This is a public service announcement about PARVO. The information on this post was gathered from a discussion amongst experienced rescuers. We all agree that we learned something from the discussion. We wanted to share that with our Facebook friends. Im sure you all noticed how many pups are either currently sick with parvo or passed from parvo recently. .. if youve ever dealt with it, you know its deadly and its QUICK. The big three signs are lethargy, vomiting and bloody diarrhea. (Fever is sometimes present) In MY experience, lethargy was first. Most dogs, especially pups are in go mode when theyre awake. If your pup just wants to sleep, you need to pay attention to their drinking, eating and pooping habits. Personally, I get nervous if they dont wag their tail...it is my first red flag. Parvo, if caught early, can be cured, although Im not going to lie, the death rate is high..but please dont think your dog has an absolute death sentence if they get it. It is VERY CONTAGIOUS. A sick dog needs to be separated asap. They get it through poop. You know how gross pups can be, poop is everywhere.. but think about this. YOU could be tracking it all over the place on the bottoms of your shoes. If you have been anywhere near a parvo pup, do everyone a favor and sanitize you shoes with bleach water....just sayin. Your dog will lose interest in eating and drinking, then they start throwing up and having diarrhea (usually bloody) that leads to dehydration. That will throw off their whole system (electrolytes, sugar, ect) They have to stay hydrated, period. A lot of us use Pedialyte but honestly you NEED to get them to a vet asap. They will do a quick test and youll know in minutes. Usually the pup gets antibiotics, anti nausea meds and fluids. It really depends on how sick it is. If you have a bunch of pups together, most likely they have all been exposed, tell the vet and plan on treating everyone. According to some sites, the pup can still be contagious for up to six weeks AFTER having parvo.. you might want to ask the vet. Ok.. now cleaning up, its a lot of damn work. You need to pretty much bleach everything ! Any area the pup was in for sure, plus bedding, blankets and dont forget any area you were waddling around in. Youre best bet after that, is to stay away from getting pups for awhile. . but if thats not an option, do the work and clean everything. As a courtesy you should tell anyone thats been around your pup. . especially if they have pups at home. And YES parvo can live in the area for a year, maybe more, so cleaning up is NOT an option. And of course the best thing you can do is vaccinate your dogs. Pups start getting the shots at 5 or 6 weeks, although Ive heard all kinds of ages, Im not a vet so ask them. My advice is and will always be, get them to a vet asap. I hope this is helpful to the people who have sick pups and arent sure what to look for..there are many, many experienced rescuers and fosters on this page and this disease had touched all of us. ..its a horrible, deadly disease. Feel free to ask questions but Remember your BEST chance of saving your dog is getting them vaccinated and if they show any symptoms, get them to the vet immediately. ♥♥♥ One thing I would like to add is this. Think about an animal hospital or clinic. Now think of people that just dont know, maybe its their first pet and he becomes ill. They take him to the vet and because they are nice people and dont want to make a mess inside and they know their puppy has had diarrhea, they take him to the nearest grassy patch to go. And if youve seen parvo poop, you know its usually just water. It disappears into the grass...its gone right? Nope, so they take their puppy in to get checked set him on the floor where his little feet that have just stepped a little in the water mess he just did outside. Owners sign in and go sit down and set there puppy on the bench with still a little wetness on his paws. Once in the room the test is done..Parvo. But the damage is done, its everywhere. A couple days later along comes someone with a healthy pup for his shots. Thinks the same thing, lets poop or pee outside, sets him on the same grassy patch. Takes him in exam is fine, puppy gets shots goes home a week later hes sick. Why? Parvo lives a long time in the grass, up to 2 years as far as I know. Even after 2 shots a puppy is not protected. ...Basically my point is, when you take your puppy to the vet DO NOT set him down ANYWHERE! Not in the grass, the parking lot, the counter, the floor, the bench or chair next to you. Not even on a scale if there is one in the lobby. If you get in an exam room, most places are good about disinfecting, but boy Ive seen some...Dont set your puppy on the table if you see hairs or anything that makes it seem it hasnt been disinfected. You never know who was there before you. Sorry...I didnt mean to write a book. I learned the hard way never to take a puppy to any pet stores. I went for a collar . I tracked Parvovirus to Petsmark. I spoke to the manager. They have a small warning sign by the door. I cringe every time I see someone in the store with a puppy. Without two shots they are in danger. My vet told me not to take a puppy out of my yard until it has had both shots. I HATE Parvovirus. I would not put a puppy on the ground in a public place until after the puppy shot series is complete. The shots take around 72 hours to kick in for the pups body to start making antibodies. Too young (under 5 weeks) pups bodies will not produce antibodies. It takes a series of at least 3 shots to bring full protection from Parvovirus.
Posted on: Sat, 26 Apr 2014 05:15:25 +0000
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