Don't Let Parvo Take Your Puppy: Protect Them Now

What is parvo. Canine parvovirus is a highly contagious gastrointestinal illness that attacks the intestinal lining and can be fatal without fast care. In this video you will learn what parvo is, how it spreads from dogs and contaminated surfaces, the vaccine schedule for puppies, what parvo poop looks and smells like, other symptoms to watch for including lethargy vomiting diarrhea abdominal swelling appetite loss fever and anemia, and what your veterinarian will do including the ELISA test and supportive treatment steps to improve survival.
What Is Parvo?
Parvo, short for canine parvovirus, is a highly contagious gastrointestinal illness that attacks the cells of the intestinal lining, preventing the dog from being able to absorb vital nutrients.
It can affect dogs of any age, but puppies are far more vulnerable to the disease as their immune systems are weaker, especially puppies under 6 weeks old.
It takes up to 7 days for an infected dog to show symptoms. If the disease is left untreated once the symptoms begin, even for a day or two, it can be fatal.
Unfortunately, many dogs diagnosed with canine parvovirus will die.
Spread & Prevention
Canine parvovirus is spread from dog to dog, and extended contact is not required as the disease is highly contagious – so it could be as simple as a quick sniff of infected feces.
It can also be passed to dogs by humans who have handled feces or vomit infected with parvo, or it can be picked up from contaminated surfaces like blankets, bedding, food and water bowls, and human clothing, but thankfully, cou can prevent the spread of parvo with vaccinations.
Your puppy can receive their canine parvovirus vaccination when they’re between 2 and 4 months old, and there’s a booster vaccine when they reach one year old.
And so before your dog is fully vaccinated, it is very important to limit their contact with other dogs.
Large outbreaks of parvo usually occur in towns and cities where a big proportion of the dog population is unvaccinated.
If you’re buying or rescuing a puppy, make sure you double check they have had their parvo vaccine.
We recommend phoning the veterinary surgeon who reportedly provided the vaccine to make sure it definitely took place.
What Does Parvo Poop Look Like?
As canine parvovirus causes extreme stomach and digestive tract upset, the feces of a dog with parvo is usually liquid diarrhea.
It will begin brown in color, but will gradually become more red as the disease develops, as there’ll be a significant amount of blood in the feces as a result of the severe damage being caused to the intestines.
This is thought to be the cause of the distinctive, foul smell of parvo poop. It is a very strong smell that has been described as a ‘rotting’ smell.
This blood loss can actually lead to anemia - check for this by looking at your dog’s gums.
When you press on the gum, the normal color should return within a few seconds.
If the gums are noticeably pale and the color takes longer than a few seconds to return, then they’re likely suffering from anemia.
Other Ways To Tell If Your Dog Has Parvo?
Lethargy
Vomiting & Diarrhea
Abdominal Swelling
Loss of Appetite
Fever