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What Is Parvo, And How Can You Treat Parvo At Home?
Contamination • Transmission • Symptoms • Natural Immunity • Vaccination
Prevention • Incubation • Duration Of Parvo • Treatment Options • Parvaid
The Importance Of Antibiotics • Decontamination • Disinfection
If The Worst Happens • Parvo Evolution • Survival • Learn More
Parvo, or Canine Parvovirus (CPV for short), is a viral disease that attacks the lining of the intestinal tract and immune system of dogs, and especially puppies, who are more prone to this virus than adult dogs.
It has been known and identifiable since 1978 and can be transmitted by direct or indirect contact with vomit or diarrhea from an infected dog.
The Parvovirus can cause vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, depression, dehydration, high fever and sudden death.
Parvo is often fatal and strikes suddenly, causing your pet to become extremely ill, even though your dog may be up and playing just hours beforehand. Without treatment the animal often dies within a few days.
Dehydration is the number one cause of death with the Parvovirus, which is caused by the frequent diarrhea and vomiting that leads to extreme shock.
They can also pass away from loss of blood, major organ failure, infection (caused by the intestinal barrier being broken down, allowing harmful bacteria to invade the entire body) and low blood sugar.
Parvo is most often fatal, especially if untreated, but if an infected puppy does survive, a complete recovery can occur. Typically, however, survivors remain somewhat unhealthy and weak for life.
So, What Options Do You Have?
Option |
Pros And Cons |
Take your dog to the vet's |
- This can be very expensive, with costs on average ranging from $500 - $6,000 per dog.
- You will also find that many vets will only give your dog a 50:50 chance of surviving the Parvo.
- Leaving your dog at the vet's will be more stressful, which can slow down your dog's recovery.
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Treat your dog at home using our safe, herbal products |
- You can treat several dogs for less than the cost of taking just one dog to the vet's. Typical costs, including overnight shipping, for several puppies or one adult dog are $150 - $200.
- The success rate when using products such as Parvaid™, Vibactra Plus and Life Cell Immune Support is about 90%.
- Treating your dog in the comfort of a familiar environment is less stressful to your dog.
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Have your dog put down |
- Many people consider this to be their only option when they find out how expensive treatment at the vet's can be but it's a gut-wrenching decision to have to make, and in most cases, an unnecessary one as more cost-effective solutions exist.
- There is still a cost involved, although it will be a lot cheaper than the cost of vet's treatment. It's hard to be specific, but we've seen costs of anywhere from $50 - $300 per dog (which can be just as expensive as the cost of using our safe, herbal products).
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Do nothing |
- 80% of dogs will die within four days of Parvo symptoms first appearing if no treatment is administered.
- During this period, your dog will be dying an excruciating death - not something you want to have to watch, especially if you have children too!
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Read on to discover the answers to many of the Parvo FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) that you may have.
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It is because Parvo is so aggressive and works so quickly that we strongly encourage you to have the products contained in our Parvo Treatment Value Pack on hand always, as you really don't have much time!
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If you want to find our which products we recommend in your particular situation, regardless of whether your dogs currently have Parvo or not, then please use our unique Product Selector.
Contamination • Transmission • Symptoms • Natural Immunity • Vaccination
Prevention • Incubation • Duration Of Parvo • Treatment Options • Parvaid
The Importance Of Antibiotics • Decontamination • Disinfection
If The Worst Happens • Parvo Evolution • Survival • Learn More
Contamination
Unlike the distemper virus, the canine parvovirus is not enveloped in fat, which means that it is especially hardy in the environment. In fact, it is so hardy that it is considered "ubiquitous", and this means that no environment is free from this virus unless it is regularly disinfected.
Infected dogs shed the virus (in their stools) in massive amounts during the two weeks following exposure, which means there is a tremendous potential for environmental contamination when an infected dog has been present.
Transmission
Canine Parvovirus is carried by dogs. Adult dogs may be infected, but without showing any clinical signs - they merely act as carriers. Dogs with the typical diarrhea that parvovirus causes shed the virus as well.
Parvo is extremely contagious. It is passed in the feces or vomit of an infected dog. It can be brought into your yard on your tires, on your feet or clothing after handling an infected animal (and this is probably why it spread worldwide so quickly after it first appeared). It can be passed from yard to yard by birds carrying the virus on their feet or people going "kennel-hopping" carrying the virus on clothing or shoes.
The Parvovirus is hard to kill and is shed in large numbers by infected dogs. One ounce of feces can carry millions of particles of the virus. This means a fly can land in an infected area then land in your yard and infect that space. Some kennel owners ask that their visitors bleach the bottom of their shoes, wash their hands in bleach water and put gowns on before allowing contact with the puppies. These are excellent precautions to take, and reduce the risk, but they are not a guarantee that the puppies will be protected from the Parvovirus. Many kennel owners who have taken these precautions still end up occasionally contracting Parvo in their kennel. We have seen this situation many times.
A parvoviral infection can therefore be picked up anywhere, although it is easier to pick up an infection in an area where an infected dog has been present simply because of the larger amounts of virus present in a contaminated area.
Whether an individual dog gets infected or not depends primarily on the number of viral particles that the dog experiences, but also on what kind of immune experience the dog has had with the virus before (e.g. has it been vaccinated, has it previously been infected, how much past exposure has it had), and the individual dog's overall health, which is affected by factors such as diet and stress.
For some reason, Doberman Pinschers, German Shepherds, Pit Bulls, Labrador Retrievers and Rottweilers, as well as other black and tan breeds seem to be particularly prone to Parvo, and seem to succumb to it faster and with a lower chance of recovery than any other breed.
Conversely, Toy Poodles and Cockers appear to be at a reduced risk of contracting this disease (**).
It is important to remember, however, that any breed can get Parvovirus, so be sure to keep your dog's vaccinations up to date.
A typical or average infectious dose for an unvaccinated dog is 1,000 viral particles. For some dogs, much less is required, whereas for other dogs, much more is needed. An infected dog sheds 35 million viral particles (that's 35,000 times the typical infectious dose) per ounce of stool.
** Breed information from The Merck Veterinary Manual, 8th ed.
Symptoms
The symptoms may not appear in order. Every dog is different and will begin the symptoms in different stages.
- You may notice your dog is not playing as much and seems to be lying around a lot more.
- Vomiting - The vomit is yellow froth (bile).
- Diarrhea or loose stools - Diarrhea has a very foul odor (worse than any smell you have encountered). It starts out with a yellowish or greenish looking stool then turns into a dark-brown-runny stool. Note that if the stools are a light brown color, like peanut butter, then this could indicated that your dog has Parvo in addition to something else (e.g. worms, coccidia, or a bacterial information).
- Depression
- Fever - temperatures can spike as high as 107 degrees.
- They will dehydrate very quickly becoming skin and bones in a very short time.
Note: Please read the information about the 2c strain of Parvo Virus (aka F-Strain) in the Parvo Evolution section, below.
Very few dogs survive without intervention of some kind.
If your Parvo puppy has been recently vaccinated or wormed use our Vaccination and Wormer Detox to help increase the chance of survival.
This is precisely why you must use a strong disinfectant in your living areas.
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"Parvo is real and deadly and more people need to be aware of it so together we can stop the spread of this vicious virus!! Don't let my story happen to you!! Be prepared - keep Parvaid on hand."
Stacey, Saskatchewan, Canada
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Get Started Now!
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Natural Immunity
When puppies are first born, they are totally unable to make antibodies against any infectious invader. They would be completely unprotected except that nature has created a method of protecting them.
Their mother secretes a special milk, called colostrum, for the first day or two after giving birth. Colostrum contains all the antibodies that the mother dog has circulating in her own body and in this way, she gives her own immune experience to her off-spring. These antibodies protect her puppies until they wear off sometime during the first four months of life.
Not all puppies receive the same amount of antibodies, and that's because the amount of colostrum each puppy gets varies on factors such as the order of its birth, and how strong a nurser it is.
Every nine days, the antibody levels possessed by the puppies decrease by half. When the antibodies drop to a certain level, the puppies no longer have enough antibodies to protect them, and if they are then exposed to a large enough number of viral particles, they will get infected.
There is about a week or so during which time the puppy has no antibody protection left over from its mother, but it is still not yet able to respond to vaccination. This period is where even the most well cared for puppies can get infected.
We therefore recommend that puppies be restricted from public outdoor areas until their vaccination series is completed at the age of 16 weeks.
Vaccination
Vaccination is usually recommended, and research indicates that a single immunizing dose (which is not the same as a single shot) can provide life-long immunity to Parvo.
A more cautious approach would be to give puppies their first shot at nine weeks, a second at 12 weeks, and a third at 16 - 20 weeks. One more booster 12 months after this has been shown to provide protection for at least seven years, and maybe longer (additional studies are still awaited on this).
So, if your vet tries to tell you that you need to give your dogs annual booster shots, don't believe him. This is not necessary, and could actually cause more problems than it solves (which is often the case with chemical-laden prescription drugs).
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There is growing evidence to suggest that over-vaccination (e.g. annual booster shots for adult dogs) can have serious health implications, including immune system problems and arthritis. You should therefore consult your vet and do your own research to decide what is best for your own dogs.
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You should not give (modified) live CPV vaccinations to a puppy that is less than five weeks old. This is because of the potential danger to cells that are still dividing and developing (see our Incubation section, below). You can, however, give killed CPV vaccinations to such young puppies.
Remember, puppies do not have any immune protection when they are born - the only immunity they get is from their mother's colostrum. Research has shown that the quality of the received immunity can vary greatly within a single litter: some puppies get more or less immunity from their mother's colostrum depending upon how much they nurse during the first 24 hours, how much colostrum there is in the milk, as well as several other factors. It's therefore vital to get those first shots in between six and eight weeks, and then to continue with your puppy's full vaccination shot series.
At six weeks, the puppy may or may not still have immunity from their mother. He may therefore fight off the vaccination that he is given at six weeks, because the vaccination contains modified live CPV, and consequently get no lasting immunity from it at all. That's why it's necessary to repeat some of these shots several times until it's absolutely certain that the maternal immunity has gone and the vaccination has taken effect. Only then will your puppy be safely immunized from Parvo and other such potentially deadly diseases.
However, this same research has shown that the effectiveness of different brands of vaccine can vary dramatically: some are 100% effective, while others, given at the same age, have no effect at all. According to this research, the most effective brands are PROGARD and Duramune; the least effective brands are Galaxy, Adenomune, and RM.
Other information suggests that PROGARD is the most effective vaccine, followed by Fort Dodge (although this can have a fairly high reaction rate because of some of the additives it contains), and then Vanguard. However, most vets use Sentrypar, Galaxy, Eclipse or Vanguard, and a few use Fort Dodge, while almost none use PROGARD - it's all about availability and cost.
Finally, it's worth noting that PROGARD guarantees that your dog is protected against diseases covered by the PROGARD Promise: if your dog is diagnosed with any of those diseases, Intervet Inc. (the manufacturer) will pay up to $500 towards the cost of treatment and $500 to the owner in the unlikely event of death.
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Note: Vaccination does not offer a 100% guarantee that your dog will not be infected with Parvo. However, Intervet 154 strain of Parvo vaccine has been 100% challenge-tested for the 2c strain of Parvo in Europe.
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Prevention
Other than the obvious step of vaccinating your dog, there are some other precautions you can take to try to prevent your pets, and other people's, from being infected with Parvo:
- Don't let your dogs near other animals' waste in your yard.
- Don't let them eat rodents, as rodents can carry the disease.
- Keep your dogs away from waste at parks and other public places.
- Try to keep your dogs away from each other's rear ends, as Parvovirus is extremely contagious.
- You might want to wash your dog's feet before it gets in your car, so keeping a supply of liquid soap, a gallon of water, a washcloth, and a plastic bag in your car may come in handy. Just be certain to remember to bleach the rag and anything else it touched once you arrive home again.
- You should pick up after your dogs, whether you think they are infected or not, at parks and other public places. This is important even if your dog shows no signs of Parvo (or any other disease), because a healthy dog can still be a carrier for this virus. That means that the next dog to step in that waste might not be so lucky, and may end up being infected and then having to fight for its life.
- Make sure that your dogs have plenty of fresh water available to them at all times, because proper hydration is vital to maintaining a healthy immune system and fighting illness.
- Dogs that are neutered or spayed are less likely to contract Parvo because they are less likely to seek contact with other dogs.
With the best will in the world, you can't possibly bleach everything, indoors and out, but the more steps you can take, the better chance your doggie will have of not being infected.
Incubation
The usual incubation time (i.e. from being infected to showing symptoms and testing positive) for Parvo is three to seven days, although it can take as long as 15 days for symptoms to appear. When the virus is introduced into the body, through the mouth, it finds its way into the lymph glands of the animal's throat and incubates.
After a couple of days, so many viruses have been produced that significant amounts of it are released into the bloodstream. Over the next three to four days, the virus seeks out new organs containing the rapidly dividing cells it needs: the bone marrow and the delicate intestinal cells.
Within the bone marrow, the virus will destroy young immune system cells. By killing these cells, it knocks out the body's best defense mechanism and guarantees itself a reign of terror in the gastro-intestinal tract, where its most devastating effects occur. All parvoviral infections are characterized by a reduction in white blood cell count because of the bone marrow infection. Seeing this on a blood test may help clinch a diagnosis of parvoviral infection. Also, a veterinarian may choose to monitor the white blood cell count or even try to artificially raise the white blood cell count in an infected puppy through treatment.
Because the puppy’s immune system is compromised, infection can result, which makes an antibiotic extremely necessary.
It is in the gastro-intestinal tract where the most severe damage occurs. The normal intestine possesses little finger-like protrusions called villi. Having these tiny fingers greatly increases the surface area available for the absorption of fluid and nutrients. To make the surface area available for absorption even greater, the villi possess microvilli, which are microscopic protrusions. The cells of the villi are relatively short-lived and are therefore replaced by new cells all of the time. The source of the new cells is the rapidly dividing area at the foot of the villi called the Crypts of Lieberkuhn, and it is here where the parvovirus strikes.
Without new cells coming from the Crypt of Lieberkuhn, the villi become unable to absorb nutrients. Diarrhea in large quantities results, as well as nausea. The barrier that separates the digestive bacteria from the blood stream breaks down, so the diarrhea becomes bloody and bacteria can enter the body causing widespread infection (remember that the virus has simultaneously destroyed the ability of the body's natural immune system to respond).
Finally, Parvo can also damage the heart of very young puppies, including unborn ones. So if your dog is pregnant, those puppies are at risk too, even before they are born, so you should remove any pregnant dogs from an environment that you know to be infected.
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During the incubation stage, the Parvo is invisible - there are no external signs or symptoms to indicate that there is a ticking time-bomb deep within your doggie's body.
And yet, from the moment the Parvo reveals itself, via one or more of the symptoms described above, your beloved pet may have as little as six hours left to live.
So, wouldn't you rather be prepared, should this nightmare turn to reality for you?
Protect Your Dog Now!
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Duration Of Parvo
Parvo puppies treated with Parvaid™ are generally ready to eat on their own within two days (less than ˝ the time than those not treated with Parvaid™ and Vibactra Plus).
If the puppy has recently been vaccinated or wormed before becoming sick, the time frame will be longer, up to one week, depending on the puppy's immune system. We recommend using the Vaccination and Wormer Detox to help increase the survival rate.
When a puppy is trying to overcome more than one obstacle (Parvo and worms, Parvo and Coccidia, etc.) it can take over a week. If treated early, the average is four to five days.
Be patient, calm and consistent with your puppy. If you are stressed and upset, your puppy will feel this too. Try to keep the environment as quiet and relaxed as you can, so that your puppy feels safe and secure. A calm and soothing environment supports their immune system, as much as it can support ours.
Treatment Options
Like all viruses, there is no cure. All you can do is to try to keep the dog alive by preventing dehydration and the loss of proteins by giving fluids, electrolytes, controlling the body temperature, giving blood transfusions when necessary, and regulating systems in the body during the course of the disease.
Here is a list of options you have in caring for your Parvo infected puppy (there may be other options available):
- Veterinarian Care - Your veterinarian will treat the symptoms of Parvo by giving fluids, supportive care and antibiotics. If your puppy is very ill your veterinarian may suggest that you end your puppy's life. (You may opt to give your vet the Parvaid™, Vibactra Plus and Life Cell Immune Support to use in addition to veterinarian treatment).
Note, however, that this may cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to over $1,000, per dog.
- Home care with veterinarian supportive care - It may be an option to treat your puppy at home and transport him or her to the veterinarian for daily IV fluids.
- A third option would be to treat your puppy at home, using safe, all-natural products such as Parvaid™, Vibactra Plus and Life Cell Immune Support.
Parvaid™
Parvaid™ is an all natural herbal formula which may help your animals overcome the deadly disease Parvo.
Success has been reported with other similar ailments such as colic, corona, diarrhea, distemper, e-coli, ghiardia, and vomiting.
The Importance of Antibiotics
An antibiotic is recommended by veterinarians for the treatment of Parvo (due to the lack of white blood cells the body is producing) to prevent secondary infections.
The Parvo is also in the intestinal tract eating through the lining, which can also cause secondary infections. The infections, if not treated, will cause the puppy to become extremely ill and can cause death.
Because of the changes with Parvo and its imitators over the last few years, we recommend giving both Vibactra Plus (our doggie antibiotic) and Life Cell Immune Support in addition to Parvaid™. Vibactra Plus has been designed to help your dog fight off parasites, viral and bacterial infections, while Life Cell Immune Support is an immune system booster.
Other antibiotics (but not Baytril) can be used in addition to Vibactra Plus if given at half strength. Keep in mind that antibiotics will take out both the good and bad bacteria in the intestinal tract. It is necessary for the health of the intestinal tract that the good bacteria remain.
You must give some acidophilus (also known as probiotics) at least once a day in order to replenish the good bacteria that the intestinal tract needs. Do not give the probiotics at the same time as the Vibactra Plus or antibiotic - give at least one hour before or after.
Decontamination
Indoors, canine parvovirus loses its infectivity within one month, therefore it should be safe to introduce a new puppy indoors one month after the active infection has ended.
Outdoors, the virus can survive freezing temperatures, so if the outdoors is contaminated and is frozen, you must wait for it to thaw out before safely introducing a new puppy.
Shaded areas should be considered contaminated for nine months, while areas that are exposed to good levels of sunlight should be considered contaminated for five months. However, it has been known to survive for over a year, with some experts suggesting it can live for 20 years or more, so be careful!
This also means that if your yard has been infected, you should try to keep all puppies out of it for at least one year.
Of course, this assumes that no other decontamination steps, over and above simply waiting, have been taken.
Finally, please bear in mind that your puppy will continue to shed the virus for two weeks (some vets claim it can be as many as six weeks), even after he or she has recovered. You should therefore consider quarantining your home and yourself from other puppies for the next six weeks, and then do a thorough cleaning.
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If you have more than one dog, and at least one of them is infected by Parvo, it is highly likely that all of your other dogs will become infected too.
You should therefore give these other dogs preventative doses of at least Parvaid, Vibactra Plus and Life Cell Immune Support immediately to stop them developing full-blown Parvo!
Protect Your Dogs Now!
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Disinfection
Despite the introduction of new cleaners with all sorts of claims, parvovirus remains almost impossible to completely remove from an environment. The goal of decontamination is therefore to reduce the number of viral particles to an acceptable level.
The best and most effective disinfectant against most viruses (including parvoviruses) is bleach. One part of bleach should be mixed with 30 parts of water and should then be applied to bowls, floors, surfaces, toys, bedding, and anything contaminated that is colour-fast or for which colour changes are not important. Bleach completely kills parvovirus.
However, we must point out that bleach is a harsh chemical, even when diluted, and it is not something you want your dogs to ingest. We would therefore strongly recommend that you do try a safer cleaner (e.g. Ken Care, KennelSol, Parv O Way, or Trifectant), as dogs will lick anything they can reach, regardless of what substance or chemical may be present.
Disinfection becomes a problem for surfaces you can't bleach, such as carpets and lawns. For carpets, a thorough steam clean will certainly help, and you can either do this yourself or you can hire a professional to do it for you. Since carpets are mainly indoors, you may be best simply waiting at least one month for the virus to die off before allowing any puppies access to the area.
Outdoors, if good drainage is available, a thorough watering down of the entire area may dilute any virus present so that the number of viral particles is reduced to an acceptable level.
You should also discard all feces from any infected dogs, but be careful! Humans can also spread the virus on their hands if they touch feces from an infected dog and then touch another dog, especially a puppy, without washing their hands thoroughly. Tiny amounts of fecal material on the infected dog's coat can contain massive numbers of viral organisms that can easily be transmitted to susceptible dogs.
Don't forget too to disinfect your clothes and shoes (use bleach or a professional veterinary laundry detergent in your wash). This is especially important if you've been in an environment that you suspect may be infected with the virus, such as a vet's office or a kennel. Remove your shoes before you come inside your home and disinfect them.
Finally, note that boiling water will not kill the virus.
If The Worst Happens
If you are unlucky enough to lose any of your dogs to Parvo, it is recommended that you wait between six months and a year before putting a new puppy or non-vaccinated dog into an infected environment (even if you have disinfected it).
To immediately bring an animal into a situation where one has recently died of Parvo is a virtual death sentence for the new puppy.
It is strongly recommended that there be no movement of dogs in or out of a kennel until 30 days have passed since the last dog either recovered or died.
Do not take your puppy out of your home where it can infect or be infected until it has had the complete series of shots. By keeping it isolated you may save its life.
Parvo Evolution
As if all of this wasn't bad enough, like almost every virus, Parvo is constantly evolving. During the Spring of 2007, for example, a new, more virulent strain appeared, and really made its presence felt in places such as Texas, Georgia and California, initially. However since then, the following states are now suffering from this variant: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Tennessee. In some states, puppies were being put down in an attempt to halt the spread of the virus.
This has popularly become known as the F-Strain Parvo Virus, although it is more correctly named the 2c strain, and may be the seventh mutation to appear since it was first recognized in 1978. It appears to have crossed the Atlantic from Europe to North America, and is suspected to be airborne.
This strain is more deadly than the other strains of Parvo and needs to be treated more aggressively. Dogs contracting this new strain will have accelerated symptoms, and infected dogs usually die of dehydration and shock because it typically attacks the intestines causing severe, bloody diarrhea and vomiting. Making matters worse, it prevents the absorption of nutrients and fluids.
As a further complication, it can also attack a dog's heart causing congestive heart failure. This complication can occur months or years after an apparent recovery from the intestinal form of the disease.
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This is why we strongly encourage you to have the products contained in our Parvo Treatment Value Pack on hand always, as you really don't have much time!
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As we stress throughout this site, time is of the essence when dealing with Parvo, but this is even more true with the 2c strain: from the time that symptoms first appear to the time of death can be as little as six hours!
You therefore need to start treating the virus immediately, and that includes providing your sick doggie with fluids and electrolytes to offset what he is losing.
The 2c strain symptoms you should look out for are:
- gelatin-like stools, with some blood
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