Parvovirus in dogs

Parvo in dogs is a horrible virus spread through indirect or direct contact through infected feces shed by dogs or other wild carnivorous species such as raccoons and foxes. It is highly contagious and a very deadly disease.  It is resistant to heat, cold, humidity, and drying, and can survive in the environment for a long time. The mortality for untreated parvo can reach 91%. The disease symptoms vary from loss of appetite, abdominal pain, vomiting, severe often bloody diarrhea, and lethargy. The virus essentially ruptures the intestinal tract lining causing septicemia . It is a very painful death. Dogs infected with parvo should be treated as soon as possible or humanely euthanized if treatment is not an option.
The best course of action is prevention.  There is a highly effective vaccine—however, improper storage or handling may deem it ineffective. For this reason, please take your pets to an esteemed veterinarian who will carry the vaccine for the most recent strain of the virus and will ensure that the vaccines are stored and handled properly. The parvo vaccine should be given to puppies starting at 7 weeks old and given every 3 weeks until they are 16 weeks old, with annual boosters. If you do not know your adult dog’s history, we recommend boostering three weeks after the first vaccine in order to ensure immunity. Until the entire vaccination series is complete at 16 weeks of age, puppies should remain indoors and away from unknown environments, people or dogs where there is the potential risk of contracting the virus.