Parvo Symptoms
Many of us love our dogs like another member of the family and the last thing we want to think about is parvo.
However the canine parvovirus can be very serious and even life threatening so it’s very important to recognize the signs and potential symptoms of a parvo infection. This infectious disease can be fatal and spreads quickly once it gains a foothold in the area.
The good news for you is that by recognizing the signs early and treating it, there is a very good chance of your dog coming out fully healthy.
Catching the tell-tale signs early is perhaps the most critical part.
Which Dogs Are at Highest Risk of Parvo?
While any dog in theory can catch parvo, there are definitely some types of dogs who are more at risk than others.
Breed of Dog
For some reason there seems to be a correlation between dark colored black and tan dog breeds and a higher risk factor for parvo.
This means that dogs like Dobermans and Labrador Retrievers seem to be even more at risk than average.
Age
Age is another major risk factor for your dogs.
While adult dogs can catch and suffer from the canine parvovirus, puppies remain the most at risk because of their young and undeveloped immune systems.
Since the virus is so contagious, once one puppy catches it the others are all going to be at risk.
This makes it especially important for you to watch newborn puppies for any odd signs since they are more prone to infection than adults.
Obviously, unvaccinated dogs are going to be at higher risk than vaccinated animals.
Common Parvo Symptoms in Puppies
Most symptoms of parvo in puppies are easy to spot.
Foul smelling and bloody diarrhea is the most common symptom of parvo. Either should be an immediate red flag that something could be amiss and this virus could be responsible.
Usually a loss of appetite, extreme lethargy, and general “sick” or “depressed” appearance will follow right away. Other signs include a possible high fever and dehydration.
If left untreated, the majority of time parvovirus in puppies will lead to shock and even death.
Symptoms of Parvo Checklist
Don’t wait for more than one of these parvo symptoms to show up before treating the puppies for this virus.
The sooner parvo treatment begins, the better off your infected puppies will be.
Just for convenience sake, here is the quick checklist of common parvo symptoms in puppies:
- Bloody diarrhea
- Foul smell diarrhea
- Yellow diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Loss of appetite leading to refusal to eat
- High fever
- Extreme lethargy, complete lack of energy
- “Depressed” attitudes instead of normal excited puppy energy
- Dehydration
If you see one or more of these symptoms from your puppies, it’s definitely time to get them checked out and to begin treatment as soon as possible to help them recover.
Being able to recognize the parvo symptoms early and act quickly to help is one of the most important pieces of knowledge you can have for helping keep your puppies healthy.
