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Canine Parvovirus: What Makes It So Dangerous

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GoodPetParent Canine Parvo Feature ImageAfter a particularly long and snowy winter for many parts of the country, warm weather is finally here! Unfortunately, the onset of warmer weather also brings with it something we don’t welcome – an uptick in cases of canine parvovirus.

The disease known as “parvo” is caused by a virus – specifically, canine parvovirus type 2, which first appeared in dogs in Europe, Asia, Australia, and the U.S. around 1976. Within 2 years, this virus was worldwide and spreading rapidly, causing an epidemic of severe gastrointestinal illness and killing thousands of dogs.

Researchers determined the virus was a strain of the feline panleukopenia virus that had undergone several mutations, which allowed it to cross over into the dog population. Scientists quickly began working to develop a vaccine, and in 1979, the first vaccination against parvo was developed at Cornell University.

Parvo most often strikes puppies and adolescent dogs aged 6 to 20 weeks, but older dogs can also be affected. Not every dog who is exposed becomes infected. Whether a dog becomes sick depends on the strength of his immune system – but if his immune system is compromised or not fully developed, a specific sequence of events happens as the virus attacks his body.

What Happens In A Dog Infected With Parvo?

After a dog is exposed to parvovirus, there is an incubation period of 3-7 days before the first symptoms appear. During that time, the virus begins attacking his tonsils (lymph nodes in the throat). Once inside the lymph nodes, the virus invades specialized white blood cells called lymphocytes and begins replicating itself. These viral copies then hitch a ride inside the lymphocytes and begin circulating throughout the dog’s entire body via his bloodstream.

Once in the blood, parvovirus targets rapidly-dividing cells such as those in the bone marrow and the cells lining the walls of the small intestine. In bone marrow, the virus destroys the young cells of the immune system, weakening the body’s ability to protect itself and making it easier for the virus to set up shop where it can do the most damage – in the gastrointestinal tract.

Once inside the GI tract, parvovirus begins to destroy the small intestine’s epithelium, which is the lining that helps absorb nutrients from food and creates a barrier against fluid loss and invasion of bacteria from other parts of the body. Eventually the dog’s epithelium becomes so damaged that it begins to break down, and bacteria normally confined to the gut begin to leak out and enter his bloodstream, creating the potential for body-wide infection (septicemia).

As the intestinal epithelium is destroyed, it begins to slough off and cause severe watery, bloody diarrhea, leading to dehydration and electrolyte loss. To make matters worse, by this time the dog’s body is left almost defenseless against the virus because the lymphocytes (which are part of the immune system) that were invaded during the incubation period are ultimately killed off, and his body is hampered from creating new ones due to the virus’s invasion of his bone marrow.

Symptoms of Parvovirus Infection

The first noticeable symptom in a dog with parvovirus is usually lethargy. He may appear depressed, weak, and uninterested in food or play. This stage may be followed by the onset of high fever, vomiting, and severe bloody diarrhea that has a very distinctive, acrid odor.

The odor of parvo diarrhea is unlike anything you’ve ever smelled before, and once you experience it, you will never forget it. In clinical practice, many times we knew if a puppy was infected with parvo just from that smell alone.

Diagnosis of Parvovirus Infection

The most common way to confirm the presence of parvo is by performing a fecal ELISA test. “ELISA” stands for “Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay”, which is a technology similar to that used in home pregnancy tests. This test can be run by a veterinarian in the clinic in under 15 minutes.

The second half of the parvo diagnosis is a simple blood test. Since parvovirus invades and destroys lymphocytes and bone marrow, it often causes a low white blood cell count. If the fecal ELISA test is positive for parvo and the white cell count is low, you can be fairly certain that the patient is suffering from parvovirus infection.

Treatment For Parvovirus

GoodPetParent canine parvovirus labrador dog on IV in clinic
IV fluids help replace water, electrolytes, and nutrients lost through vomiting and diarrhea.

There is no cure for parvo. Treatment consists mainly of supportive therapy meant to keep the infected dog stable so that his body can eventually fight off the virus on its own.

Treatment includes:

  • Intravenous (IV) fluids to counteract dehydration and electrolyte loss
  • Medications to control vomiting, diarrhea and nausea
  • Pain medication
  • Antibiotics to prevent potentially fatal body-wide bacterial infection

Additionally, blood transfusions may be used in severe cases to boost low white blood cell counts. Blood plasma transfusions may also be given (in addition to the whole blood transfusion) to combat low blood protein resulting from severe diarrhea and vomiting.

All dogs with parvo need to be admitted to the hospital for at least 3-4 days; many dogs stay longer. Since parvo is extremely contagious, patients must be isolated and kept away from other hospitalized patients. While undergoing treatment, patients are completely dependent on IV’s for fluids and nutrition, as they are unable to eat or drink (taking anything by mouth only makes the diarrhea worse).

Age plays a major role in how successful treatment for parvo will be. Extremely young, old, or debilitated dogs are often not able to withstand the overwhelming infection that parvo causes. In most cases, puppies who have not improved by the third or fourth day of treatment usually have a poor prognosis.

When treating parvo, time is of the essence. The sooner a dog receives treatment, the better his chance for survival.

What Makes Parvo Such a Dangerous Disease?

So what is it that makes parvovirus so much more dangerous than other viral infections or diseases?

  1. Parvo is extremely contagious.

It can be spread by direct contact with an infected dog, on surfaces (grass, floors, kennels), via fomites (bowls, bedding, collars, leashes, toys), and by people (on hands, shoes, and clothing).

  1. There are extended periods of viral shedding with parvo.

An infected dog can shed virus in his stool for several days before symptoms appear, and for months after recovery from clinical signs, increasing the chance that other dogs might unknowingly be infected.

  1. Initial signs are easily confused with simple GI distress.

This may cause guardians to delay treatment until the dog is dangerously ill.

  1. GoodPetParent canine parvovirus dog recovering in vet's kennels
    Due to parvo’s extremely contagious nature, all dogs hospitalized for treatment are kept in strict isolation.

    Parvovirus is very hardy and can live in the environment for up to a year or longer.

The virus is resistant to heat, cold, humidity, and dryness. The only way to kill it is with 5% sodium hypochlorite household bleach mixed with water in a 1:32 solution (1/2 cup bleach mixed with a gallon of water).

  1. The illness it causes is particularly severe.

Parvo attacks multiple systems in the body; it destroys the inner lining of the intestine, leaving the dog unable to absorb nutrients, and cripples his immune system, leaving him vulnerable to secondary infections.

  1. Parvo also has a cardiac component.

Although less common than the intestinal form, the cardiac form of parvo shows up in puppies under 8 weeks of age who are usually infected by a mother with parvo while they are still in the womb. The virus attacks the puppies’ hearts, leading to myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle), irregular heartbeat, respiratory failure, and in almost all cases, death.

  1. Parvo can cause death very quickly.

It’s not unusual for a dog to go from seemingly normal to “crashing” within 48-72 hours, which is a very short window of time to seek treatment.

  1. There is no cure for parvo.

Supportive therapy is the only treatment available while the dog’s body recovers on its own. Though up to 85-95% of treated dogs survive a parvovirus infection, hospital intensive care admission and treatment is required for up to a week, and it’s expensive.

  1. Parvo has a high mortality rate.

Left untreated, the mortality rate for parvo is over 90%.

  1. Parvo can cause long-term or permanent damage.

If a dog survives infection, the virus can cause damage to his digestive system, making it harder for him to absorb nutrients from food. Parvo can also cause long-term kidney and/or liver damage and a weakened immune system, making the dog more susceptible to other diseases.

  1. Parvo can create life-threatening complications.

If the symptoms of the virus weren’t bad enough, parvo can also create a complication called “intussusception”, where the intestine telescopes in on itself and causes a bowel obstruction. This condition requires immediate corrective surgery.

Prevention of Parvovirus Infection

The only way to truly protect your dog against canine parvovirus is through vaccination. The vaccine is administered to puppies and adult dogs as part of a combination vaccine that also protects against several other diseases.

GoodPetParent canine parvovirus vaccinating a Yorkshire puppy
Vaccination is the best way to prevent parvovirus infection.

In puppies, the shots are given every 3-4 weeks from the time the puppy is 6 weeks old until the age of about 16 weeks. A booster vaccination is recommended one year later, with boosters every 1-3 years after that. For adult dogs, vaccines may be given less frequently if a titer test (which determines the level of antibodies against parvo present in the blood) is run and it’s determined that the dog has a sufficient level of antibodies.

The good news is that, to date, research has found the currently available vaccines protect against all known strains of parvovirus, and a single vaccine can begin to offer protection within 3-5 days of being given. However, it’s important to remember that until a puppy has received the entire series of shots, he is not fully protected, and should be kept away from places where young puppies or dogs congregate (including pet stores, dog parks, doggie day cares, groomers, etc.) Any socialization with other dogs should be limited to healthy dogs with a well-known vaccination status.

There are other methods to help reduce or eliminate the spread of parvovirus. Any dog who has been infected should be kept away from other dogs for at least 4-6 weeks, and his environment should be thoroughly disinfected with bleach solution (as previously described). Grass and dirt can also be disinfected with bleach solution – yes, it will kill the grass, but it’s probably better to have a temporarily unsightly yard than risk infection of other dogs (or any puppies that you bring home in the future).

Regarding new puppies, the advised waiting period for bringing a new puppy into an area occupied by a dog previously infected with parvo is 6 months – and the puppy should have ALL vaccinations in the series prior to coming into the environment to ensure that he is properly protected.

Parvovirus: Easier To Prevent Than Treat

Thirty-plus years after its first appearance, parvovirus strikes puppies and dogs far less frequently, but outbreaks of this disease still occur every year. The most important thing to remember is that parvovirus is preventable. Vaccination against parvo should not be considered an option – it’s a must.

With proper vaccination, responsible guardianship, diligent hygiene and sanitation practices, and good veterinary care, occurrences of this devastating and potentially fatal disease can be reduced – and hopefully one day, eliminated.

Additional resources:

You can download a shareable PDF brochure on parvovirus from the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Have you ever had a dog or puppy with parvo, or known anyone who has? Please tell us about it in the comments below!

Comments

  1. The diagnosis of Parvo is devastating; it’s such a hard disease to treat in many instances and it breaks my heart because a lot of owners have it diagnosed in a puppy they just adopted. I couldn’t imagine the stress involved, especially when you’re facing medical costs that quickly add up. Thank you for the great breakdown of the disease, I wasn’t aware of the possible cardiac component which makes it even scarier. Luckily I haven’t had to manage Parvo myself with any pets but I continue to see many of our local rescues having to deal with it constantly and it’s always touch and go.

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    • It really is a horrible virus because of the incredibly efficient way it attacks the body. Luckily, the vast majority of puppies we treated for parvo survived and went on to be healthy, but most of them had to be in isolation for 5-6 days and were extremely sick during that time. It was hard for us too, because you wanted so much to be with those puppies to comfort them and give lots of TLC, but we were only allowed to be in the isolation ward just long enough to treat them so we didn’t risk infecting other patients. But we tried our best to make up for it once they recovered, and fortunately, most did!

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  2. Great post! Parvo is extremely scary and heart breaking. I felt so bad for the owners who had pups with it when I worked at the vet clinic. We had one couple that came and sat with their puppy every single day for hours on end holding her and they finally ending up euthanizing because she just wasn’t getting better. It was awful.

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    • Thank you! And yes, it truly is. 🙁 My heart used to break for the owners too, since (as Jen pointed out) many of them had just adopted their puppy from a shelter and the puppy came down with it within days of going to their new home. Did your clinic have a lot of success with treating it? It seemed like we were pretty fortunate, if we got the puppy quickly, we had a fairly good success rate – thank goodness!!

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  3. What a horrible disease. It is very similar to the FIP disease in cats. There is a pet store that sells puppy mill dogs in my area (people have been protesting it’s existence for years) and there have been several cases of Parvo that have come out of there. My heart just breaks for those owners.

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    • Yes, very similar to FIP! And very sad that the pet store you mention is still in business. If those parvo vaccines aren’t given on the proper schedule (which is very common with puppy mill puppies), it can be disastrous.

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  4. Oh my goodness! What a terrible disease. None of my dogs have ever had Parvo, but a friend’s dog died from it. I didn’t take very long, either. A couple of weeks, if I remember correctly. It was very sad to watch that beautiful just fade away. I’m thankful for the vaccine. Prevention is always better and much less expensive than the cure. Thank you for this information. It’s valuable and important to know.

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    • Thank you, I’m so glad you found it helpful. That vaccine has saved hundreds of thousands of dogs over the years, and I’m very thankful for it as well! Hopefully the vaccine will remain effective and the virus won’t mutate again – there was nothing more devastating than doing everything you could for a puppy with parvo only to watch it slip away.

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      • Our darling sweet beautiful Millie who is our 7 month old Cocker Spaniel is one of the 7 pups Annie gave birth to on March 9th 2015. Is currently in Vets hospital with full blown Parvovirus, how and why this has happened to a fully vaccinated dog we will never know. We had been on holiday and picked the two dogs up from their regular kennels on Tuesday morning they seemed a bit under the weather and kept sneezing. We thought they’d just picked up a cold, but then on Saturday Millie refused to eat her breakfast which is highly unusual. Otherwise she seemed fine so we went to our dog grooming course and she had a lovely day of pampering but towards the end she vomited some froth with specs of blood. She then went out in the pen with the other dogs and she had a bout of diarrohea also containing blood. I took her immediately to the emergency vet hospital where she has been ever since and only being diagnosed with Parvo on Wednesday. She hadn’t done enough poo for them to test?? or she had but it was too liquidy. She has had loads of antibiotics, fluids, plasma, antacids and anti-emetics, you name it and she has had it. Also having a very expensive drug especially for this disease. We love her so much and don’t want anything to go wrong with her treatment, we’re hoping and praying she pulls through but the inevitable may happen, but why when she has had all her vaccinations and would have been covered by her Mum.

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        • Hi Amanda, I’m so very sorry to hear about Millie! 🙁 The good thing is that you got her to the vet hospital immediately for treatment. Parvo is a very scary disease, but many dogs can fully recover from it if they have the proper medical support (which it sounds like Millie has), and if they aren’t critically ill by the time they’re taken to the vet. You did an amazing job in getting her treated so quickly, and your quick action may end up making all the difference for her! Now it’s just a waiting period while her body fights the virus.

          Since you said that Millie had been in the kennel while you were on vacation, and parvo has an incubation period of 3-7 days, it would make sense that that’s where she was probably exposed. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the kennel was negligent, as parvo is extremely hardy and can travel around on the footpads of other dogs (as well as various other items like shoes or clothing), so it could very well have been carried in by another dog who came in around the same time as Millie. Regarding your question about the parvovirus vaccine: sadly, no vaccine is 100% effective. When things like this happen, it’s referred to as a “vaccine failure” or “vaccine break”. Although we hope for complete protection through vaccines, in a small percentage of dogs, some can still become ill from the virus. For example, the vaccine for canine distemper has a higher protection rate than many other vaccines at 90%+, but this is small comfort when it’s your dog who is in the 5-10% that still become ill after vaccination.

          Vaccine breaks usually happen not because there was something wrong with the vaccine (although it’s possible, if the vaccine was improperly stored or handled), but because something went wrong with the dog’s body’s response to the vaccine. Vaccines work by stimulating the dog’s body to produce antibodies to the virus, but this immune response can be altered, either by fever or an override effect that sometimes happens while the dog’s maternal antibodies are decreasing and her own antibodies are being formed.

          For Millie, the fact that she had the vaccines in the first place, along with the excellent care she’s receiving, may serve to lessen the severity of the virus’ attack on her body. I’m hoping for the very best for her and for you, and sending positive thoughts for a complete recovery!

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  5. I agree with Robin, what a horrible disease. Thank you for sharing so much good information about it, though. I think it’s important to spread the word to raise awareness, and will definitely be sharing on TLPB Facebook page!

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    • Thank you so much for sharing the post! It seems like over the last year or so there’s been increased interest in the anti-vaccination movement for dogs. Although I’m not a fan of over-vaccination by any means, I think it’s so important that core vaccinations (especially for parvo) be given on an appropriate schedule (unless a titer proves that the dog is still protected.) Parvo is one virus I would never take a chance with when it comes to protecting our dogs.

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  6. This was a very informative and helpful article. Parvo terrifies me as I know someone who lost their young puppy to it. Anything without a cure is terrifying and it’s not worth risking this illness by not vaccinating against it.

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  7. My dog was diagnosed with Parvo and was in hospital for about 5 days. He was released two days ago and seemed to be back to normal. This morning he was ill again and has had to go back to the vet who says he has a very high temperature and loose stools. I really dont know this has re-occurred.

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    • I’m so sorry to hear about your dog. 🙁 It could be that he’s still not entirely cleared the virus from his body yet. It’s best to keep monitoring him closely and keeping him as hydrated as possible. Hopefully he will turn the corner for good very soon!

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      • My dog is back from the vet again and appears to be okay. He is eating and running around and barking…so here’s hoping all will be well from here on in. I must say its an awful virus and he was extremely ill. Thanks for the concern

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        • Thank you for the update, that’s great news! I’m so glad to hear he’s doing better..running and barking are very good signs! Wishing you and your dog all good health and happiness. 🙂

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  8. I lost two beautiful little Labrador puppies (10 weeks and 13 weeks old) his past week. This virus is absolutely horrible. I agree that prevention is the most important thing one can do. We had several misdiagnosis’ from our vet, and the ER wasn’t much better. It cost me thousands of dollars trying to save them, and I would have remortgaged my house if needed be to have them still with me. The first one (a chocolate lab) died horribly at the ER. The second one (a yellow lab) we tried to treat 24-7 with every single homeopathic and vet approved treatment we could. We thought he would make it, but eventually we went to the ER again, and he died (albeit, more peacefully than the chocolate one). What people need to know is that there are certain symptoms that show up that are dead ringers of Parvo, and there can be false-negative tests at the vet. Lethargy, vomiting, and not eating and drinking were the main three things I observed in both puppies, and by the time I saw it in the yellow lab, I was able to recognize it immediately, and unfortunately, was right. If you are going to buy a puppy, do everything you can to protect them before their shots are done. My vet told me it was okay for the puppies to play with my parent’s adult dogs. I believe that’s what killed them. 🙁

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    • Gary, I am so very sorry to hear about the tragic loss of your puppies. This brought a tear to my eye, it’s absolutely heartbreaking. 🙁 You make a very important point about the possibility of a false negative result on the parvo test, as unfortunately this can and does happen. Parvo should be one of first suspects in any case where a puppy is vomiting and lethargic. By the time the diarrhea hits, the virus has already spread throughout the body and begun doing massive damage. That’s why many vets don’t hesitate to start supportive treatment on puppies with parvo symptoms, even if the parvo test is negative.

      I also agree that it’s probably safest for young puppies to be kept away from all dogs until they’ve completed their vaccination series. Other dogs, even if they’ve been vaccinated against parvo, can still pick up and carry the virus on their feet. When I worked in veterinary practice, I was extremely paranoid about bringing something home to my puppy when he was very young, so I changed out of my scrubs on our screened-in back porch and always kept my work shoes outside – it may have been overkill, but it made me feel better!

      That being said, PLEASE don’t blame yourself for what happened. Since parvovirus is extremely hardy, your puppies could have been exposed in any number of different ways. I can say with certainty that they were extremely fortunate to have had you fighting for them, even if the outcome was not what you were hoping for. I wholeheartedly agree with you, this virus is truly awful, and sometimes we lose the battle against it. I hope you can take comfort in knowing how hard you fought to save them, and that they knew how much you loved and cared for them. Thank you so much for sharing your story, and I wish you comfort and peace during this time of grief.

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  9. Thank you for this well-written and useful article about parvo. I dealt with the virus just last month, where three of our young dogs got afflicted. Two of them died, but I am grateful for the survivor. What bothered me was the prognosis of the first vet we went to. She sent the first affected dog home, and prescribed medicines and food that we should give to the dog. Our dog just mostly vomited the food, water and meds, even if we forced him. At around 3AM (we took home that dog at around 12NN, and tried to give meds, water with dextrose powder, and food then, as prescribed), I tried to catch some sleep and was intent on bringing him to the ER at around 5AM. When I woke up, he had died already, probably due to dehydration. He seemed strong and was sitting up a bit before I slept, and didn’t vomit anymore, which is why I thought he had improved already–some vets told me though, that some dogs pretend to be okay for their owner so they wouldn’t worry.

    This is why when we found out that our two other young dogs also had parvo, we quickly brought them to another vet, a more advanced animal hospital, and got them confined with DEXTROSE. I’m still sad and grieving over the first dog’s death because I think he could have fought parvo better if he had been CONFINED IN AN ANIMAL HOSPITAL IN THE FIRST PLACE. He was already nine mos at the time the parvo happened, and older than most young pups. =/ I am more at peace with the death of the other dog that didn’t survive because I know we did everything for her; her body just couldn’t take the disease anymore, even with the IVs, meds, and best vet care.

    What do you think of vets that give the wrong recommendation? The parvo cases, especially the first one was heartbreaking for me, though I know my babies are happy now in heaven.

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    • Hi Melissa, I am so very sorry to hear about the tragic loss of your dogs…please accept my heartfelt condolences. 🙁 Regarding the treatment provided to your first dog, unfortunately it’s hard for me to speculate about what happened since I wasn’t there to know exactly what the veterinarian said and what she thought the diagnosis might be. Sometimes veterinarians can miss a parvo diagnosis in older dogs, since most dogs who come down with it are between 6 weeks and 6 months of age. And if a dog is vaccinated against parvo, they may assume that the dog is already properly protected (even though vaccine breaks do happen). Since your dog was a little older, if he wasn’t having severe bouts of vomiting and diarrhea yet, it’s possible the veterinarian might have assumed the vomiting was being caused by something else.

      That being said, a dog who is having bouts of vomiting is not going to tolerate oral medication or special food – as you stated, usually they are just going to vomit them back up. In the veterinary practice where I worked, we routinely hospitalized dogs with chronic or severe vomiting overnight so that we could administer medications by injection, keep them hydrated, and observe them for the development of other symptoms. And any young puppy who was vomiting and acting lethargic who was brought into our hospital was immediately a parvo suspect until proven otherwise…we just didn’t take any chances with them. And for any young puppy who had diarrhea, we ran an in-house fecal test for parvo – although those tests aren’t perfect, they are pretty accurate.

      So although a parvo diagnosis can occasionally be missed, I think it’s important to always keep it in mind as a potential threat for any young dog – especially if the dog is still young, acting lethargic (since most puppies are balls of energy), or wasn’t properly vaccinated. What happened to your dogs was heartbreaking, and a good example of how parvo can still occur in older dogs. Thank you so much for sharing your story…hopefully your third dog is doing well and you’ll never have to experience something like this again! Wishing you all the best.

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      • Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately, our three youngest dogs were unvaccinated. It was the first time we were late for puppy’s/young dogs’ vaccinations, and we had to pay for the consequences so badly. We have six other older dogs at home, so before the parvo outbreak, we had nine dogs in total.

        The first vet confirmed it was parvo; when we brought the first dog to her, he pooped diarrhea with blood right in front of her. She then did the parvo test and it was positive. She then gave the recommendations for medicines and food, including anti-vomit and antibiotics, and to give those to him at home. I don’t want to go back to her just in case any of my dogs fall seriously ill again. We may have many dogs but those two that died hold a very special place in my heart, and I guess the way I lost them just hurts badly, especially the first one, and I am still grieving. Thank you for your sympathies,

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        • Hmmm… based on the fact that the vet positively confirmed parvo with your first dog, in my opinion he should have been hospitalized – not only to stabilize and monitor him, keep him hydrated, and provide intensive supportive care, but also to keep him quarantined so that he couldn’t infect other dogs. A very sad tragedy, indeed. 🙁

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          • True. At last now, whenever illnesses happen, I know which vet to go to, and whose opinion to trust. Thank you for your replies.

          • We isolated the first dog from the others when we tried treating him at home, btw. He must have spread the disease to other young dogs, a day or so before. Thankfully, none of the adults caught parvo at all even if some of them didn’t have updated shots. Now, all our dogs have been properly vaccinated.

  10. Ahhh I am completely devastated last week on Friday my very energized will eat anything anytime no matter how full she would be refused and walk away from one of her fav puppy treats ,I instantly was concerned cause this puppy don’t miss a meal or turn down treats, I am ashamed to admit going against my gut feeling and being I was on my way out the door with my daughter and recently widowed mother to go to movies to find dory ???????? the whole time my little puppy daffney not eating that treat was bugging me (20 years ago i witnessed my friends pup died from parvo something you ‘ll never forget and pray to never see again . And I havent. Anyhow when we got home from movies daffney had vomited numerous Times she did run to the door but she was very weak I started immediately giving her fluids after 2 hours of giving her fluids with a straw she got up started drinking water on her own that was about 5 pm on Friday same day she refused treat sad to report we lost our lol daffney at 10:21pm that night the parvo took her so fast needless to say this devastated my family as well as our beloved adult dog khloe who is vaccinated and always healthy, and being told by so many people that adult dogs can’t get parvo don’t make it true and being properly educated on the subject has put are beloved khloe at risk and exactly one week after losing daffney khloe tested positive for parvo and has been admitted to a local vet hospital fighting like hell to survive today is Monday the 4th my last update late last night was as follows temp 99.9 which is up from the previous update which was 97.2 so Dr d/c one of pain meds and they started surrounding her with heated towels and warming the iv fluids. They reported that khloe got up and stood last night but she still pretty week and actually got mad when they took her temp. But she had quite a bit of bloody diarrhea last night I am devastated to get this news we had almost hit the 24 hour mark with no diarrhea I am so scared I feel so horrible I blame myself for not knowing the correct facts to keep my khloe safe I am not sure even if we took daffney to vet instead of going to movies that we would have been able to save her she went so fast on that note and where I failed at was by not taking khloe to the vet to be checked out and tested and to get a clean bill of health and the proper education on how to keep my khloe protected I am so worried that I could still lose her

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    • Jessica, I’m so very sorry to hear about the loss of Daffney and what’s currently happening with Khloe. 🙁 Parvo is a devastating virus, and it can be fatal very quickly. Please don’t blame yourself for how quickly Daffney became sick…I know I can probably speak for many people (including myself) who would not have thought that turning down a treat was a symptom of parvo! And regarding Khloe, the vast majority of dogs who are vaccinated for parvo do have protection against the virus, but for a small number of dogs, they can still become sick. The good thing is that adult dogs have a much more developed immune system than puppies, so don’t give up on Khloe! The vet hospital where I worked treated numerous dogs for parvo who made a full recovery, so I’ll be saying prayers for Khloe and hoping for the best!

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  11. My puppy is 9 weeks old she came down with parvo on Friday we took her to vets on sat and hospatlistz her we r now wed she still has sickness n dierroha and still not eating or drinking by herself but her tail is waging and really there is no change since she went in on sat is this good or bad I thought they should b getting better by now

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    • Hi Annie. I’m so sorry to hear about your puppy! Since parvo is extremely hard on the entire body, it’s not unusual for it to take at least a week for puppies to recover, oftentimes longer. She will need to stay on the IV fluids for nutrients and to keep her hydrated until her body is able to heal itself from the damage and the diarrhea starts to taper off. The good news is, it’s a great sign that your puppy is wagging her tail…puppies who don’t survive parvo are usually so sick that they are depressed, weak, and unable to stand or do much of anything. And as long as she’s holding her own right now and not getting worse, that’s also a good sign.

      If your puppy is wagging her tail, she’s fighting the good fight – so hopefully her diarrhea will start to become less and less and she’ll be able to turn the corner soon. Good luck, and please let me know how it goes!

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  12. m fighting parvo right now. I just got a pup a month ago and we are on day 4. He never showed terrible signs even as of now but the vommiting and diarreah is beginning. We are having to fight this at home by giving I think SQ fluids and returning daily to the vet for meds. We were recommended hospitalization but could not afford it. Any positive advice when we should see a turn arround for the better ?

    Reply

    • Hi Andrea. I’m so sorry to hear about your puppy! While you’re treating him at home, you’ll want to be extremely careful about monitoring him constantly. Puppies with parvo can take a turn for the worse very quickly, so please take him back to the vet immediately if he becomes very weak, is unable to stand, or if his gums are very pale or white. Regarding a timeline for parvo, every puppy is different…those who don’t seem to be as sick tend to recover more quickly, while for some puppies, they can be sick for up to several weeks. The key with parvo treatment is to support the puppy’s body as much as possible to give it the best chance of fighting the virus. Don’t hesitate to be in constant contact with your vet to make sure that your puppy is getting everything he needs to get well. Good luck!

      Reply

  13. Hello my name is Genesis my schnauzer was diagnosed with parvo Sunday night . We took him to get hospitalized Monday through Wednesday since the vets was gonna be closed for the holidays we had to bring him home till Monday. Today is his 6th day since Parvo he throws up here and there but has no dihereiah or bloody throw up . He’s finally ok with drinking water but doesn’t eat what so ever I’m just trying to keep him alive till Monday morning when I can take him back to his vet ???? Please help since it’s his sixth day fighting does he have a good chance of surviving or can it still get worse
    He doesn’t take any of his medication cause he throws it back up 5 ‘minutes later so I just stopped giving it to him and he’s now only staying hydrated.

    Reply

    • Hi Genesis, I’m so sorry to hear what you’re going through with your dog. 🙁 The good thing is that he is not having diarrhea, since that’s the thing that can dehydrate dogs with parvo the most. And if his vomiting is just every so often, that’s also better than constantly throwing up. It’s hard to say if things will get worse; right now, one of your biggest challenges is going to be keeping his strength up while his body fights the virus.

      Is there an emergency clinic that you can go to this weekend? The benefit of veterinary care during parvo is that they can insert an IV catheter to give your dog nutrients/calories and fluids directly into his bloodstream without it having to go through his stomach. They can also give injectable medication to help with the nausea, so that can help him feel much better and increase his chances of keeping down food and water. They can still do these things without having to hospitalize him overnight (although that is the best thing, but I know it can become very expensive). If you don’t have access to an emergency clinic, is your vet able to be paged, or can you call him/her to ask for their help/advice? Maybe they would be willing to meet you at the clinic this weekend to check on your dog and give him fluids and injectable medication. I hope so! Meanwhile, keep monitoring him closely and watch for any signs that he might be taking a turn for the worse. Hopefully he will be stable until Monday if you have no access to veterinary care until then. Good luck, and don’t give up.. if he’s made it 6 days and is drinking water on his own, that’s an encouraging sign. Please keep me posted!

      Reply

  14. My 10 week old puppy today had his first vet visit since we have had him.This morning he was lethargic and just sat there looking sad by his water dish so we decided to take him in an hour early. They diagnosed him with parvo and he has been there all day. My boyfriend and I both work full time with overlapping schedules… I am afraid that those couple hours alone are going to do some serious damage to the little guy. Is there a safe alone time limit for sick pups?

    Reply

    • Hi Brittany! I’m so sorry to hear about your puppy. 🙁 You definitely did the right thing by noticing how lethargic he was and acting quickly to get him to the vet!

      In regards to your question, were you specifically referring to your puppy’s “alone time” as when he is at the vet? Once he was diagnosed as positive for parvo, he was most likely put into an isolation area to keep him from infecting other dogs since parvo is so contagious. Unfortunately, the sad thing is that parvo puppies need to be isolated until they have recovered. When I worked in veterinary medicine, it used to break my heart to not be able to spend extra time cuddling with the puppies with parvo like we could with other patients who were sick. But it was just too risky since the virus spreads so easily. And although you could cuddle with him at home, puppies with parvo really need to receive round-the-clock support since they can take a turn for the worse very quickly. Hopefully your veterinarian has round-the-clock care available… if not, I would seriously consider transferring him to a facility that does. Although it’s much more expensive, when it comes to parvo, it’s much safer to have people looking after him 24/7.

      I know it’s been over 24 hours since you wrote… how is your puppy doing? Hopefully he is getting great supportive treatment and is stabilized. If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to comment here, or contact me by email via the contact page of my website. I know how scary parvo can be, so if there’s anything I can assist with, please let me know!

      Reply

      • Thank you so much. I have learned so much about parvo through this process.
        Tucker is in the ER. Has been since Monday evening and will be there until they say he can come home. We are spending about 1000 a day on his needs, but we feel it is worth it and have set up a gofundme for our friends and family who wanted to help. We went to go see him today and he wagged his little nub but we could not touch him and had to stay on the other side of the glass which was heartbreaking. They say he should get through this and make a full recovery in a few days. He’s a strong little pup.

        -Brittany

        Reply

        • That’s great news! I’m sure it was also due to the fact that you noticed Tucker’s lethargic behavior and acted on it so quickly. With parvo, puppies can become dangerously ill within a matter of hours, so the fact that you got him supportive care so quickly was extremely important. Having him monitored constantly in the ER is expensive, but as you said in your other comment, he is family… and it will be worth every penny when he gets to come home with you. 🙂

          Reply

      • Hi! Camille,

        My question I guess I was hoping that maybe we could bring him home and somehow work around our schedules, but we can’t as we have learned he needs round the clock care. We have him now at a 24hr emergency vet clinic and he is starting to show improvement.

        Since I wrote to you we have had him there and have spent $3,500 on vet bills to give him what he needs which we think is completely worth it because he is our family. Friends and family asked us to create a gofundme which has helped with some of the funds. After we get through this we want to help others going through this as well. Such a scary virus that is so unpredictable. Our baby was fine and then within 24hrs he was completely upside down in health.

        I he would’ve came home with us I don’t think he would’ve made it so I am glad we listened to the vet and got him under supportive therapy right away.

        -Brittany

        Reply

        • Also wanted to respond to this one… I think it’s fantastic that you want to help other people who are going through a similar situation. Lots of people whose puppies come down with parvo get overwhelmed, and they may not realize that this is a treatable illness in many puppies if it’s caught in time. You getting the word out about what to look for, and being able to offer advice and support, I’m sure will be extremely helpful to those going through the same ordeal. Please let me know how Tucker is doing…I’ll be thinking of you both this week and wishing you the very best of health!!

          Reply

  15. I recently rescued an adorable aprox. 10 week old great pyrenees. He had been living in a dark dingy shed where the man also had a goat. The pup came running straight to me, as if he was so happy to be saved from the goat shed. Immediatly, he stole my heart. I named this big ole fur ball DUDLEY.
    Took Dudley home, bathed him to get the fleas off, and got him fed. He ate and drank like he was starved. I noticed that he had extremly bad puppy breath and a bloated tummy. His bm was normal, no puking. The man had said Dudley had no shots, so next
    morning, called my vet and left a message for getting shots.
    On the evening of day 3, Dudley had runny watery bm and started to be tired some, but for the most part normal. In the middle of the night, he started puking over and over. This went on til morning hours. He even puked up a huge round worm. He was now so sick he barely moved.
    In a panic for my fur baby, I called my vet soon as they opened. They couldn’t get me in. I called some others and found one that said come on.
    Dudley has been there fighting for his life for what is now 6 days. He did good first 24 hours, then crashed again. It’s crucial right now. I have been praying and crying every day. I’ve been going to visit him and I love on him. Was gonna bring hom home and finish treating him since his was drinking orally, but when I got there he was worse again and vet says he needs to stay. Dudley is fighting they say and vet says he won’t give up trying to save him. I have been reading all the info, all the stories. I pray that Dudley takes that turn for the better by morning. I don’t want to lose him and the vet has not even discussed costs of this care, except to tell me not to worry, they will work with me. I may set Dudley up a gofundme account and have donations sent to vet. Right now I just pray he makes it. I can’t stand seeing him suffering and in a lonely cage.😢😭😢😭🐶
    If anyone has advice…I’m listening.

    Reply

  16. My dog has parvo virus . Took him into the vet they decided he may have a blockage and opened him up! They now want me to pick him up 2 hrs since the surgery and bring him home. I am afraid to do that because odds look like he may die. Help any advice?

    Reply

  17. Our little Zack ( Larsa apso ) aged ten last month died extremely suddenly with what we think was the parvovirus. He was fine thur night but had been in and out of the vets with blood in his wee. We were told a water infection or enlarged prostrate. A few days before he was off his food, Friday morning he was vomiting foam/froth and the blood out of his bum. We rushed him to the vet who gave him anti sickness drugs, rehydration etc he got worse by 2pm and then had a heart attack at 6pm that day?!we were told he hasn’t had a Parvo booster for a while it was far too later by then! Could this of be avoided

    Reply

    • Hi Sarah, I’m so very sorry to hear about what happened to Zack. 🙁 Based on what you’ve said, I doubt this was parvovirus, since with parvo you usually don’t see blood in the urine, and Zack was 10 years old and had previously been vaccinated for parvo. (Even though he hadn’t had a parvo booster for awhile, research is now showing that most vaccinations last for several years, so frequent boosters aren’t usually necessary to maintain protection). It sounds like there could have been something else going on with him – sometimes different types of cancers or diseases can cause these symptoms. You had been taking him to the vet and getting treatment for him, so you were doing all that you could to help him. The fact that it was so sudden makes it likely that there was something very serious going on in his body, and it just might have been something that was going to happen regardless of treatment. So please don’t blame yourself, sometimes these things happen and unfortunately we don’t always get to know the real reason. Please accept my deepest condolences on the loss of your little one. <3

      Reply

  18. My yorkie had a litter of 5 puppies on June 2017. I sold 4 and kept one.On December 2017 the one puppy I kept contracted parvo. She was not fully vaccinated, only two doses. I have since learned that three more of these puppies contracted parvo, one in December and two others this year around June, after being fully vaccinated. Is this just a coincidence or could there have been an immune disease with all these puppies? My puppy has recovered as did two of the others. Sadly one of the puppies died. If there was an immune disease how could I have known? Is there some kind of test I could do or can a dog carry the parvo virus and not show signs? I have four other dogs and they didnt get sick.

    Reply

  19. It is a well written article. Thank you. But unfortunately vaccination is not nearly as successful as it should be. I just lost half of my litter of puppies to parvo. I inoculate with Primodog at 4 weeks. Puppies get top food and herbal and homeopathic remedies to support the immune system. I do not allow strangers to visit them unless they are at least 8 weeks old. I use F10 disinfectant like water! Despite all of these precautions (and yes, mom was correctly vaccinated) the entire litter still contracted it at 6 weeks, at the time they were supposed to get the first 5 in 1 vaccine. I lost 6 out of 13 despite intensive care. Some pups died within 36 hours from showing the first sign of lethargy. Others lasted 5-7 days before giving up. Yet others pulled through. Some within 3 days, others only after 7 days.
    So yes, you MUST vaccinate. But because of passive immunity and the window of susceptibility that is no guarantee that your puppies will actually survive until 16-20 weeks by when full immunity can be expected. Unfortunately most people believe that once a puppy received his first inoculation immunity is guaranteed. I received many comments where people asked why I did not vaccinate the pups against parvo. Even if I tell them I did, they don’t believe it because unfortunately many articles on the internet proclaims that parvo is “totally preventable through vaccination”. These article fails to stress the fact that immunity drops after vaccination making the pup even more susceptible. And it fails to mention the role of maternal antibodies and the window of susceptibility. Those article also fails to caution owners about the ‘recovery rate’. Yes, lots of puppies survive but in my experience it is not 90%. It is closer to 60%. Some puppies just seem to not have the will to fight and they give up even before dehydration sets in.
    Parvo is a swear word in my world. It is a horrible horrible disease to affect our beloved furry friends! And we seem to not be winning the war!

    Reply

    • Oh Adri, I am so very sorry to hear what happened to your puppies, what a heartbreaking experience! 🙁 And I agree, parvo is a swear word in my vocabulary too.. a horrible disease that claims far too many lives. You are obviously extremely knowledgeable about this disease and did all the right things, and it just goes to show that parvovirus is still a deadly threat, and tragically it does not discriminate. You also bring up an excellent point that vaccination actually temporarily stresses the immune system, making puppies more vulnerable until their immune systems catch up.

      Thank you so much for sharing your experience, and I hope that your remaining puppies are now healthy and thriving!!

      Reply

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