There is no specific antidote or medication to kill the virus; Foothill Vet Clinic offers testing and treatments for Canine Parvovirus. Our treatment is focused on providing hydration and preventing or treating secondary bacterial infections that have developed so your dog’s immune system can focus on fighting off the virus itself.
Treatment often includes:
- Well-balanced fluid therapy (either intravenous/IV or subcutaneous/under the skin)
- Anti-nausea medications (usually by injection)
- Antibiotics
- Anti-diarrheal medications
- Probiotics
Below are the answers to some frequently asked questions about parvo. For more detailed information, please visit https://canineparvovirus.org/about/.
FAQs About Parvo Symptoms
What are the first signs of parvo?
There are many symptoms of parvo, but they may not all be present in every case. If your dog presents parvo symptoms, the first signs are usually slight fever, but fever is not typically apparent to dog owners. The first noticeable signs of parvo are usually diarrhea and vomiting.
Some dogs have no symptoms except for weight loss, which means they could receive treatment too late. At the earliest signs of parvo—fever, diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy, shivering, and no eating or drinking, your dog has the best chance of surviving when you seek immediate attention. While there is no cure, symptoms are treatable, and the prognosis is very good when dog owners respond quickly.
If my dog has parvo, will she show all these symptoms?
Not necessarily. Some dogs will show all the symptoms of canine parvo, and some dogs may just have one or two symptoms. This variance could be due to the amount of exposure and whether your dog has some tolerance from previous immunity.
It’s essential never to ignore watery or bloody diarrhea as this causes rapid dehydration and leads to other severe complications.
Can I see canine parvo in poop?
No, parvovirus is microscopic. How microscopic? If you took the thickness of an average strand of human hair and divided it by 3,215, you’d have the approximate size of a parvoviral particle.
Unlike worms, which can be seen moving around in dog feces, you will not see the potentially billions of viral particles in feces contaminated with the parvovirus.
How long does canine parvo incubate?
Incubation is the amount of time from first contact to first symptoms. The typical incubation period for parvo is 3-6 days, while some have reported up to 2 weeks.
Does parvo have a smell?
No, humans cannot detect parvo by smelling feces or vomit. Some people claim that parvo diarrhea has a certain smell, but it’s likely from the blood which can be in an infected dog’s stool for many reasons. Do not smell suspected parvo-contaminated dog feces.
How do I know when it’s parvo?
A fecal test should confirm whether your dog has parvo. If your dog displays any of the parvo symptoms, it would be proper to call your vet immediately, explain the symptoms, and get their advice.
If it’s after hours and you suspect parvo, an emergency room visit is advisable.
Will my dog recover from parvo on his own?
Parvo is not like a cold or flu virus; it is a serious illness with a high mortality rate. If your dog has mild to severe symptoms, she will not likely recover without help. If you hear of a dog recovering from parvo on his own, it’s likely because the exposure was very low and the dog had been recently vaccinated.
What happens if I don’t treat my dog’s parvo?
The outlook isn’t good if you decide not to treat your dog’s parvo symptoms. 90% of dogs will die from parvo if left untreated.
FAQs on How Parvo Spreads
How does parvo spread?
Dogs can catch Parvo whenever they encounter the virus, not just the infected dog. The virus is hearty and can live on an infected dog, a person’s shoe, a rug, a contaminated lawn, a snow pile, a kennel carrier, a dog bed, a dog wash, and so on.
When a dog that has parvo poops or vomits, that infected dog’s feces and vomit is loaded with the live virus. This is called “shedding” the virus. Parvo is spread when one dog sheds the virus, and another dog is exposed.
Is Parvo contagious to other dogs?
Yes, Parvo is highly contagious to other dogs. The virus is incredibly hearty and can withstand extreme temperatures. Without the right products, canine parvovirus survives conventional cleaning efforts.
How do dogs get parvo?
An unprotected dog can get Parvo by encountering the virus. The virus can be on another dog, on a person’s shoe, on a piece of bedding, in the soil, on a rug or floor…the possibilities are endless.
Can my dog catch parvo if she’s never around other dogs?
Yes. Dogs do not have to come into contact with each other to spread parvo; they just have to come into contact with the virus. The virus could be anywhere dogs have been, and it could be carried to a dog by a human or other object.
Does parvo only get spread when dogs meet each other?
No, parvo spreads when unprotected dogs meet the virus. This can be dog to dog, but it’s even more likely to spread when the infected dog is nowhere in sight. The virus lives in grass, soil, puddles, mud, snow, leaves, sidewalks, etc. Humans can bring the virus home, which could be living at dog parks, people parks, rest areas, dog washes, kennels, private yards, beaches, and hiking trails. There is no end to where parvovirus can live and wait.
Is canine parvovirus airborne?
No, canine parvo does not float around in the air. It lives in the gastrointestinal tract of dogs and combines with a contaminated dog’s feces and vomit. The viral particles remain alive and well even if the feces or vomit is washed away.
Can vaccinated dogs carry parvo?
The act of vaccinating your dog does not make him a carrier of parvo. However, any dog or object that comes into contact with the shedding virus can carry parvo. Example: A vaccinated dog steps in feces contaminated with parvo. The vaccinated dog does not catch parvo, but an unprotected dog could lick this dog’s contaminated paws and catch parvo.