OverviewWhat is Parvo?Canine parvovirus causes damage to a dog’s gastrointestinal tract, leading to vomiting and bloody diarrhea. It is easily spread from dog to dog. Commonly passed through stools or vomit, this fast-moving virus can live on dog bowls, beds, leashes, floor surfaces, and even the hands, shoes, and clothing of human caretakers. Show
The parvovirus is capable of existing in the environment for prolonged periods of time, resisting heat, humidity, cold, and most cleaning agents. A widespread disease, parvo can kill within 48 to 72 hours and sometimes sooner. What are the symptoms associated with parvo?The vomiting and diarrhea, because they evolve into a non-stop situation, quickly lead to severe dehydration. As well, the intestines suffer damage and the immune system is highly compromised. Inflammation of the heart muscle and bone marrow suppression can occur. These symptoms can lead to death. Can dogs get parvo at any age?Canine parvovirus is a serious and often fatal condition, requiring fast recognition, early and aggressive treatment, and quarantine to avoid the passing of parvo to other dogs. Puppies are especially prone to contracting this infectious virus, and it is one of the leading reasons for death in dogs under 4 months old. It’s so serious, in fact, that preventative parvovirus vaccinations for dogs are recommended between the ages of 6 to 16 weeks. Because young dogs receive the most attention regarding the illness, pet owners may wonder, can my dog get parvovirus at any age? The answer to this important question is, yes they can. Before your dog gets parvo, check out our pet insurance comparison tool. Secure pet health insurance today to avoid high veterinary care costs. Is my dog at risk of parvo?Puppies under the age of four months old as well as dogs of any age that have not been vaccinated are at high risk of contracting this contagious disease. Even adult dogs that have been vaccinated must have their shots kept up to date because antibody levels can change, meaning that your dog may not be protected if vaccines are allowed to lapse. Current guidelines recommend that dogs be immunized against the parvovirus every three years. You can discuss this protocol with your vet and have them test your dog's titers (antibody levels) if you want to know whether a parvo vaccine has successfully protected your furry companion. There are other factors your vet will discuss with you in regards to re-vaccination:
What is the treatment for parvo?The vet can do a fecal analysis to confirm parvovirus, but if your dog is showing the signs, supportive treatment will begin immediately. Your dog will be hospitalized and given intravenous support for the dehydration and as a way to replace protein and electrolyte losses. Antibiotics may be given to stop septicemia, and medications to control vomiting are typically used. Unfortunately, there is no quick cure. Your dog’s prognosis will depend on their body’s response to intensive care. Your dog will be kept in the hospital until they are out of danger. Despite a hospital stay, there is no guarantee that they will survive. Survival rates can be as high as 90% of cases, but early and aggressive treatment is necessary. Even with excellent care, some dogs will succumb to the illness. How can I prevent parvo in my dog?Puppies acquire natural immunity from the mother’s milk, but it can wear off before the antibodies from the parvovirus vaccine are in place. This is why a complete set of timely vaccinations must be done. Even so, there is some thought that the mother’s milk may interfere with the vaccination process. Puppies should be kept out of environments like obedience school, doggy daycares, and dog parks until the parvovirus vaccine is effective. But what about protecting your older dog from the virus? Keep your companion away from other dogs who are sick and vomiting. If you are kenneling them or putting them in daycare, verify that the center has a vaccination policy in place for all dogs who go there. Discuss having your dog vaccinated against parvo every three years as is the current recommendation, or at the very least, have their titers checked via a blood test (keeping in mind there may be inaccuracies). Together, you and your vet can make a decision based on your furry buddy’s lifestyle and present health status.
There are two vaccinations that we offer at Doyalson Animal Hospital for our canine patients:
Vaccination schedule for your puppy: 6 – 8 weeks old (1st vaccination) Your puppy requires a C3 vaccination to protect them against canine parvovirus, distemper and hepatitis viruses. They have usually had this before they became the new addition of our family. If not, book them in as soon as possible. Book your puppy into Puppy Preschool now to ensure you have a well socialised puppy! 12 weeks old (2nd vaccination) This can either be the C3 or the C5 vaccination. We highly recommend the C5 vaccination to ensure that your pet is protected against the highly contagious Canine Cough or even better the C7 vaccination so they are ALSO vaccinated against Leptosporosis. Although your pup is not fully vaccinated, it is important to start taking it out for walks BEFORE the final booster, to take advantage of this socialisation period. As long as it has been more than two weeks since their first vaccine, you can take your puppy for a walk along roads, pavements or the beach, as viruses have a hard time surviving in these areas. 16 weeks old (3rd vaccination) Again, this can be either the C3, C5 or C7 vaccination. This is your puppy’s final vaccination! But remember that they will not be fully vaccinated for another two weeks. However, socialisation is very important. Stick to roads, pavements or along the shore line on the beach. It is not recommended to take them to grassed areas such as playfields. Vaccination schedule for your dog: Is your pet going into boarding whilst you go on holidays? All boarding kennels will require a C5 vaccination certificate before your dog can board with them which we will provide you with after your consultation.
If you’ve ever had a puppy, the term “parvo”—short for parvovirus—is surely enough to send shivers down your spine. This extremely contagious virus is known for taking a previously healthy puppy that was showering you with smelly puppy breath kisses and playing one day to nearly or actually fatally ill in a matter of days. Thankfully, this disease in dogs is preventable and somewhat treatable if caught early, so we’ve taken the time in this article to share all the signs, risks, and ways to prevent this horrifying virus. This should be required reading for breeders and puppy owners alike. What is Parvo?Parvovirus is an infectious and potentially deadly gastrointestinal (GI) illness in puppies and young dogs. One of the reasons this is the dread of the veterinary community is due to the virus’s ability to spread through the dog population. The dangerous part is that the virus starts to shed 4-5 days after exposure, and this is often before the dog has even begun showing signs of being infected. Then the dog continues to shed the virus while the dog is sick and up to 10 days after recovery, making the quarantine of this poor pup essential—not only for their sake but for the sake of other dogs around them. How is Parvo Transmitted?Parvovirus is spread through direct contact with a dog that’s been infected or from feces. It’s even possible for a human to inadvertently give it to a dog by stepping in dog feces and unknowingly tracking that inside the home. This indirect contact transmission is the most disconcerting, as researchers have found that this hardy virus can live in ground soil for up to one year, and it can even survive on skin, clothing, or equipment. It can also survive at room temperature inside your home and has been found to be resistant to almost all cleaners except bleach or a 1:30 bleach solution. Because of these findings, you should always check and remove your shoes before entering your home, especially if you’ve got an unvaccinated puppy. Breeders also need to realize that if they give up on finding homes for their puppies before they are fully vaccinated and drop them off at a local shelter, there is a distinct possibility that parvo exists there. If the shelters were known for quarantining puppies with parvovirus that might be okay, but not all shelters do this. Do the right thing—fully vaccinate these puppies and/or make sure their new owners will do this.  Is Parvo Only Found in Puppies?Puppies and younger dogs are the ones that we see most with it simply because, if they have any mother-given immunity, that immunity starts to go away around 12 weeks and will be completely gone around 16 weeks of age. Younger puppies are more susceptible to disease because the mother’s immunity will protect them until around 10 weeks of age, but the vaccine series won’t be complete until around 16 - 24 weeks if you follow your veterinarian's protocol. Can a Dog Survive Parvo at Home? What is the Treatment For Parvovirus?Parvo typically requires supportive care. The biggest problem is that the infected puppy is losing so much fluid that they become extremely dehydrated. The immune system gets compromised because the bone marrow cannot produce enough white blood cells, so septicemias set in as well as severe dehydration. So with these parvo pups, the most important thing is to just run fluids into them in large quantities to try to keep them hydrated because they're vomiting and can't keep anything down orally. And there's also massive amounts of very watery diarrhea coming out the other end. Not all survive parvo, but quite a few can if they're well-hydrated and maintained. There are mixed thoughts about whether giving them immune serum is valuable or not, but proper fluid and electrolyte care is vitally important. Your vet will most likely recommend hospitalizing your dog in an isolation ward, where the pup will be monitored for secondary infections. Depending on the severity of the case, your vet may also prescribe a series of medications, including antibiotics to prevent bacterial infections from entering your dog through the damaged walls of his intestines. The first days are the most touch and go. Most puppies that survive the first 3-to-4 days will make a complete recovery, which usually takes around one week. Your vet will send you home with a continued plan to aid in recovery at home. How Can Parvo Be Prevented?A proper immunization protocol has to be followed in order to prevent parvo. The parvovirus is usually coupled with the distemper virus vaccinations, and the two core vaccines in dogs are both rabies and distemper. So parvovirus is one of the ones that's paired with the distemper virus vaccine. But if they are vaccinated correctly—meaning the manufacturer's recommendations are adhered to—it’s a huge step in the right direction in preventing parvo. Manufacturers will guarantee the vaccine efficacy if given by a veterinarian following the schedule protocols that they provide to the clinics. Unfortunately, even vaccinated dogs are not 100% protected from the virus. Vaccines for the parvovirus are recommended for all puppies and are typically administered in a three-shot series when the pup is between 6-to-8 weeks old, again at 10-to-12 weeks, and at 14-to-16 weeks. A booster shot is then given 1 year later and every 3 years after that. The timing between the immunizations is critical, and that's because the immune system is being stimulated, so if there's not another threat posed to the immune system within a reasonable amount of time, it just kind of sits back and says, "Well, everything's fine and we don't need to worry about anything." Because of this strict schedule and the highly contagious nature of parvo, unvaccinated and incompletely vaccinated puppies shouldn’t be exposed to unvaccinated dogs. As heartbreaking as this is, this also means avoiding crowded places like dog parks or doggy daycare. On a more positive note, unvaccinated puppies can socialize with fully-vaccinated at home without much worry. Any reputable puppy training school will require proof of vaccination before enrollment. As veterinarians, we understand your desire to train and socialize your precious pup, but doing it safely is a must when it comes to preventing the potentially fatal parvovirus. And because of the seriousness of parvo, if you miss a vaccination, your veterinarian will almost certainly recommend you start the series over. What Are the First Signs and Other Symptoms of Parvo in Dogs?The initial signs of parvo are typically vomiting and/or severe, bloody diarrhea, or both, and then lethargy that’s typically associated with a high fever (taking this rectally is the most efficient means). Other common symptoms of parvovirus are as follows:
If you suspect that your pup has parvovirus, contact your veterinarian immediately. Every minute counts in the case of parvo. Why Have the Rates of Parvovirus Risen During the COVID-19 Pandemic?If you follow veterinary news at all, you’ve likely seen mentions of “parvo” seemingly increase tenfold with the onset of the Coronavirus. While it’s too early for studies just yet, those of us in the veterinary field posit that the reasons for this spike are twofold:
AAHA senior veterinary officer Heather Loenser urges veterinarians to educate puppy owners on the necessity of completing the distemper-adenovirus-parvovirus (DAP) series. “It wouldn’t be over the top to ramp up marketing campaigns on the importance of vaccinating pups,” she says, noting that this is particularly crucial with all of the recent dog adoptions. Again, if we can emphasize one thing, it’s that prevention and early treatment of parvovirus is crucial to the survival of your precious puppy. Make sure to stay on your vaccination schedule but, even if you do and your puppy experiences any of those previously mentioned symptoms, contact us immediately. |
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