Otto's Parvo Journey
By now, I am blessed to say that mighty little Otto managed to beat parvovirus. It’s nothing short of a miracle, and a reminder of the most important takeaway from our past 17 days – NEVER GIVE UP HOPE.
Unfortunately, now as Otto continues to perk up and recover, the harsh realities of this journey continue – How did this happen? Where did I go wrong? How on earth am I going to pay this $10,000 bill that was necessary to save my puppy’s life?
I consider myself very blessed. And while my favorite activity (outside of Otto cuddles) is lifting weights, it takes a lot more strength to admit you need help. Otto’s bill from the ER alone totaled $9,551. I hope to reclaim $1,100 from his breeder, and am setting the goal of this fund at $7,500. Any small support in offsetting these costs is greatly appreciated by both Otto and myself.
If I'm lucky enough to get more than needed, the excess will be donated to Dachshund Rescue South Florida.
xoxo
Jackie & Otto Guenther
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Below is the story of Otto so far (with many barks and brighter days ahead)…
What started with the perfect mini wirehaired dachshund I’d been waiting over a decade for, quickly became an absolute nightmare less than 72 hours after bringing him home. Within a single 24-hour period we went from clean bill of health at our first vet appointment, to sickness and a positive parvovirus test, to rushing my poor baby to the ER not knowing if he would survive a single night. I don’t have the personal experience of caring for a sick human baby in an emergency situation, but can say that this one – handing my 9.5 week, 2.1 lb baby over to a nurse on the sidewalk (covid protocol), and in return being given a $10.5K estimate and 5 minutes to decide whether he’s worth every penny to try saving – that is one reality no one pet parent should have to endure.
OTTO SURVIVED. 6 days in ICU and this is where the magic happened. I am truly grateful for all the friends and family sending messages, prayers, and well wishes. These made a huge impact on the waiting and worrying. The nurses and doctors caring for Otto made special arrangements to accommodate his tiny, scruffy body (now featuring 4 precious little shaved legs). They administered a feeding tube, a wide spectrum of antibiotics, plasma transfusions, an itty bitty IV bag for adjusting fluids, and that pesky catheter that he must’ve ripped out 3 times along the way.
The nurses sent pictures and videos explaining how all of Otto’s tubes and machines work. They Facetimed so this little strong boy could hear my voice, cheered him on as his immune system bottomed out and eventually started rebounding, and shared little details they noticed…like how he still hadn’t eaten food but “looked like he might be thinking about it soon.” I can imagine us one day returning to visit [post-covid], and Otto delivering kisses for days to all his new friends who cared for him so greatly.