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Five puppies who recovered from dangerous disease looking for new homes through the MSPCA
The puppies were surrendered Jan. 12 and found to be dehydrated and suffering from Parvovirus.
The MSPCA is looking for adopters for five German Shepherd-mix puppies who were surrendered and treated for Parvovirus, facing “more peril in their 13 weeks of life than many dogs face in a lifetime,” the organization said.
The puppies were surrendered to the Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center in Springfield on Jan. 12, the MSPCA said in a press release. They were then brought to Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston and Angell West Animal Medical Center in Waltham for medical treatment.
“We are thankful to recover five of these puppies,” said Mike Keiley, vice president of MSPCA-Angell’s Animal Protection Division, in the press release. “They were infected with Parvovirus, a rapidly progressing, very contagious, and often deadly disease.”
The staff at Angell Animal Medical Center and Angell West created an isolation space to accommodate the puppies and keep other animals in their care safe, the release said.
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Veterinarians examined the puppies on Jan. 13 and found that they were “dehydrated and uncomfortable” and were already experiencing negative health effects from the virus. They were started on fluids and several medications to fight the virus.
“It took several days of intense treatment, but five of the puppies eventually started showing a marked improvement,” Kailey said. “The majority of them were able to leave intensive care after about four days.”
One infected puppy experienced a “setback” in recovery and didn’t survive, the press release said.
“Parvo is so dangerous, we knew that saving all the puppies would be challenging, but we had to try,” Kailey said. “It’s a stark reminder to dog owners that vaccinating against this virus is extremely important.”
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While the puppies will need to be isolated from other dogs for a month until they are no longer contagious, the youngsters have recovered enough to start finding new homes. The MSPCA is looking for owners who will help the puppies’ initial recovery and give them proper socialization and training.
“They’re quite the fighters, and we know that they’ll be really great pets for the right adopters,” Kailey said.
The puppies are available for adoption at the MSPCA’s Boston and Cape Cod Adoption Centers.
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