Rayleigh family’s warning as puppy fights Parvovirus

Despite being fully vaccinated, Lily the staffy was rushed into intensive care on Saturday and much to the dismay of her family, remains in a critical condition.

Owner Karen Wagg has been waiting 29 years for a dog like Lily to finally come along, and has paid £1,500 on a “wonder drug” to help her four-legged friend recover.

The family walk Lily throughout Rayleigh and once a week in John Burrows Park, Hadleigh. They fear their pup may have picked up the virus somewhere in those areas after sniffing where an infected dog has been.

Lily has now been prescribed every sickness drug possible, but continues to be violently sick.

Karen, from Rayleigh, said: “She’s normally a really healthy dog, but Thursday morning she’d been very sick in her cage. We took her outside and she was sick about eight times in two hours. It was coming out like white foam.

“By that night she was still being sick so we rang the vets, who said there are some bad tummy bugs about at the moment. We were told to keep her hydrated and if it gets worse give them a call.

Read more:

Post delayed after mischievous seagulls ‘swoop in and attack’ posties on their rounds

“She then had diarrhoea and so they gave her an injection, but the next morning she was just covered in blood and still had diarrhoea. It all just poured out of her where her guts were coming away.

“She went into intensive care on Saturday and is now in isolation. We can’t even see her.

“On Tuesday she tried to lick chicken and wagged her tail, she seemed better in herself, but she took a turn for the worst overnight.”

By raising awareness of Parvovirus, the family - who have had Lily for just 12 weeks - hope they may help stop any other precious pooch meeting the same fate.

The virus, a highly infectious disease that can be fatal, attacks cells in a dog’s intestines and stops them from being able to absorb vital nutrients.

This means that the dog or puppy will become very weak and dehydrated.

Karen, 59, added: “If you have been in Rayleigh or Hadleigh in the last week or so, please watch your puppy and if he/she suddenly becomes continuously violently sick, do not hesitate to contact your vet - whether they have been vaccinated or not.

“We are absolutely heartbroken and would not want any other puppies or their owners to go through what we’re experiencing. She has brought us so much joy since we’ve had her and is just part of the family.

“The vet has said we are so unlucky, as it is rare for a fully vaccinated puppy to pick up the virus, but we just want everyone to be aware that it can happen.”