Atlantic
Animal Hospital is excited to present Devon Bossen as Companion Animal of
the Month for May 2008. Devon, a 5 month old Staffordshire Bull Terrier,
is the spunky and outgoing companion animal to Richard and Beatrice Bossen.
Devon was rescued at the tender age of 8 weeks and despite
his rough start in life he remains a very friendly puppy that loves people and
other dogs.
Devon is best described as a typical playful puppy.
He loves to chase balls in the yard and pla
y with chew toys.
Like a typical puppy he does not only chew on his toys, he also
has a wondering eye for anything of the Bossen's that may look fun to chew on. Devon also
enjoys long walks with the his family. He is always extremely interested in finding
unique items on the sidewalks. He has been known to pick up and eat a few
worms along the way.
Devon was first presented to Atlantic Animal Hospital in late March of this year. The initial medical evaluation showed that he had roundworms but was otherwise pretty healthy. The first vaccinations were performed and Devon was sent home with a deworming medication. A few days later, after the Bossen's had adopted Devon, he returned with bloody diarrhea. Dr. Sukhija immediately tested him for the Parvovirus and unfortunately, Devon tested positive. The Parvovirus is transmitted by the fecal-oral route. Puppies with the infection defecate the virus in their feces. The organism persists in the environment for years until another, young, non-vaccinated puppy comes in contact with that environment and ingests the virus. The virus then infects the intestinal tract, where it causes massive destruction. This leads to intestinal bleeding, diarrhea, vomiting, protein loss, dehydration, and septicemia. Without treatment, there is close to 100% mortality. There is a guarded prognosis even with aggressive treatment.
The Bossens' agreed to hospitalize Devon and due to the infectious nature of the virus, he was kept in our isolation room. Because the virus caused an intestinal compromise, all of his medications were administered via injection. Intravenous fluids, Vitamin B complex, dextrose, antacids, anti-emetics, and antibiotic injections were started. It is likely that Devon had contracted the virus at his previous home prior to the adoption and that it was incubating during the first examination. Dr. Sukhija, performed a Complete Blood Count (CBC) on Devon the first day of the diagnosis and noted that the White Blood Cell (WBC) number was normal. These results were uplifting, as a low WBC means that the body is busy fighting the virus, although leaving the body susceptible to other infections. After days of intensive therapy, Devon's condition deteriorated as the virus reproduced in his intestines. At this time is no direct anti-viral medication for this disease, therefore the treatment involves supportive therapy allowing time for the patient to rid the body of the infection. This is the case with most viral infections, including the common cold and flu. During the treatment Dr. Sukhija changed medications and fluids as needed to compensate for Devon's status. Abdominal radiographs and a barium study were done to coat the intestines and to rule out any obstructive disease, including an intussusception. Intussusception is when the intestines telescope on themselves due to severe inflammation and irritation. Fortunately, this was not the case for Devon. He was transferred to a local overnight care facility for 24 hour care on a Sunday. Devon's therapy was continued there and where he received a plasma transfusion. This was done to compensate for the protein loss his body was suffering. Low protein levels can cause the body to go into shock and bleed to death. Devon was then brought back to Atlantic Animal Hospital early Monday morning. After seven days of intensive therapy, Devon was finally able to keep small amounts of food and water down and was released home for continued care. The Bossens have done a great job continuing his care at home and now Devon can be considered completely recovered for Parvovirus.
During
his hospital stay, Devon touched each of us with his drive to survive. Even though he did not
enjoy his medications or treatments, his tail continued to wag and his
kisses were plentiful. Without his will to overcome the Parvovirus combined
with the love and support from the Bossens and the help of the
Atlantic Animal Hospital team, Devon may not have survived. Since his
treatment, Devon
has been back to visit Atlantic Animal Hospital and to receive his second set of vaccines. It was
such a joy to see him and his new family, happy and healthy. Devon does not
hold a grudge against
our team members who treated him during his stay. His fight against this deadly disease, and the Bossens devotion to a puppy they only knew for
a couple
days prior to his illness, drives
the Atlantic Animal Hospital team to support the human-animal bond with
compassionate and thorough veterinary care.
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