What Is Parvo?
The canine parvovirus causes parvo in puppies. This virus is highly contagious and spreads through direct contact with an infected dog or indirect contact with a contaminated object. Your puppy is exposed to the parvovirus whenever he sniffs, licks, or consumes infected poop. Indirect transmission occurs when a person recently exposed to an infected dog touches your puppy or when a puppy encounters a contaminated object, like a food bowl, collars and leashes, and the hands and clothing of people who handle infected dogs. That’s why it’s so important to use a parvo disinfectant.
The veterinarian classifies the virus as a disease of the stomach and small intestines, as this is where the virus does the most damage. The virus prefers to infect the small intestine, where it destroys cells, impairs absorption, and disrupts the gut barrier. Parvo in puppies also affects the bone marrow and lymphopoietic tissue and, in some cases, can also affect the heart.
Why Do Puppies Get Parvo?
Puppies ages six weeks to six months are the most susceptible to parvo. Puppies younger than six weeks old still retain some of their mother’s antibodies, assuming that the dam received her entire series of parvo vaccinations. Puppies are vaccinated at approximately 6, 8, and 12 weeks of age. They are vulnerable to the disease until receiving all three shots in their vaccination series. This means owners need to take extra precautions during this time to prevent their puppies from contracting the virus. Puppies should receive a dose of canine parvovirus vaccine between 14 and 16 weeks of age, regardless of how many doses they received earlier, to develop adequate protection.
The severity of parvo cases varies. Weaning stress, which weakens the immune system, can lead to more severe cases in puppies. A combination of parvo and a secondary infection or a parasite can also lead to a more severe parvo in puppies.
How Long Are Puppies With Parvo Contagious?
Puppies and adult dogs with parvo start shedding the virus within 4 to 5 days of exposure. Unfortunately for conscientious owners, this period does not always coincide with the first parvo symptoms, which means dogs can be contagious before owners even realize they are sick. Puppies with parvo continue to shed the virus for up to 10 days after clinical recovery, so keep any puppies recovering from parvo away from unvaccinated and partially vaccinated dogs.
Outside of your dog, the virus can survive indoors for at least one month, and outdoors, it can survive for many months and even a year under the right conditions. Use a cleaner that effectively kills the virus. Talk to your vet about removing the parvovirus from your home environment or kennels.
Symptoms of Parvo in Puppies
A puppy with parvo is a very sick dog. The sooner you catch the early signs of the virus in puppies, the sooner you can get your dog to the vet. Since parvo is common in young puppies, you should call your vet any time your puppy is feeling under the weather, but you should also be aware of the specific symptoms of parvo in puppies:
Blood in stool
Vomiting
Lethargy
Loss of appetite
Weight loss
Weakness
Dehydration
Depression
These severe symptoms could be a sign of parvo or another severe illness. You should contact your vet immediately if you suspect your puppy has parvo. Be sure to notify the vet’s staff of your suspicions and your puppy’s symptoms so they can take the appropriate quarantine procedures to prevent your puppy from infecting other dogs.
Treating Parvo in Puppies
Your vet will diagnose parvo based on clinical signs and blood work. She may also run a test called an ELISA to search for virus antigens in your dog’s feces and will perform additional diagnostic testing as needed.
There is no cure for parvo. Your vet will care for your puppy throughout the illness, treating symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration and ensuring that your puppy gets good nutrition.
Serious viruses like parvo weaken a puppy’s immune system and lower their white blood cell count, reducing its ability to fight off secondary bacterial infections. The virus's damage to a dog’s intestinal wall increases the likelihood of a secondary infection. Your vet may put your puppy on antibiotics to combat these bacterial infections and will monitor your puppy carefully for additional complications.
Parvo is a potentially fatal disease. The survival rate of dogs treated by a veterinarian is 68 to 92 percent, and most puppies that survive the first three to four days completely recover. Recovery times vary depending on the severity of the case, but it usually takes approximately one week for puppies to recover from parvo.
Your veterinarian will explain the appropriate treatment steps for your puppy’s case and advise you about any precautionary steps you need to take for any other puppies and dogs in your household.
Preventing Parvo in Puppies
Parvo is a preventable virus. All puppies and adult dogs should receive their parvo vaccinations, and it is essential that bitches used for breeding receive an entire course of parvo vaccinations, as the puppies will depend on the mother’s antibodies for the first few weeks of life.
It would be best not to allow puppies to encounter unvaccinated dogs until they have received their parvo vaccines. Ensure all dogs in your household are vaccinated, and be very careful when socializing your puppy. Dog parks and other places where dogs congregate are potential sources of parvo, so plan on socializing your puppy in a less public environment.
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