Can anyone give information on parvo?

Question

I took my 6 month old puppy to the vet and they said that he has parvo they gave him antibiotics and a fluid drip and sent him home. He died two hours later. My other 8 month old is now showing signs of parvo. We have started him on antibiotics and giving him pedialight is there anything else that I can do to help him out? I now have three dogs and two are vaccinated. I found out that it can be passed by shoes and anything else that has come in contact with the dog that had it. I don't know where my dogs got it from and am trying to contact everyone that has been over to let them know that snoopy has it and that we lost one to parvo. Is there anything to feed them besides dog food? Should I look for other symptoms besides vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and blood in their stool? How do I know when my dog is past it?

I am working with my vet on this. He said there isn't anything he can do that we aren't already doing. We have an IV drip here antibiotics and are doing all we can. We have not fed him. We give him pedialite and do everything the vet has been telling us to do. The dog that died was not under my normal vets care. My normal vet said they should had given him water sugar and not so much antibiotics because of his weight they gave him 3x the dose. The puppy that died did better at home then what he did at the vets office. Snoopy and van are newer dogs and were not vaccinated yet. I have spent a few hundred dollars already I will spend more if I have to. This is my kids dog and they already watched one die a horrible death. Why is it too that the one that passed did not have diarrhea till minutes before dieing?

Answer 1

You can treat for it but it's not always successful. If you haven't taken the other dog to the vet, do so now! I personally, would also find another vet if the current one didn't tell you what could happen and sent your dog home to die.

If your dog is not vaccinated, it could have gotten it from a stray walking through your yard, from it's travels out of your yard, any where.

Try these two website for more information.

Answer 2

I"m very sorry for the loss of your dog.
But this is a harsh reminder that puppies must be vaccinated. They get distemper/parvo vaccinations, (3 of them, 4 weeks apart), starting at 6-8 weeks. Doing this could save your dog's life. Rabies, bordetella, lymes, and giardia are important as well.

Parvo can affect dogs of all ages. Symptoms start after about 5 days and include depression, vomiting and diarrhea. Some may have a fever. Puppies can have sever abdominal pain and appear to suck up their tummies.

Treatment should be hospitalization and fluids and electrolytes and sometimes meds to control the diarrhea.

Whether the dog survives depends on the strain, age of the dog and immunity and how quickly vet care starts.

Clean the kennels/sleeping quarters with a mild bleach solution. Leave it on the surface for at least 20 minutes to kill the virus. It takes at least that long. This will help you not spread it to others. Make sure you clean everything you can that the dogs touch.


Most pups with good vet care will survive. Good luck and please get your dogs vaccinated at earlier ages. Your breeder or vet can give you a schedule to follow. I hope this dog survives.

Answer 3

Dogs can shed parvo virus for as short as 4 weeks post symptoms or as long as the rest of their life. There are dogs who are non-symptomatic carriers, they don't show signs and they still shed the virus. The virus can be killed with a 10% bleach solution. The best way to avoid this is to keep vaccinations current in your pets. Since you have a dog who is already comprimised and one that has passed, you see how fast and deadly it can be. It was once almost 80% mortality, now a days, it's about 50% chance of surviving, but medical care is important. IV fluids, IV antibiotics and very bland gastroenteric diets are very helpful. Keep the dog separet from any dog not vaccinated for at least 3-4 months. Mark each day on the calender any symptoms that you see,... and once you've been symptom free for a week, consider 8 weeks after that your dog should not be shedding the virus, to confirm this, do 3 serial (in a row) parvo fecal tests, if all 3 are negative, your dog is 'likely' not to be shedding, but keep the vaccinations up to date after this.
I'm going to assume that you are going to be having your vet work closely with you on this, as alone you are probably going to loose the comprimised dog. Once symptoms start, veterinary care is the best option, it's not 100% effective but it will give your dog the best chance. If money is an issue, you may want to consider puting the dog to death instead of letting parvo drag the discomfort out over a longer period.

Answer 4

Well, it's possible the dog that didn't survive had just gotten to far along to save. As for the other puppy, I personally would be getting it to the vet with the first possible signs of it. The sooner it is diagnosed and treated, the better chances you have of the pup surviving. I've heard of people treating at home, and some have been lucky, but I wouldn't want to personally take that risk and would let a professional handle it instead.

Several years ago, I had a puppy who got parvo. She was entirely up to date on all her vaccinations, including one for parvo, and she still got it. The vet said that if an infected dog had done business in our yard and our puppy had eaten it (which she was nortorious for eating poo), then she could have gotten it that way even with the proper prevention shots. Fortunately for us, the moment we realized she wasn't feeling well, we rushed her to the vet, who kept her for 2 days on an IV and antibiotics. She survived this disease, but so many don't if diagnosed too late.

Answer 5

Your pup need to go to the vet. Sadly, not very many puppies make it through Parvo. Parvo incubation period is 7 to 10 days. Take your puppy to the vet and leave it! Unless the vet says there is no hope, leave it...insist if you have to. Treating Parvo is expensive. Be prepared to spend mega bucks on him. If your puppy is showing the signs you mentioned, he has Parvo.

CHANGE VETS! If the vet sent the puppy home with Parvo, then he does not need your business! I have never heard of a vet allowing a puppy with Parvo go home unless the owner does not have the finances to care for the dog!

Question! Why did you vaccinate 2 of your dogs and not the puppies? If it is a money thing, the take the sick puppy to the SPCA and surrender him. He will have a greater chance of surviving.

It takes years for the virus to go away...bleaching your yard, house and everything your sick puppies has come in contact with is the only sure way to rid yourself of it (neighbors purchased a puppy from me..I gave him his first shots and offered to finish the series for the cost of the shot...they refused...the puppy died at 14 weeks old because the only shot he had was the one I as a responsible breeder gave to him)..this is what the vet said to do! Yes it will kill your yard.

UpDate: I am glad to see you are will to spend the extra money on your pup. I wish you the best of luck on your sick puppy.

Answer 6

I am sorry to hear about your puppies, but you really need to get the sick one the the vet NOW!

The survival rate of puppies with parvo is very low with veterinary treatment, and it is almost nonexistent without veterinary treatment. Parvo puppies need to be on IV fluids to help with the dehydration caused by the vomiting/diarrhea/fever, Pedalyte will not be able to keep your dog hydrated, especially if it is vomiting. Do not feed him anything, it will only make it worse.

You need to take your puppy to the vet.

Answer 7

puppies can live through this painful disease, but it's very hard on the pup. My vet said my 8 week old puppy had it and the only way to have her make it would be to keep her at the vet's office, on IV's and her suffering through the cramps, blood stools, vomiting and fevers. Even with all the IVs and medicines, she probably wouldn't have made it... I could afford the overnight stays at the animal hospital (for at least 3-4 nights) and I couldn't bear to watch her suffer for a slim chance of recovery.

Please wash everything with a bleach solution and keep your other pups away!! I hope she pulls through and I hope she doesn't suffer!!!

Answer 8

OK I read all the answers before mine and everyone is trying to help.
I have to let you know that the virus lives in the ground (I am assuming your yard). And am unsure of the time it takes for the virus to die. Now every puppy you put out there that hasn't been vaccinated will most likely catch it. Older dogs tend to be resilient to the virus.

Answer 9

ASAP make a Vet call dogs do NOT get over Parvo they spread it to all other dogs they come in contact with.

Answer 10

All you can do is treat the symptoms. Once they have the virus, they have it. It spreads easily like the common cold. The sad thing is that this virus is so preventable with simple vaccination.

Some dogs do get over it. Once they are treated and it runs its course, they live. Many die, but many survive it also.