Parvovirus ?The Most Deadly Virus for Dogs

One of the most common viral diseases in dogs is the Parvovirus. The word Parvo is Latin for small, and only a few grams of feces can contain upwards of millions of virus particles.

Ever since the late 1970's, this virus has wreaked havoc on dogs the world over, and caused many unforeseen deaths as it can be transmitted by direct, or even indirect, contact with dog vomit or feces from another infected dog. It is extremely important to get your dog vaccinated for Parvovirus so that you can be assured your dog will live a long healthy life with you.

While the symptoms of the Parvovirus may take 7 to 10 days before they become noticeable, any dog owner that is paying attention will notice the loss of appetite and lack of energy in the early stages. Once you notice this, you should take your dog in to have it checked out. If you wait to see if your dog gets better, there is a good chance that this slight change will take a drastic turn and cause your pet severe issues like massive dehydration and malnutrition. After the initial symptoms of appetite and energy are seen, your dog will start to display a wider range of symptoms including a high fever, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea. If your dog is showing these signs, you need immediate medical attention as soon as possible.

While the Parvovirus can infect adult dogs, it is more commonly found in small puppies as their immune system has not reached full ability to fight infections off yet. Puppies can pick this virus up easily if their mother has the virus while they are being born. If this is the case, there is little you can do to save the puppy unless it can make it through the first few weeks of its life and get vaccinated. While there is no cure once your dog catches the Parvovirus, the regiment usually consists of keeping your dog hydrated and maintaining its body temperature. Therefore, it is extremely important to make sure your dog is vaccinated for the Parvovirus before there is any chance that it could catch it.

Nothing is worse than watching your dog suffer, especially from something that is so easily prevented from a few vaccinations by your vet. You should make sure that your dog is caught up on all of its shots and keep an eye out for any symptoms.