Parvo Symptoms - A Puppy Owners Guide

Well, it's true, and I'm not exagerrating or being overly dramatic.

Parvo virus is one of the most contagious and deadly canine illnesses around, and it can be a death sentence for young, unvaccinated puppies.

There are several different strains of Parvo, but the most common types affect the intestinal tract and produce a very specific set of symptoms. If left untreated, these can progress very rapidly and can kill a puppy within 24 - 48 hours.

You can learn all about the canine Parvo virus, how it's transmitted and how it's treated on my Parvo In Puppies page. On this page I want to give you all the information I can on the symptoms of Parvo, so that you'll know how to tell if your puppy could be at risk.

Most Common Parvo Symptoms

Here are the the signs of Canine Parvovirus which are most often seen. Your puppy may only display one or two of them at first, but generally all of these will be present in a puppy with Parvo.

Bear in mind that the disease progresses very, very quickly and a pup who only seems mildly unwell early in the day, could be seriously ill by bedtime.

• Diarrhea - Severe and repeated diarrhea is probably one of the most well known symptoms of Parvo. Loose stools turn into watery/bloody diarrhea very quickly, and it has a distinctively strong smell.
• Vomiting - Repeated vomiting is next on the list. It may start off as a few mouthfuls of food, deteriorating until it becomes an almost constant retching/vomiting (often liquid or foam) and an inability to keep food/water down.
• Lethargy - This is one of the Parvo symptoms that you may be less aware of. Lethargy is usually an extreme tiredness, and a puppy with Parvo often seems totally exhausted, and doesn't want to move, play or interact at all.
• Loss of Appetite - Pups with Parvovirus usually can't even be tempted with their favorite treats. They may eat one piece, only to vomit it back up, and they won't want their kibble.
• Fever - This is one of the Parvo symptoms that it is difficult to recognize, but if your pup has the symptoms mentioned above, chances are he is running a fever too. For dogs, 103F - 104F and above is considered a fever.
• Dehydration - Repeated vomiting, diarrhea and a fever, combined with the internal actions of the virus itself, results in rapid dehydration. This is often what kills a Parvo puppy. Signs of dehydration include sunken eyes, dry-rubbery gums, and skin which loses it's elasticity.

In addition to the Parvo symptoms that you can see, there are other things going on inside your puppy.....

The 'enteritis' (intestinal) form of Canine Parvovirus attacks and kills the cells lining your pups intestines, and prevents him from being able to absorb nutrients or fluids. It also lowers the white blood cell count, and attacks the lymph nodes and bone marrow. This causes sepsis, shock, acute respiratory distress and other symptoms.

Your veterinarian can detect Parvo by examining a stool sample from your puppy. Blood tests are also available, but take longer to analyze.

I think my puppy has Parvo, what should I do?

Parvo is a virus, so there is no 'cure' as such, BUT getting IMMEDIATE veterinary attention for a pup showing parvo symptoms can make the difference between life and death..... every minute counts here!

The rapid and severe dehydration, blood loss, sepsis, and organ damage caused by Canine Parvovirus is usually fatal if not treated right away. So, I really can't stress this enough......

If your pup is showing symptoms of Parvo, get him to your veterinarians office (or a 24 hour emergency pet hospital) IMMEDIATELY.

Intesive supportive care is the only way that you can give your puppy a chance at beating this disease!

Making sure that your puppy gets all his puppy shots on time is the best way to protect your puppy from Parvo, and all the other serious, contagious dog illnesses that he is susceptible to.

Find out everything you need to know about vaccinating your pup on my Puppy Vaccinations page, and keep your little one safe.

Search here for more information on Rottweiler health issues or anything else you want to know about this breed........

Parvo In Puppies

Dog Diarrhea

Puppy Vaccinations

Rottweiler Dogs

Your Rottweiler Puppy

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