How can you clean your house from parvovirus (parvo) so your dog doesnt get re-infected - especially carpet?

Question

I'd appriciate any advice I can get. I know that bleaching items that have been in contact with the infected puppy is best, but what about items such as carpet? Bleaching the carpet would likely ruin it, Any advice on how to disinfect the carpet from the virus without distroying it would be very much appriciated.

Quick History:
Last week we addopted a puppy from the humane socieity. He was only 8 weeks old. (now 9 weeks). We named him Cooper. He was playful, smart and well behaved. A few days ago he became very sick. We have been to 2 vets and spent over $300 already and finally found out that, dispite testing negative for parvo when we adopted him, he now is parvo-positive. The Vet is optimistic and expects around 75% chance of recovery, but poor Cooper is already weak from Kennel Cough so his chances may be a bit lower. Anyone who wants to keep Cooper in their hopes/prayers for us would be appriciated too.

Pictures of Healthy Cooper:
http://www.atn.buildtolearn.net/cooper/

Answer 1

The director at the shelter where I volunteer says that virtually the only thing that will kill parvovirus is a strong bleach solution that sits on the virus for 15 minutes. A friend of mine regularly bleached her own carpets since she had dogs and a daycare business. But then she owned her own home. Despite the shelter director's assertion, I'd ask advice from a qualified vet.

Some tips you may already know:

Once the pup recovers from parvo, he'll have some level of immunity.

A new treatment we use (in addition to the usual treatment) is Tamilflu, the human drug used to treat the bird flu. This gives an almost 100% survival rate from parvo and the pup feels better right away. Our survival rates have really increased since we started this new treatment program. You'll need to discuss this with your vet for a prescription.

The pup got parvo because you (or the original source) somehow exposed it before it was fully vaccinated. Pups need regular vaccinations for parvo (this is the DHLPP shot). I believe they need three or four shots three weeks apart to be fully vaccinated. READERS BEWARE: If you are looking for a puppy those free to good homes ones and ones you can buy on the side of the road or in parking lots are almost never vaccinated and may already have parvo. A reputable animal shelter or rescue are great places to find puppies assuming they vaccinate (check this out carefully), but still its no sure thing.

Not to scare you but, until you completely bleach everything in your house (EVERYTHING!) you are spreading parvo on your feet everytime you walk out your front door. You take it with you to the bank, to the store and to the movies on the soles of your feet. You move it from the floor to your sofa or bed when you put your feet up. When your pants touch the floor as you put them on, you can spread it to your clothes. Be kind to other people's pets: until you have bleached everything, leave a pan of bleach water outside your door to step into everytime you step outside. and get to work bleaching...

Answer 2

Your Vet may have a cleaning agent in which will do this trick, that you can put into your carpet cleaning machine.
Just ask them first.
I know that when parvo is on the ground outside, it will seep into the ground and resurface years to come.

Answer 3

We recently had the same problem. Only ours was inside a puppy building so we didn't have carpet to worry about. We use bleach to disinfect. I am not sure if you can use that on carpet.

Answer 4

Of course, as you stated, bleach what you can. So far as carpets and rugs go, the heat generated from a good steam cleaning should be sufficiant.

Answer 5

my suggestion is that as soon as the cooper gets better have him vaccinated. and i would suggest calling the humane society that you got him from and ask them how he could n ot have had his Parvo-Dystemper-something else vaccine before he was allowed to be adopted