Parvovirus in puppies: signs and what to do
Parvo kills many unvaccinated puppies in Guyana. Vomiting and bloody diarrhoea in a puppy means go to a vet today.
General guidance, awaiting review by a Guyanese vet. Always ask a vet about your own animal.
Canine parvovirus spreads very easily between dogs. Puppies from about 6 weeks to 6 months old and dogs that haven’t been vaccinated are most at risk. The virus is passed in faeces and can live in soil and on shoes, hands, bowls and bedding for months.
Signs
- Not eating and very low energy, often first.
- Vomiting.
- Diarrhoea, often with blood and a strong smell.
- Fever, or feeling cold and weak as they get worse.
Puppies can become dangerously dehydrated and die within days.
What to do
- Go to a vet the same day. Call ahead so they can keep your puppy away from other dogs. Puppies treated early, usually with a drip, have a much better chance.
- Don’t force food or water and don’t give human medicines or home remedies.
- Keep the sick puppy away from other dogs, and wash your hands and change clothes after handling them.
Prevent it
- Give the full course of puppy vaccines and the boosters your vet advises. See vaccines.
- Keep puppies at home, away from unknown dogs and places where strays gather, until the course is finished.
- After a case of parvo, clean hard surfaces with diluted household bleach (about 1 part bleach to 30 parts water) and ask your vet how long to wait before bringing a new puppy home.
Cats get a similar disease, feline panleukopenia. The kitten vaccine protects against it.