Symptoms of Parvo Disease

It is essential that you are able to recognize the symptoms of parvo disease so you can get quick treatment as soon as you think there may be a problem. Without immediate treatment, a dog with parvovirus will most likely die.

Fast treatment could save your dog's life.

Parvo, or Canine Parvo Virus (CPV) is a highly contagious, deadly disease that most frequently affect puppies, but it can also be present in older dogs. Infected dogs, that can be carriers even if they do not exhibit symptoms, shed the virus in their stool.

Parvovirus is very difficult to kill and can live in the soil for many months. It can be brought into your dog's environment on someone's shoes or even through other animals that track it into the yard. If you suspect that this ferocious virus may be in your dog's environment, you can kill it by disinfecting everything, including the soil, with a solution of one ounce bleach to one quart water. Other disinfectants will not kill this virus.

The symptoms of parvo disease typically occur in two stages. If you notice any of these symptoms, rush your dog to the vet with a stool sample so your vet can make a diagnosis and begin treatment if needed.

A dog that has been exposed to parvo can carry it for seven to ten days before showing any symptoms. Without treatment, most dogs will die from this disease. This is why immediate treatment is imperative.

In the first stage, an infected dog will have a high fever, often as high as 106 degrees Fahrenheit. He will also be lethargic, depressed and uninterested in eating. As the intestinal lining continues to be damaged by the virus, the dog will become weaker and progress into the second stage of this disease.

In the second stage, the symptoms of parvo disease become more obvious. The dog will have foul-smelling, yellow, liquid diarrhea that is often bloody. He may also vomit. These symptoms lead to rapid dehydration, shock and eventual death.

Parvo can also affect a dog's heart in very young puppies, and this also leads to sudden death.

Even a vaccinated dog can get parvo. This is because puppies being vaccinated also have antibodies from their mother. These antibodies may fight the vaccination. However, this does not mean you should not have your puppies vaccinated. Quite the contrary; an unvaccinated pup is more likely to die from parvo than a vaccinated one.

Dogs that contract parvo can survive if they get treatment quickly. Since there is no cure, treatment consists of administering IV fluids to prevent dehydration along with antibiotics. Once the infection is under control, dogs usually recover quickly. They will most likely be weak and sickly for the rest of their lives. There is always the chance of reinfection as well. Some dogs that have recovered from the parvo virus have suffered heart failure months or even years after they were thought to have "recovered".

After being treated, it is important to keep the dog isolated for at least one month after he has recovered. Immediately clean up his stools and disinfect the area with a bleach solution to kill any remaining virus.

If you notice any symptoms in your dog that resemble parvo, don't wait to see if he gets better. Take him to your vet right away. With quick intervention, you may be able to save your dog from a miserable death. If you are getting a new puppy, be sure to keep up with his parvo vaccinations. It is better to be safe than risk the life of your dog.

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