Question: I have a dog with parvo, I took him to the vet and he got the iv. Are all iv's the same is there something I can do at home? Any help would be great!

ANSWER: First, please feel free to visit our website under our Drug and Disease Library--under Canines there is a section on Canine Parvovirus. It explains the nature of the disease, diagnosis and treatment. As far as what you can do at home? Basically, nothing. Getting your dog into the hospital and placed on intravenous (IV) fluids through the use of a catheter is an absolute must. Potent antibiotics are also necessary to help fight off secondary bacterial infections common to dogs with parvo--as their white blood cell line (the one that fights off infections) is depleted. Close monitoring is important; as if the numbers of white blood cells drops too far, other means of support (transfusions, plasma proteins, etc) may be necessary. Also, some hospitals are now offering trials of hyperimmune serum (serum from a dog that has recovered from parvo) to dogs currently infected that has shown some promise. No, not all intravenous injections or fluids are the same, and can vary greatly with the specific needs of your animal.