It is spring time now, and that means that it is also time to beware of the parvo-virus for dogs. It was brought to my memory this week because Oprah has lost one of her newly adopted puppies to the virus; and, another of her puppies has also been very ill from it. Parvo is deadly for dogs if they are exposed to it and, if they have a young/compromised immune system. It is a highly contagious virus from one dog to another; it causes alot of pain and misery. What is the Parvo-virus you may ask?
Parvo-virus is a virus which mainly affects their digestive systems. They get weak, they lose their appetites and they get dehydrated by getting bloody, smelly diarrhea. I remember when a litter of our puppies had it…the vet told us to check their gums to see if their gums were a healthy pink color or, if their gums were lacking color and looking white-ish. We lost several puppies before we knew what we were dealing with. It cost alot of money to save the others. It was a very helpless feeling to see them so sick and weak; it still makes me sad to think about it. I remember one of the puppies, that I adored, couldn’t even lift his head.
When the weather starts to warm up you may begin to see animals who are affected by the virus. Any place that has been exposed to the parvo-virus has the ability to infect your dogs. Your home or property can be infected from an infected dog; or, it could be contaminated by fecal matter on the bottom of someone’s shoes. The virus has staying power and can live in an environment for up to 9 months to a year, once that environment has been exposed. The incubation time for symptoms to appear is generally 7-10 days. Cleaning products are not very effective for killing the virus…however, cholorine does appear to kill the virus. The best thing you can do for your dogs is to prevent them from getting the virus in the first place.
Your dogs and your puppies can be vaccinated for this virus and they should be. Older dogs should get a vaccine once a year; puppies, need a series of shots every 3-4 weeks starting at about six weeks of age until they are about 20 weeks old.
If your dog or puppy becomes listless, doesn’t want to eat or drink, or shows signs of bloody diarrhea; then you need to seek medical care for them right away. Treatment is usually antibiotics and IV’s to rehydrate the fluid levels of the animal, as well as keeping their body temperature at the appropriate level. The vet must also balance the electrolytes of the dog/puppy. Even once our puppies came home from the veternarian’s office we had to give them electrolytes; we bought packets of it from Tractor Supply stores. In some cases, vets must give affected dogs blood transfusions. Many dogs die from this virus; those that get immediate medical treatment stand a better chance of survival.
Once you have seen a dog suffering from the Parvo-virus, you will never forget it. The devastation is horrendous…the symptoms unforgettable. Please vaccinate your dogs for this virus so that you are not put in the position of watching your dogs suffer and die.
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While the death of Oprah’s puppy is extremely sad, I’m glad that the public is learning more about Parvo and how important it is to prevent this disease. One note, the BEST way to prevent parvo in your puppy is to AVOID taking them out in public areas that other dogs frequent until they are fully vaccinated! No Petsmart trips, no dogpark – not until they have received their entire series of vaccines!