Dog Parvo Virus

The Parvo virus is one of the biggest health concerns a dog owner can have. The disease is highly contagious, affects mostly puppies and young dogs and can be fatal. There is a vaccine for the Parvo virus but, unfortunately, the virus doesn't protect fully against the disease. If you want to keep your dog healthy and Parvo free, then you need to know how the disease is spread and what precautions you can take to stop your dog from getting it.

Parvo is a virus that attacks the digestive system of dogs and puppies. It specifically affects the lining of the stomach and intestines, and it makes the dog unable to absorb fluids or nutrients. This results in bloody diarrhea, and if left untreated, can cause dehydration that will result in the death of the dog.

Parvo is much more common in puppies than it is mature dogs, although it can and does affect dogs of any age. This is because puppies do not have the developed immune system that adult dogs have, and because they are often in situations where they are more likely to be exposed to the Parvo virus.

Canine Parvovirus affects (but is not limited to) the following organs or anatomical structures: - Heart - Gastrointestinal Tract

Parvo first manifests as a high fever and lethargy, with depression and loss of appetite also being common symptoms. The disease then proceeds to vomiting and diarrhea, with the diarrhea often being particularly bad smelling with a distinct yellow look. The end stages of the disease results in dehydration, shock and often death.

Heart failure is also a possibility for a dog infected with Parvo, if the virus moves into the heart. This can occur years after the initial infection, leading to unexpected sudden death. Indeed, puppies that survive Parvo tend to be sicklier and less robust than other dogs.

Parvo is an extremely lethal disease for puppies, and as many as eighty percent will die without treatment. Even with treatment, there is still a twenty percent mortality rate. There is no sure guarantee cure for the Parvo virus; treatment consists of giving the infected dog IV fluids on the hour every hour in order to keep them from dying of dehydration.

One of the reasons that Parvo is so dangerous is that the virus is extremely hardy. It's transmitted through contact with feces from an infected dog, and the virus can live in ground that was exposed to the fecal matter for as long as six months.Even disinfectants and other cleaners are not completely effective at destroying the virus, although chlorine bleach is the most effective cleaner for it. Given the seriousness of the disease and the difficulty with which it's destroyed, dog owners need to be extremely careful with infected dogs.

The best way to prevent Parvo is to keep your puppies vaccinated. Never take your puppy outdoors for walks if it has not received its full set of shots. The vaccine is not completely effective, but it dramatically enhances your dog's resistance. If there is an outbreak of Parvo, make sure to keep infected dogs quarantined and make sure to clean up feces and clean any area where the infected dog has been with chlorine bleach.

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