Rocco is a handsome 8 month old chocolate and white pitbull. We first saw Rocco
here at Rock Bridge Animal Hospital on August 22, 2013. He was only 8 weeks old and he was vomiting and also had some bloody diarrhea. Rocco was very weak and it was clear that he didn’t feel well. His temperature was 98.9, which is low for a dog. A normal dog temperature is between 100.0 and 102.5 degrees. We did a fecal exam, and determined that Rocco had roundworms, hookworms, and coccidia, which are three different types of intestinal parasites. After doing some blood work, Dr. Sappington determined that Rocco was severely anemic and she also suspected that he may have canine parvovirus. Parvo is something that is always suspected when we see puppies with vomiting and bloody diarrhea.
Because Rocco was severely anemic, he needed a blood transfusion. Luckily Deuce, Rocco’s big brother, was a willing blood donor. Deuce is a 5 year old German Shepherd and he was very brave while he donated blood. Rocco got his blood transfusion that night without any complications. Along with the blood transfusion, Rocco also received deworming medication for his intestinal parasites, medication for his diarrhea, and also antibiotics.
By the next morning, Rocco’s temperature was up to 100.1 degrees, and he was much perkier than they day before. Although he was still having some bloody
diarrhea, he was no longer vomiting, was acting more like his normal self, and he was excited to eat his food. The blood transfusion helped Rocco out a lot, and since he was doing so much better he went home that night.
Rocco’s owners took him to the University about a week later because he was vomiting and having bloody stools again. They performed a test for parvo, which was negative, so that was very good news! They gave Rocco an additional antibiotic and another dewormer, and he went home that day.
We rechecked Rocco’s stool sample a couple of weeks later and all of his intestinal parasites were gone. Now Rocco is just loving life as a rambunctious, happy puppy! We love seeing Rocco when he comes in and we are all glad that he is doing so well now!
