Will my puppy never fully recover from Parvo?

Question

About a month ago my 4 month old puppy had parvo. She had to stay at the vet for 5 days hooked up to an IV until she was better. Once I brought her back she seemed fine (was eating and drinking, not throwing up, ect). But ever since she came back she seems to always be tired and sleeping a lot. She still has her little spurts of energy (she's a mini pinscher so normally she has LOTS of energy), but it seems like now all she ever wants to do is sleep most of the time. I went for a post check up at the vet and told them that she is sleepy all the time but they said she is fine and not to worry about it as long as she is still eating and drinking normally which she is. So....I've heard somewhere that after puppies get parvo they never fully recover 100%. Is this true? Should I just get used to her being a lazy dog now?

Answer 1

She's been through some very serious physical stress,and it will take some time for her to recover,but she should recover completely.Just let her sleep,make sure she eats regular meals ( feed a high quality puppy food.) I would give her some plain yogurt everyday ( not fat free,not artificially sweetened),and ask your vet about adding a puppy vitamin to her food.I've had dogs with parvo,but they were vaccinated adults,and got over it in a week.It's a lot harder on a puppy.Just give her time,and she should be OK.

Answer 2

I would have your vet do a full check up on your dog. You don't mention the circumstances on catching parvo, but there's a chance she's caught something else as well. You probably won't get a positive on her yet, as young as she is, but she could aslo have a case of heartworms started.

I do rescue, and nursed a litter of 4 Border Collie pups who caught parvo at the pound we rescued them from (it was a pound- nothing more). They were eating a mixture of Bil-Jac fresh frozen food and dry puppy food when they got better. Good food is important, so that she can rebuild her strength. Do some research on what high quality brands are available in your area. They are pricey, but worth it in the long run with better lifelong health. I also gave them acidophilus (a probiotic that replenishes the good bacteria in their gut-- available at Wal-Mart and elsewhere, get the billion parts one, read the label for this). They perked back up and were complete terrors within a few weeks. One went to a special prison training program, and another went to a competitive agility home. If you're not comfortable with your vet's opinion, don't feel guilty about getting a second opinion. I've learned, it's my dogs and my money, and I want to get my money's worth, especially on their vet care. I would also hold up on continuing her puppy shots till she regains strength. You don't want to keep battering her immune system till she's healthy enough to handle it, and a week one way or the other on a booster shot won't hurt her if she's not exposed to lots of other dogs and people take off their shoes when entering your home.

Answer 3

keep him vaccinated for starters, that will help prevent him from getting it again... the virus can remain in soil for up to a year, so be sure that no new puppies come into your house for atleast a couple years. as far as keeping him healthy it sounds like you're on the right track... cleaning up after him is great! if he's back to eating regular dog food it may help his stools to mix some boiled hamburger or chicken and white rice with a small amount of dog food... the meat and rice is a very bland diet that helps the intestines to heal. parvo is a very nasty virus and he'll take some time to get back to 100% health... but it sounds like you're doing the right things to get him there.