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Vomiting. Diarrhea. Loss of appetite. These symptoms have been commonly described during calls into our Community Hotline this summer. We’ve worked with several cases of puppies that have caught the dreaded parvovirus–a highly contagious viral illness that affects unvaccinated puppies. Unfortunately, emergency treatment is very expensive and costly and most families cannot afford to pay for treatment.

Bella is one of the puppies that exhibited parvo-like symptoms. We worked with her family to get her into the vet for a parvo test to determine if that was the cause of her symptoms, and sure enough, she tested positive. Her family could not afford treatment, and unfortunately, inpatient treatment is out of our price range for services we can cover. But we weren’t done fighting for little Bella. We opted for outpatient treatment, where we would provide supportive care in her home in the form of subcutaneous fluids and anti-nausea medication.

Bella’s subcutaneous fluids

We visited Bella every day for three days to administer fluids, and it only took 24 hours for her to start to perk up! Before long, she was back to her puppy antics, including playing and chewing and cuddling with her family. She overcame parvo thanks to veterinary support, but more importantly, her family’s commitment to helping her get better!

Bella kissing volunteer Jessica after receiving fluids

Our East Side Pet Crisis Fund helps keep families whole. Many of the residents we aid with this fund have nowhere else to turn. But we can only help when funds are available. With your help, we can make a difference by keeping pets with their loving owners and out of area shelters. Donate today!

This story was made possible thanks to our East Side Pet Crisis Fund, our veterinary partners Four Paws Animal Hospital and Hillside Animal Hospital, and financial support from Banfield Foundation and supporters like you!