For over three months, my dog was afflicted with parvo. It is a disease that cats may carry but only affects dogs. Its full name is Canine parvovirus 2, which gives severe symptoms like vomiting and dysentery. It was very rough on him because he was a puppy. The mortality rate for puppies without treatment is 91%.

Our dog is a cute three-year-old dachshund with short, brown hair. We named him Kudo, after a detective from a show my friend Nate and I watch. My sister liked Kudo as his name. We didn’t know he was sick until he vomited for two days. He also barely ate any food in the two-day period. We instinctively took him to the vet. Over the next thirty days, we wondered if he would die that day, or the next day, or another day. Before treatment, my sister was on the verge of crying every time his name came up. I was numb to all emotions. I didn’t feel anything because I couldn’t feel anything. Nothing seemed worse than losing this pet because we had him for so long. It was only three years, but without him, nothing would be the same. However, most of all, my mother would miss him the most because he stays close to her all the time. My mother paid for the treatment; however, it really ruined our financial situation even more. He recovered very quickly, eating as much food as he could, sleeping for regular periods of time, and adapting to his life before he was sick.

Now, he lives healthy and happy, ready to see us when we come home. He always loves meeting new people who come in, initially barking and growling at everyone, but he adapts after he sees them enough. He grew much slimmer than he used to. He looks up to people with his short, brown fur, brown eyes, and wet, black nose, wanting someone to play with him. “He looks cute, like the first day we got him,” my sister would remark. He isn’t a puppy anymore. His bark doesn’t boom with the roar of a cannon or sound like a little newborn puppy. When we come home, he sits on our furniture, curling up as best as he can to keep warm. He brings a smile to my face every time he walks into my room, jumps on my bed, and hides under my blanket, like he is going to sneak up on someone. Losing a dog isn’t easy. Thankfully, I won’t have to deal with that yet.