What causes parvo in dogs? Parvo is a highly fatal dog illness caused by a virus. It is highly contagious, and although there is no cure for it, there are methods to help prevent it from spreading. The virus spreads through the air when your pet scratches or bites the trigger zone, the area of your dog’s neck or head. When your dog shakes its head, it releases spores into the air. If your dog’s temperature falls too low, it may not be able to shake its head or its body can contract the virus.
There are many symptoms of parvo in dogs. However, your vet will most likely note some of the more common ones. These include lethargy, dehydration, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, lameness, excessive barking or howling, frequent urination, and vomiting up a cloudy, yellow-green liquid called vomit. While your dog might show one or more of these symptoms, your vet might have other symptoms, too. Because parvo is fatal, your vet might also note the amount of fluid in the animal’s urine. If the urine looks dark or brown, it may mean the dog has an existing kidney problem.
One thing your vet will always tell you as a dog owner is to care for your pet, whether he or she has contracted parvo or not. This means taking care of the symptoms, as well as any medical conditions your dog might have. In fact, caring for your new puppy is just as important as what causes parvo in dogs. Here are some helpful tips for caring for your new puppy:
– If your dog has gastrointestinal problems, vomiting during parvo may be a symptom. One reason gastrointestinal problems can develop is because of something your dog ingested. The vet might also suggest a special diet for your dog. Be sure to add extra fiber to his or her food to help solve the problem.
– Your veterinarian may also recommend an antibiotic for your dog to take on top of his or her regular treatment. Antibiotics are needed to eliminate the infection from your dog’s intestines, so if this happens, vomiting will not be necessary. However, it is important to call your veterinarian immediately, especially if there are other symptoms. Antibiotics are not generally the best option for parvo virus infections.
– If your dog does not get rid of the parvo virus in time, it could become systemic. Systemic parvo is very serious because it gets rid of every single cell of your dog’s immune system. Your dog will be at higher risk for all kinds of diseases, not just parvo. Even if you treat your dogs with antibiotics, they will still not get rid of the virus because it has already been spread to other dogs.
– You might also notice that your dog’s stool is slightly thicker than usual after having parvo. This is due to the fact that the intestinal lining was essentially destroyed. Once intestinal lining is destroyed, feces cannot absorb nutrients and vitamins from food very well. This can lead to a vitamin deficiency in your dog’s diet, which is one of the first symptoms of parvo.
Parvo is always a pain for your pets. But it’s better to call your veterinarian at once because parvo has become systemic. Without treatment, your dog will die within a week or two. But if you get treatment right away, your dog will survive the infection, and his or her immune systems will be able to recover. If your dog survives, you have a 90 percent chance of keeping him or her from getting the infection again in the future. But if you wait until after the disease is gone, there’s a good chance that your dog will catch it again, possibly with some of the same complications.