Here We Go Again

[RavenStarr]

I know I shouldn't but I;m really blaming myself, I had been staying awake to give her electrolytes every hour, I gave her a dose at 3.30am and came inside to watch tv and fell asleep on the couch, didn't wake up til 7.30am.

I keep thinking if I stayed awake to give her more doses she would be alive.

I really hate myself.

*Hugs* Please don't hate yourself. You did the best you could. Parvo is a horrible disease.

This may sound harsh, but I don't think giving her more doses would have done any good so please don't beat yourself up.

[draggar]

SSG - with immunized puppies the survival rate with parvo is roughly 50%. I'm willing to bet that since you got the puppies from a pet store,

1) They were taken from their mother between 5-6 weeks of age (law states they can't be younger than 8) and those last two weeks are critical with building up their immunity.

2) Pet stores and commercial breeders / puppy mills care about money. I'm sure they didn't use any quality or even healthy alternatives for food - they probably used the cheapest stuff they could fund to feed them, thus hampering their natural immunity growth.

3) Chances are they were exposed to it where they were "bred", in transit, or in the store. I'm willing to bet the outbreak of parvo in the area is related to that store or their distribution network - it is extremely contagious (it makes the flu look non contagious).

You did everything you could (IMO you did more than what most people would have done) do but I have a feeling you were fighting a losing battle from the beginning. You gave the puppies the best home they could have for their short lives and I am sure they're thankful for that.

[tropicsgoddess]

So sorry to hear about that.

[MaggieTheCat]

I'm so sorry to hear about both Alex and Axel. It was very hard when we lost our dog a year and a half ago, and we put him down because he was old and had very bad arthritis and couldn't walk anymore...but we had him for 13+ years...he had a good, long, healthy life right up until the end. That was hard enough, let alone losing a dog to something traumatic like this...especially a puppy.

You did the best you could, and I'm sure the puppies were grateful to be with someone who cared about them so much instead of in some dark pet store where no one was paying attention to them.

[Supermarket Slave Girl]

Most of the clean up is done, alot of stuff was taken to the tip and the only thing left to do is bleach the lawn, I don't care if I kill the grass.

My cat knows I'm upset, she's been especially sooky towards me, won't leave my side, wanting cuddles, trying to get in the car with me. Her favourite thing to do is have me put her over my shoulder so she can play and groom my hair and purring away like a little motor, it's very cute.

Thanks to everyone for their replies, I know they are both in a better place now, happy and pain free.