Parvo Articles

Stephen Becker asked:


Actually, more superstition than you would imagine.

The science part, we all know. By application of laws, theories, and technologies borrowed from physics, biochemistry, and engineering, veterinary medicine takes on the appearance of a science.

But, surely, mere application of scientific principles does not make an enterprise a science. After all, belief systems of all kinds use scientific principles. Religions apply the principles of economics, engineering, and more. But no one would confuse religion with science.

A science is a coherent system that produces consistent outcomes. Orthodox veterinary medicine has value, but it is neither coherent nor consistent.

The lack of consistency is obvious. Anyone having an animal treated at a vet knows that the outcome is chancy. Maybe the treatment will work and maybe it won’t. Vets make no excuses for this lack of certainty and everyone, including myself, accepts it. Animals are extraordinarily complex creations and no one should expect predictable results.

The lack of coherence, though, is another matter. After all, we expect any credentialed group, especially one authorized to deal in sickness and health to have a logical coherence. We expect their facts to be part of a real, objective analysis. Many of the “facts” of veterinary medicine are not facts at all.

A complete analysis of the logical flaws in veterinary medicine would take a much longer article and will be dealt with in the future. However, their most flagrant disregard for reality has to be the reliance upon disease entities.

Disease entities do not exist! At least they do not exist in the way that we ordinarily understand a thing to exist. Things, entities, objects have a mass that can be measured and weighed. Diseases do not have extension in time or space. There is no there there. They have no factual basis. Disease entities are a focus for treatment, a shorthand notation to explain a complex biological process.

No problem with veterinarians using shorthand to focus their treatments. The problem arises when a convenient way of talking about a condition takes on a life of its own. The problem arises when we start to confuse the label of a disease entity for the reality of a disease process.

Take for an example, Parvo in dogs. What is it? It is not the Parvo Virus. The Parvo Virus existed before 1984. But Parvo, the disease, did not. Before 1984, dogs contracted the Parvo Virus but most of them did not contract Parvo, the disease.

Even today, most unvaccinated dogs contracting Parvo will recover. Some, though, will die within 24 hours. The virus is the same. The dogs are different. Parvo, and all diseases, describe a complex response between host and pathogen. Parvo is not a thing. It is a process.

Facts are stubbornly solid. They have a solidity that superstitions lack. So the veterinarian inability to affect the immune strength of dogs is a fact that should be addressed but for many reasons is not. So since the vets lack the tools, they do not talk about treatments for immunity. In its place, they substitute an imaginary enemy they can deal with–the disease of Parvo.

Parvo, a non-existent entity, can be conquered with a vaccine, itself a very dangerous treatment. That would be acceptable except the Parvo was never there to begin with. What happened with the advent of modern veterinary medicine was that dogs were getting immunologically weaker. One treatment the vets devised for that immunological weakness was to initiate an immune response to the Parvo virus. The result of the Parvo vaccination, and the many other vaccinations, is that while dogs are now immune to Parvo and other common canine diseases, their overall immune strength continues to fall as they get sicker and sicker.

Now dogs are free of the common canine diseases. Only, they get more immune-related diseases than ever. Dogs are diabetic, cancerous, dyspeptic, allergic, and inflamed. The vets focused on disease entities rather than on the interaction of a pathogen and the host. The result is a domestic canine population more immune to a narrow spectrum of diseases and more susceptible to a much wider spectrum.

Superstition, especially the kind that denies the facts underlying sickness and health, is counter-productive. Superstition does have a positive value, though. It is a tool of the powerful against the powerless. When diseases became things, medically authorized persons gained a great deal of power but lost their credibility, effectiveness, and scientific legitimacy.



Editor’s Note:

Parvo vaccines are still recommended by many vets, including annual boosters, but research indicates these are both unnecessary and dangerous for your dog.

Joshua Drew asked:


Puppies and adolescent dogs usually contract the dog parvo virus. But sometimes unprotected older dogs can acquire the illness as well. The disease can be quite devastating to your dog and you should be aware of the dog parvo symptoms to protect your dog’s health and potentially his life.

Most people who have a dog do everything that they can to keep the animal healthy and happy. They have the ability to become a big part of the family and when they are not feeling well it can break your heart. If you have noticed that your usually energetic dog is just not behaving like himself you should watch for the dog parvo symptoms to be sure that the disease has not infected your precious dog. The first symptoms that are likely to be noticed are a lethargy or lack of energy. The dog will seem depressed and have no appetite. It’s difficult when your dog is ill, they can’t tell you how they are feeling, but you can tell by their behavior that something is very wrong.

The next of the dog parvo symptoms that is likely to occur is vomiting. When this starts to happen to your dog, coupled with the lack of energy and loss of appetite, most dog owners will get their dog into the vet as quickly as possible. It is possible to brush off the illness to a passing stomach upset that will go away. Of course, that is what you would like to think, but it is important that a vet check out the animal if the vomiting continues.

The next dog parvo symptoms that you might notice are diarrhea that is mixed with blood. Any time a dog experiences diarrhea you will want to get them into a vet. Just like humans the animal will begin to dehydrate very quickly. With dog parvo the dog is unlikely to be able to absorb any fluids because the disease is damaging the intestines.

When you take care of a dog you want the very best for your faithful companion. It is important that you get your dog immunized for all of the possible illnesses that they can contract. You will be doing the right thing as a responsible pet owner by getting the dog his shots and boosters every year. Dogs who suffer from the parvo virus can die very quickly and in a great deal of pain. It can be devastating if this happens to your precious animal. Do your part and watch out for the dog parvo symptoms and get your animal treated if there are any signs of the illness.



Addendum:

Parvo shots can cause many side-effects, including cancer.

Dean Marton asked:


Once you have brought your teacup puppy home, wait at least a week or so until he has settled into his new home. Since immunization shots could put your puppy into stress, making him lose his appetite, it is best to wait at least 48 hours for his first checkup. At your first visit to the vet, a health check is needed to determine whether your dog is healthy or not. Regardless of results, your vet will tell you to set up a schedule for completing all required immunizations for your teacup.

Since regular vaccinations can prevent your teacup puppy from contracting these common diseases, it is your responsibility as a dog owner to ensure regular visits with the vet. In order to prevent dog health problems, you should be aware of the common diseases faced by dogs. Depending on your vet’s assessment, your dog should be able to complete his shots for Canine Distemper, Rabies, Infectious Hepatitis and Corona Virus. Here are other common dog problems that may need vaccination in the future:

1) Parvo – Scientifically known as Parvovirus, this viral disease affects all types of dogs, but is more common in puppies rather than adults. However, this disease could have serious consequences for the infected puppy, including sudden death. Since there is still no cure available for Parvo, it is important to vaccinate teacup puppies against it at an early age. Your vet will schedule a Parvo immunization as soon as your teacup puppy reaches 6 weeks of age and continue vaccinations until their 20th week.

2) Heartworms – These parasitic worms are common in dogs as well as cats. As their name suggest, heartworms live inside your puppy’s heart, free-floating near blood vessels. Unfortunately, even if you take care of your teacup puppy strictly, these worms can still be transmitted from dog-to-dog via mosquitoes. Since heartworms can be extremely dangerous to your dog’s health, it is best to give him shots around 3-6 months old because most 7-month old dogs and older are prone to experience adverse reactions to heartworm treatments.

3) Worms – Your teacup puppy may be infected by several variations of intestinal parasites, such as whipworms, tapeworms, roundworms and hookworms. Because these worms could cause numerous health problems, including death, you should take all measure to detect and prevent it as soon as possible.

During the first 8 weeks of your teacup puppy’s life, he should have received shots on measles, distemper and CPI. After these main vaccinations, be prepared for lyme, heartworm, rabies, hepatitis, parvo, parainfluenza, leptospirosis and other vaccinations appropriate to your area.



Editor’s Note:

Parvo prevention is more likely if your dog’s immune system is strong.