These Parvo in Dogs online news, informational articles and related links feature current information about Parvo Treatment and What Is Parvo.

How is Parvo transmitted?

Canine parvovirus is carried by dogs. Adult dogs may be infected carriers without showing any clinical signs. Dogs with the typical diarrhea that parvovirus causes shed the virus as well. It can last a long time in the environment, perhaps as long as 9 months or longer.

Generally, it takes 7-10 days from the time of exposure for dogs and puppies to start showing symptoms and to test positive for parvo.

Parvo is highly contagious to unprotected dogs, and the virus can remain infectious in ground contaminated with fecal material for five months or more if conditions are favorable. Extremely hardy, most disinfectants cannot kill the virus, however chlorine bleach is the most effective and inexpensive agent that works, and is commonly used by veterinarians.

The ease with which infection with Parvo can occur in any unvaccinated dog must be stressed. The virus is extremely hardy in the environment. Withstanding wide temperature fluctuations and most cleaning agents. Parvo can be brought home to your dog on shoes, hands and even car tires. It can live for many months outside the animal. Any areas that are thought to be contaminated with parvo should be thoroughly washed with chlorine bleach diluted 1 ounce per quart of water.

Dogs and puppies can contract parvo even if they never leave their yards. Parvo virus, despite what you might hear, is NOT an airborne virus. It is excreted in the feces of infected dogs, and if someone -- human, dog, bird, etc. -- steps in (or otherwise comes in contact with) the excrement, the possibility for contamination is great. Some people speculate that birds invading a dog's food dish can deposit the parvovirus there. If you think you may have come in contact with parvovirus, a strong solution of bleach and water does kill the virus, so you can wash your shoes and clothes, even your hands with it, to reduce the risk of infecting your dog.

Transmission to other species: Upon microscopic examination, Canine Parvovirus (CPV) resembles Feline Panleukopenia Virus (FLPV) and mink enterits (MEV), a mutant of feline panleukopenia. The origin of canine parvovirus is unknown, but it has been theorized that it is a genetic mutation of feline panleukopenia. These two viruses react similarly in serum and resemble each other physically. Microbial research suggests a possibility that CPV and FPLV undergo mutual interspecies transmission between dogs and cats, and it is postulated that they may cause disease in some adventitious hosts. (J Clin Microbiol. 1996 Sep;34(9):2101-5; Mochizuki M, Horiuchi M, Hiragi H, San Gabriel MC, Yasuda N, Uno T., Laboratory of Veterinary Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kagoshima, Japan.) Recently it has been shown that occasionally canine parvovirus can infect cats. (Companion Animal Diagnostics, University of Glascow, Veterinary Diagnostics Services, Bearsden, Glasgow; October 8, 2001.) Canine parvovirus (CPV, CPV-2) and feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) are very closely related and are important pathogens of their respective hosts, the dog and cat. CPV-2 infects dogs and other Canidae such as wolves, coyotes, South American dogs and Asiatic raccoon dogs, but not cats. FPV and the FPV-like viruses infect both large and small cats, as well as mink, raccoons, and possibly foxes, but not dogs. However, the clear separation of a cat virus infecting only cats (FPV) and a dog virus infecting only dogs (CPV-2) is no longer certain as the original dog virus, CPV-2 was transitory, and replaced in nature by so-called "new antigenic types" (CPV-2a and CPV-2b) that infect or replicate in, and are transmitted between, dogs and cats. (U. Truyen, Institt fr Med Mikrobiologie, Infektions-und Seuchenmedizin, Ludwig-Maximillians Universitt, Tierrztliche Fakultt, Veterinrstrasse 13, D-80539 Mnchen, Deutschland; January 26, 2000.)

Will my dog die if he gets Parvo?

Due to the high death rate, parvovirus gets a lot of free publicity. Many people just assume that any case of diarrhea in a dog is from parvovirus. This is not true. There are a lot of other diseases and disorders that lead to diarrhea. If you have a puppy, don't take any chances. Have your puppy examined by your vet if diarrhea is a factor in any disease. It is better to be safe than to be sorry.

If your dog becomes infected with parvovirus, he has about a 50-50 chance of survival. If he makes it through the first three to four days, he will usually make a rapid recovery, and be back on his feet within a week. It is vital, however, that he receives supportive therapy immediately. It must be stressed that this is not a bad case of doggy flu; without medical treatment, most puppies die.

Are some breeds more susceptible than others?

For some reason, Rottweilers, Doberman Pinschers, and other black and tan breeds are especially prone to Parvo, and seem to succumb to parvo faster and with less chance of recovery than any other breed. If you have one of these breeds, it's even more important to make certain your puppy or dog gets immunized properly. But these breeds are not alone -- the Parvovirus can affect all breeds.