibly infect someone else's puppy. As such, here are some disinfecting suggestions:
Once your puppy is eating, drinking, and playing again, we suggest continuing to dose just the 2-15 oral drops of Paxaid (aka Parvaid), based on their weight, 4x/day for 2 days, along with giving the Vibactra Plus 2 to 15 drops twice/day for 2 days, to prevent a relapse. Even if your puppy was treated at the vet office on IV's, the 2 days of Parvaid oral dosing will help hasten their complete recovery.
Feed small, light, numerous meals throughout the day if possible. Overloading the puppy's tummy with too much food all at once is not recommended. Monitor their play time, just a little bit, so they don't overdo it. Again though, if you used Paxaid to help your puppy heal and are continuing the 4x/day for 2 days preventative treatment to prevent a parvo relapse, your puppy should be fine without this monitoring, but for safety's sake, keeping an eye on them and not letting them overdo won't hurt them.
Raw chicken liver (organic if you can obtain it) is one of the best things to feed parvo puppies just a small amount daily to provide lots of easily assimilated iron, vitamin A, and other excellent nutrients. Do not feed your puppy dry kibble for at least the same number of days the puppy hasn't eaten while being sick. Since puppies are carnivores with teeth designed for ripping and tearing at meat, the very best thing to feed them is real human grade raw meat and bones, aka species appropriate nutrition. For more information go to our Natural Dog & Cat Nutrition for Opitmum Health page.
New Zeland Colostrum is excellent for all puppies recovering from illness and helps keep healthy puppies well. If your puppy was treated traditionally and on IV's at the vet hospital for numerous days, it is especially useful in helping to heal the intestinal tract and should be given 3x/day at 2 to 3 times the recommended maintenance dose.
Probiotics are also excellent to hasten complete recovery. Probiotics are microorganisms (specifically bacteria) that support all aspects of canine health and are given as a supplement with food to regulate gastrointestinal functioning by ensuring more "good" bacteria exist than "bad" bacteria in the intestines. Parvo destroys intestinal lining. While treating for parvo you will likely be using an antibiotic, alternative or traditional. Antibiotics upset the balance of the gut flora. It is beneficial to your puppy, once they start eating on their own, to add a probiotic to their regimen, we recommend theRX Vitamins for Pets Professional Veterinary Formula RX Biotic. This will help promote balanced gut flora. In, addition Rx Biotic will help heal the intestinal tract, facilitate increased absorption of nutrients and support the immune system. Please note: In the case of probiotics...more is not better. Do not exceed the recommended dose for recovering parvo puppies. Too much can result in diarrhea.
Food grade diatomaceous earth is the best organic wormer and is more effective than traditional chemical wormers. we recommend feeding it to your puppy and adult dog(s) 365 days/year. Since over use of chemical wormers and excessive worm loads lower the immune system and often cause parvo, keeping your puppy on it will help prevent health issues caused by intestinal worms and parasites. If your puppy hasn't fully recovered from parvo or had a difficult time recovering, the addition of food grade diatomaceous earth to their daily diet is always helpful.
If your puppy had the heart strain of parvo, continue to give Hawthorn & Dandelion orally 4 to 6 times/day to strengthen and support the heart and circulatory system. Here again, a raw meat and bone diet is supportive to provide the needed calcium, magnesium, and other nutrients the heart needs for optimum health and feeding raw chicken or turkey heart daily is especially excellent for them. Coenzyme Q10 is also excellent for the heart.
We have had people call or e-mail us, who had their puppy treated at the vet office on IV's without the assistance of Paxaid, telling us that their puppy recovered from parvo one month to six months ago, but they still aren't "quite right" and wanting to know WHEN will they be themselves again. One of the reasons this occurs is because even though parvo is in the intestinal tract, traditional medicine treats by hydrating via IV and nothing is given to calm, soothe, and heal the intestinal tract where the parvo virus sheds the intestinal lining. Traditional medicine also gives anti-diarrheal and anti-vomiting meds, both of which keep the virus in the system which makes it harder for the body to recover as these toxins are kept inside the body. Blood and plasma transfusions are sometimes given to replace protein loss, provide antibodies, and help with anemia. Paxaid helps prevent the need for plasma transfusions. "Simple" parvo cases are 110%, usually within 48 hours, using Paxaid & Vibactra Plus. As per Juliette de Bairacli Levy's books, once they recover with herbal remedies, they seem to have even greater health than they did prior to becoming ill.
When a parvo puppy starts to feel better, it is best NOT to give them kibble. Their tummies are raw and kibble would be too hard to digest. When they are ready to start eating, we usually make up an "appetizer" plate. Giving the recovering puppy a choice of things to eat such as a little plain yogurt, scrambled eggs, small amounts of raw or cooked liver (excessive amounts of liver can cause diarrhea due to the vitamin A content, so don't feed too much - liver is also excellent to combat anemia from blood loss as it contains lots of iron), cooked chicken and rice, raw or cooked ground beef or turkey, small amounts of low fat cottage cheese, chicken gizzards, heart, chicken necks, etc. As they start eating, it is best to give them numerous small meals throughout the day, versus one or two large ones to help them recooperate more quickly and prevent overloading their tummies.
We have ALWAYS given raw chicken liver (you can also make liver treats by boiling raw liver for a few minutes until it is cooked enough to cut, then cut the liver into bite sized chunks and put on a baking sheet in the oven at a low temp till dry - these will keep in the frig for 2 weeks) and Imutek Colostrum, along with raw soft foods.
Do NOT force feed a puppy solid food, as this can make them regress.
IF your puppy hasn't eaten for 3-4 days, we usually syringe a small amount of raw egg (no more than 1/5th their oral dose of pedialyte and Paxaid, Imutek Colostrum, or yogurt into them. We personally have found Imutek Colostrum excellent for soothing parvo puppy digestive tracts and help boost their immune systems. They don't need as much as their normal hourly dose of Paxaid and Pedialyte, but just enough to give them some protein. These things are easily digested. A long story made us start doing this, but suffice it to say, we were helping 4 rescue parvo puppies heal from the F-Strain. Three of their siblings were on IV's at 2 different vet offices. They had the F-Strain, where they relapsed. Two of the pups on vet IV's died after a week on IV's. One of these puppies recovered from the parvo the first time, relapsed, and recovered again for the 2nd time, only to die of a protein deficiency in the vet hospital! :o{ As such, when pups have gone for 4-5 days without eating, we syringe a little protein into them. Raw liver juice enemas are also helpful for this and cleanse the liver as well when puppies aren't eating on their own yet.
You say you are "stressed", due to this parvo you are dealing with? Try one or more of the following:
Bach's Rescue Remedy
Chamomile tea
Valerian, Hops, and/or Scullcap
Lavendar or chamomile essential oil is calming and relaxing
Take some colloidal silver or Vibactra Plus to prevent you from getting sick too. 15 drops, 4x/day.
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*These statements have not been evaluated by Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The information on this Web site or in emails is designed for educational purposes only. The information on this web site is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician or veterinarian. This information is not intended as a substitute for the reader's independent judgment and personal responsibility. Health issues are far too important to delegate to anyone else. It is highly recommended you research and seek information and counsel from as wide a variety of sources as possible, so you can make well informed educated decisions about you, your child's, or your pet's health, as in the end YOU make the decisions.
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