February Pet of the Month - Willow

Willow was one of 7 whippet cross puppies found abandoned in Dorset. When they were handed in to the rescue centre they were approximately 4 weeks old and one was, sadly, already suffering from the life threatening disease parvovirus( and later died.)
During the next few weeks the rest of the litter seemed fine and were re-homed to new owners. Mr Butler and Miss Potts of Brockenhurst were pleased to welcome Willow into their home but within 2 days she became unwell with vomiting, diarrhoea and lethargy, so was brought into the Lyndhurst surgery.
Unfortunately, Willow was also diagnosed with Parvovirus and became critically ill. We subsequently discovered that the whole litter was affected and were all in a serious condition. As there is no cure for the disease, Willow was given intensive supportive care to try and improve her symptoms. She started making small steps towards recovery and with the help of regular visits from her owners, she pulled through and was discharged after a week of hospitalisation. She has now made a full recovery and has had her vaccination so she can go out and about safely. Tragically, 3 of the remaining puppies were not so lucky.
Your dog can be vaccinated against this potentially fatal disease, along with distemper, canine hepatitis, parainfluenza and leptospirosis.

The importance of regular booster vaccinations and health check:
1. Protection from an initial course of vaccines does not last for life.
2. To maintain protection, it is essential that you return your pet for a booster vaccination once every year.
3. Without regular booster vaccinations your pet can become susceptible to disease.