Here's an informative article that I thought I would pass on...hope you find it helpful! –Kim

Background of Dog Parvo

If you're like us, you probably fell in love with your puppy the very first time you looked at his/her tiny face. It's hard to imagine anything happening to them.

Dog parvo, short for parvovirus, is one of the most serious illnesses a dog can contract, and it's especially deadly in puppies. And it's highly contagious. It can jump from dog to dog very quickly, even with indirect contact.

First discovered in the late 1970's, it's similar in structure to the feline parvovirus, differing by only two amino acids. It effects most types of canids, including wolves and foxes. Two strands are the most common, but a third strand has supposedly been discovered in Italy, Vietnam and Spain.

There are two types of infection of parvo a dog can acquire, intestinal or cardiac, and the severity varies greatly. Some dogs show no symptoms, yet die within 72 hours. More commonly, in less volatile strains, the mortality rate is just 10%.

Along with contact with other infected dogs, parvo can get caught from oral ingestion of infected feces or soil. Other animals may also be carriers, even if they themselves cannot be affected by the virus. It has a high climate tolerance, and so can survive in almost any condition, shrugging off sunlight and moisture.

Dog parvo partly causes so many problems, even with modern veterinary medicine, because it has a high rate of evolution, unlike the feline variety. It mimics RNA virus like influenza. New vaccines have to be developed for the flu every year because of the changes, and parvo is no different.

Fortunately, a dog who survives a parvo infection is generally immune for life, similar to our chicken pox, so no silent carrier dogs exist.

If your dog, especially your new puppy, begins exhibiting any of these symptoms, see a veterinarian right away. When parvo is involved, every hour counts. The secret of survival is quick treatment, so don't ignore these symptoms! One or all of these will usually being showing after 3-10 days of infection.

• Lethargic. If your dog normally likes to play and has high energy, this is the clearest sign that something is wrong. You could say they act depressed.
• Lack of Appetite. The more common strains attack the digestive system.
• Vomiting with no change in diet. It usually looks clear and foamy.
• Bloody Diarrhea.
• Stronger Feces Odor. It's unmistakable and you will never forget it.

The vomiting and diarrhea are the most dangerous, as they can quickly lead to dehydration and malnutrition. This leads to other problems that eventually compound on top of each other to finally kill the dog...and fast.

Always be on the lookout these symptoms of parvo, especially if your puppy is over 10 weeks old.

Source: http://dogparvosymptoms.net
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