Canine Parvovirus: The Most Infectious Disorder of Dogs in U.S

Canine Parvovirus, otherwise known as “Parvo” has become the most common infectious health disorder of dogs in the United States. The contagious virus is spread from dog to dog through contact with feces containing the virus. Parvo can be found on such inanimate objects as:

• Clothing

• Food Pans

• Cage Floors

• Bedding

• Dishes

• Kennel Floors

• Enteritis: severe vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, dark/bloody feces, fever, lower white blood cell counts

• Acute Enteritis: can progress rapidly and death can occur within two days from the date of the onset of the disease

• Gram Negative Bacteria, Parasites, and Other Viruses: can severely worsen the disease and cause a slower recovery time.

If left in the right conditions Parvo can last for years. Our best recommendations are to follow a good vaccination prevention plan that will protect all dogs of any age.

To avoid transmission, all fecal matter and vomit containing the virus must be discarded. Area cleaning is most effectively cleaned with Oxine AH as it will kill canine Parvo on contact. Oxine AH is nontoxic to animals and will provide the quickest kill rate in any environment. Quat Ammonia’s like bleach can be toxic to puppies and put strain on an already ailing respiratory system, we do not recommend their use.  It is recommended that all other canines that are 4 weeks or older need to be vaccinated that are not showing signs of the virus or are pregnant. They should immediately be vaccinated with NeoPar Canine Parvo Virus vaccine for immediate antibody build and protection from further outbreak.

How will you know if your dog is affected?

Once the clinical signs of Parvo are noticed other dogs may quickly become infected.  The duration of incubation and execution of Parvo within non-infected dogs will be with 7 to 10 days of age on average. You may see signs or infection of the virus in other dogs in a longer duration, but on most breaks will happen to other dogs within this time frame.

Clinical signs most associated with Parvo are as follows:

How can you Treat Parvo Virus?

You must first understand that once the clinical signs of Parvo are present, Parvo has completed its tasks.  There is no cure to Parvo.  There is only hope that the dog has the ability to recover from the devastating effects of Parvo.  First the dog must be isolated.  Second, the dog (any age) must be placed on a heating pad that has the ability to be controlled by a variant heating control plug and given IV Fluids to combat the mass de-hydration.  Anti-vomiting medications should be immediately administered if need by the dog.  A general antibiotic should be administered to help clean the blood stream.  Then they should be watch by a professional for further instruction and help.

How can I prevent my dog from contracting Parvo?

Prevention is the first key to success.  Vaccines are your only prevention method from Parvo.  The vaccine choices are many, but there is only one sure vaccine that provides the protection for both puppies and Adults against Parvo.  NeoPar is the highest titer vaccine on the market and protects and builds mass antibody titers against all known strains of Parvo, even including the new 2C strain recently discovered.  Even if you think your dog has received all their vaccines, if you don’t see NeoPar there remains a question for protection. A to Z Vet Supply offers NEOPAR® Parvo vaccine on our website available to purchase. This popular vaccination contains 8-65 times more vaccine antigen that any other brand of vaccine on the market, making it the number one choice for Parvovirus vaccines. For more information on NEOPAR®, please visit our website today or call us at 800-903-1461 to speak with someone about the product.