Im not going to go too much into explaining what parvo is... just about everyone knows the basics. In case there is anyone like me, who had no idea what it was, Ill give a quick run through of the virus. The dreaded Parvovirus has been around since the 70s. Mainly attacking the intestines, but it can go as far as the heart in young puppies. There is no cure (yet!) only supportive therapies and natural treatments to boost the pups immune system to beat it on its own!
It hangs around for a long time in the environment (months and months) and can be spread by shoes, hands, etc... its resistant to cold (it will freeze and come back when thawed!) heat, and most disinfectants. Bleach (a 1/30 solution, I would go a bit stronger for the heck of it. Take that parvo!) will kill it and for the unbleachables, Parvosol.
Parvo has an incubation period of days to two weeks, but once it strikes, it strikes with a vengeance! Parvo grows RAPIDLY by attacking dividing cells, sometimes killing puppies in a little as 48 hours. Normally puppies are protected by maternal immunity from the mothers first one or two milkings, but sometimes puppies get pushed out of the way or the mother didn't have much immunity to give out. A lot of puppies get their shots, but were exposed to parvo before getting it, or shortly after. Once a pup is vaccinated it is not protected for a few weeks! This is what happened with my sweet Tracer- she appeared fine, even had her shots at the pound. Too late.
The symptoms of parvo vary in severity. Diarrhea (with or without blood at first), vomiting, lethargy, depression seems to always be the first sign. Dehydration results from any combination of the vomiting, diarrhea, not wanting to drink. You can do a quick check by pulling the skin on the forearm up a little and seeing how quickly it snaps back into place. If the snap back, isn't so much a snap, and it takes more than one second to fall back into place, dehydration is present (or near) and the animal needs fluid! Read further for some things you can do to increase chances of survival, and some things you should be sure NOT to do!
Click the links to the left for the do's and do not's of parvo!
Home treatment of parvo is very involved. Depending on the severity of your puppy, it can require you to be with the puppy at all times. Sometimes, the initial "crunch time" lasts one full day. Sometimes it can last 2 or 3 days, even a week. In order to have the best chance for recovery, you need to be able to stay with the puppy constantly during this most difficult time. If you will not be able to stay with your puppy during this time, you might see if a family member or neighbor can come by and check on puppy, even give him fluids. I highly suggest for a working person, to take the first day of treatment off work. This is a very crucial time! If you cannot devote the this time to recovering your puppy, you need to consider taking him or her to the vet, or letting somebody else home treat your pup. It is hard to pull a parvo puppy through without a good start. Keeping in mind that if you can devote plenty of time and energy in the beginning, recovery is usually pretty speedy!! Use of parvaid is not a guarantee of survival, but parvaid has an 85% success rate.
*I am not a veterinarian, so do not use the information I list in place of professional care! Only as helpful, SUPPLEMENTAL, information! Whether or not your pup survives is based on how sick the pup was before treatment, age and overall severity of the virus in your pup. Im not responsible for the loss of a pet. Im only here to give you a few pointers for you to discuss with your holistic vet (or regular one) Use it at your own discretion!
Some helpful hints for keeping virus contained-
-Carry solution in a spray bottle and follow your dog around when it uses the bathroom! I sprayed and sometimes unscrewed the cap to be sure and douse the contaminated "product" thoroughly.
-Keep a bottle of bleach solution or Parvosol next to doorways. When ANYONE leaves the house, pour a small puddle on the sidewalk or next to the door and walk through it. It takes 2 seconds, and makes a big difference! I would even sometimes carry a wet paper towel and make the dog walk through it and wipe her feet off to get any chemicals off of her feet. I don't think this is very good for the pads but our neighbor has a puppy and it was a small sacrifice! Possible irritated feet < parvo. Anyday.
Pleeease feel free to Contact me if you need any help or even just some support!
(I always needed somebody to help let me know I was doing the exact right things! It was hard to find people that card enough/had enough time. I felt like such a bother. I only found one, and I want to do for others what she did for me! Thanks Julie! )