how serious is parvo in dogs??

Question

is it impossible to get rid of? my neighbor bought a puppy a few days ago and it wouldnt eat or drink, it finally died yesterday poor puppy!

Answer 1

Parvo is very serious in puppies. Whenever I get a new puppy I don't allow it to be around any older dogs b/c older dogs can carry it w/o having any problems. The disease usually enters the dog’s system by oral ingestion. It attacks the digestive system, inhibiting them from absorbing nutrients. It also causes severe diarrhea and often vomiting, dehydration is common. It also suppresses white blood cells and may attack the heart as well.

Symptoms of Parvo include high fever, loss of appetite, lethargy, and vomiting. There is no cure for Parvo. Veterinarians can help infected dogs by treating the symptoms and dehydration. Most dogs die if they do not receive veterinary attention.

Basically the dog will die from dehydration. The puppy will have a chance if you can get it to the vet right away. They will hook it up to an IV for a few days to help keep the puppy hydrated.

Sorry about the loss :(

Answer 2

Well, it's nearly always fatal when left untreated, so it depends how serious you call that. I would say it's about as serious as is get.

Did the neighbour not take the puppy to the vets at all? Irresponsible owner if so. There is a routine vaccination that protects a dog from parvo, so given the prevalence of the disease, the seriousness of it and the expense to treat it, there is absolutely no excuse not to have it done.

Parvo is not impossible to treat - it is a virus so there is no cure, but the dog's immune system can shake it off if it's given intensive supportive treatment. Any puppy with persistent vomiting and diarrhoea should be immediately taken to the vet as an emergency.

Chalice

Answer 3

Obviously, Parvo is very serious in dogs.

I'm not sure why you're asking, though. Do you yourself have a dog that you are concerned about?

Parvo can live in the stool left by an infected dog for (I think) 7 years, or maybe longer. If you have a dog, make sure the vacciantions are all up to date. If your neighbor's pup was in your home, scrub the house down with bleach. Even someone stepping in infected poo and then walking into your home will bring the bacteria in.

Even with vaccinations all up to date, a dog can be exposed to parvo and get sick. The vaccinations will help fight off the bacterial virus. Keep the dog well hydrated, even give them pedialyte if they start to show sings, such as diarreah.

And know this, that pup died a very very painful death that could have easily been avoided.

Answer 4

Parvo is very serious and very contagious in fact if the dog was around your dog ever take it to a vet immediately to be sure your dog did not contract it from the neighbor dog. It can be fatel in hours to days depending on the dog that gets it. It can be treated but it does not always work. The earlier that it is found the better the dogs chance of survival are. Dogs should always be given the vaccinations against parvo to ensure their chance of not getting this horrible diesease. I am sorry to hear about your neighbors puppy that is so sad.

Answer 5

Depends on the age of the dog and if it has had any vaccines, but it is extremely dangerous and contagious. It is the leading cause of puppy deaths in the US.
Treatment consists of IV fluids and antibiotics, it is usually costly and the success often depends on the age and initial physical condition of the dog; the younger the pup the less likelyhood it will survive. They cannot survive WITHOUT treatment.
A recent outbreak at our local humane society was checked by putting ALL the puppies down. (Due to the prohibitive cost of treatment I suppose.)
Your neighbor should check back with the individual they got the pup from, likely all in the litter contracted it; they may be able to get a refund but that will not bring the babies back. I believe it is not advisable to get another pup any time soon either.
Here's a link to a page that answers FAQ's

http://www.workingdogs.com/parvofaq.htm

Answer 6

Parvo is extremely contagious to other dogs, but does not transfer to humans. It is generally considered fatal, but some very lucky puppies have been saved with a lot of care 24/7, and a lot of $$$.

It's contracted through dogs' fecal matter ... the pup or its mom may have been exposed to another dogs' poop while running in a field or association with other dogs in a kennel. Although it's not airborne, the tiniest little fleck of contaminated feces can cause full-blown parvo virus if it gets onto another dog's paw.

If you touched the puppy and then went home and petted your own dog, watch for symptoms and be sure to take your dog to the vet immediately if any of them occur. The symptoms include runny nose, runny eyes, lack of appetite and energy, etc. Although its uncommon in dogs over a year (older dogs build up immunity), puppies are especially vulnerable.

Answer 7

Parvo is a deadly virus. I beleive it is the the leading cause of puppy deaths.
If treated promptly it can have great outcome for the dogs. If left untreted it will only mean the death of the pup or dog.
There are shots against the parvo virus but if the young pup get it before the shots were given then it will still get the virus.

So very sad!

Answer 8

Canine parvovirus is a particularly deadly disease among young puppies, causing gastrointestinal tract damage and dehydration as well as a cardiac syndrome in very young pups. It is spread by contact with an infected dog's feces. There are two types of Canine parvovirus: intestinal and cardiac, if a puppy suffers from intestinal canine parvovirus it has more possibilities to survive if treated promptly and adequately. The ones that suffer cardiac parvovirus, if they survive, they live all their lives with sequels of the disease.
An animal suffering from parvovirus should be hospitalized and isolated immediately.

Parvovirus is highly resistant and it is able to remain active in soils contaminated by feces for up to 6 months.

If your neighbor is planning to get a new puppy he should clean his house very well with chlorine or something stronger, commercial disinfectants don't kill the virus.

If your neighbor bought this puppy at a pet store, he should report it to someone (I don't know what organization is in charge of this, I'd guess Animal protection association or some similar organization, but I'm not really sure)

I'd cite my sources but they were all in Spanish except for Wikipedia.
I'm so sorry about the dog, it is so sad :-(

Answer 9

Parvo can be fatal if not treated early. Even when it is treated you never know what the out come can be,and if your dog isn't insured not everyone will be able to afford the treatment. It is a highly contagious disease this is why all dogs should be vaccinated against it and pups should be kept in until they have had all their jabs.

Answer 10

It's very serious, very contagious and most often fatal if not caught and treated early. They need to wash and disinfect carefully anything the puppy came in contact with. If it did it's business in the yard, that yard will be very contagious for a while. They need to clean it thouroughly and keep any animals out of the yard for a few months.