My Dog Has Parvo What Can I Do

I am an animal lover who cares about the well-being of pets. I have a soft spot for dogs.

How to Save a Puppy With Parvovirus

What Is Parvovirus?

Parvovirus is a common but very deadly viral infection that usually attacks unprotected puppies. About half of all affected puppies will die no matter what you do, especially if it is the virulent strain. But if you do nothing, they will certainly die.

I have nursed quite a few dogs through parvo successfully. It was no fun, that is for sure. You have to stay up with them 24 hours a day, for about a week or sometimes longer. They will require your constant attention for most of this time, so you will not be doing much sleeping.

Parvo is horrible, but with the right care and a great deal of dedication, your puppy has a good chance of surviving this devastating disease. This will also depend on which strain of parvo your puppy has and whether or not it is the virulent type that hardly ever leaves any survivors or one of the weaker strains.

How It Spreads and How to Prevent It

Parvo is spread by contact with the feces, blood, or vomit of an infected dog. Your pet can also be infected by parvovirus present in the soil or environment.

You can prevent infection by having your dog vaccinated. Always vaccinate your dog for this and other dangerous diseases.

Symptoms of Parvo

• Severe and sudden watery and smelly diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Fever
• Loss of appetite
• Extreme weakness
• Loss of muscle control
• Dehydration
• Puppy stops drinking water or eating on its own

Seek Treatment Right Away

You have to seek treatment for your puppy as soon as you notice something wrong, usually the sudden watery, explosive diarrhea or vomiting. You will smell the characteristic parvo "rotten blood" odor.

Your dog will not drink water nor eat, and very soon the pup will be stretched out and down on the ground, unable to get back up. They will become limp, weak, and unable to hold themselves up.

1. Call the Vet

You will want to call your vet and get the puppy in to be seen as soon as possible. This is a veterinary emergency.

The vet will probably give the puppy a shot and some antibiotics for the infection. They might also prescribe some Reglan to calm the intestinal spasms for you to give at home.

Be sure to follow the vet's instructions exactly.

Doggy Hospital vs. Home

The vet may want you to leave your pet in the doggy hospital. This will cost you a fortune. Of course it's your choice, and if you feel that is what you should do, then by all means go ahead.

However, most vets will also tell you that you can do just as well for your puppy at home. The only thing the vet can do that you can't is hook them up to an IV.

You can hydrate the dog just as well at home with Pedialyte, and the pup will be more comfortable at home where he can see you. Being in a strange environment is very stressful for a little puppy. It may weaken him and make him less able to resist the disease.

2. Give Pepto-Bismol

A half teaspoon every other hour will keep the stomach coated. When your puppy has parvovirus, it causes extreme inflammation to the lining of the intestines, which can bleed and hemorrhage. This can cause death.

Where the Parvo Odor Comes From

This bleeding is what gives your puppy the hallmark "parvo odor" of a rotten blood smell. Keeping the puppy's intestines coated will help soothe the irritation and bleeding.

3. Give Pedialyte or a Homemade Substitute

You should do this constantly to keep the puppy from getting dehydrated. Dehydration is what kills the dog. You must get fluids and electrolytes into their system. You will have to squirt it in with a syringe, dump it in with a teaspoon, or try some other method.

Read More From Pethelpful

When pups have parvo, they will not eat nor drink by themselves. Whatever you do, just get liquids into them.

How Much Should You Give?

This depends on how large the puppy is. Try to give at least 2–3 tablespoons every half hour or so, for a medium-sized breed. Give a little more or less than this, according to the size of the dog.

If they throw it up, don't worry—at least some will stay down. Wait a while and give them some more.

4. Give Ice Chips If There Is Vomiting

Just hold the ice cube in their mouth and make them lick and swallow the cold water. It helps with the nausea and bellyache. They usually like this, surprisingly enough.

5. Give Reglan Pills

Give those Reglan pills as per the vet's instructions. These really help calm down your puppy's nausea, intestinal spasms, and distress. It will help the puppy keep fluids down and get some rest.

6. Wipe the Pup Down and Let Them Rest

You will have to wipe your puppy down often with warm, damp cloths to keep him or her clean. The puppy will have either vomiting or smelly liquid diarrhea or both, and they get messy. So be sure they are kept as clean as possible, and keep them warm and covered up.

Let the puppy rest and be quiet as much as you can. This will help them heal.

7. Be Gentle

Speak soothingly to your pet, and offer plenty of loving and petting. Your puppy will get well faster if it knows you are there and that you love him.

8. Ease the Pup Back Into Eating and Drinking

When the puppy starts getting better, you should feed him very small amounts of chicken baby food. Keep giving him the Pedialyte until he starts to drink water on his own again.

How to Start Reintroducing Food and Water

• Be sure to wait at least 24 hours after the last vomiting to feed any food. If you make them eat anything sooner, it does not give the intestinal lining enough time to heal and will only prolong the convalescent time.
• Start with just a teaspoon or two of chicken baby food to begin with.
• When your puppy gets ready and is feeling better, he will be hungry all of a sudden and will get up and start eating. Then you will know your puppy is on the mend.

When They're Eating and Drinking on Their Own

• When they start drinking and eating on their own again, just give water and small amounts of the baby food at first.
• Then, give wet dog food, preferably chicken mixed with mashed up pasta, in equal parts, until they get their digestive tracts working right again, and are feeling better.

You will be surprised how quickly a puppy can bounce back from the jaws of death and turn into a bouncy, happy puppy again! It doesn't take long at all!

9. Disinfect and Vaccinate

Be aware that parvovirus lives for many years in the soil or on surfaces where an infected animal has been. You must thoroughly disinfect your home and wherever the infected puppy was before bringing another puppy home with you again.

Also, you must make sure that any other new puppies you get are vaccinated before you bring them home.

This Article Does Not Replace a Vet

If you catch it soon enough, start hydrating, give Pepto, and do the rest of the above actions, sometimes you can save your puppy.

However, this advice should never take the place of a licensed veterinarian's recommendations. You absolutely must take your pet to the vet to be tested to make sure that it has parvo, and to get the very necessary medications your dog urgently needs to survive.

You can keep this information in mind when deciding whether to leave your baby at the vet's, or to bring him back home with you and try to nurse him yourself.

Spay or Neuter Your Pets

Remember: Spay or neuter your pets! Do not allow more unwanted babies to come into a world where they will be abused and neglected, and to enter the shelters where they will be cruelly euthanized. Good luck with your puppy!

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author's knowledge. It is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.

MagicStarER (author) from Western Kentucky on August 02, 2015:

I'm so happy your puppy lived! Things like this make it worth it for me.

Tina Nickell on July 24, 2015:

My puppy came down with this devastating disease (parvo) and I just wasn't to say Thank you so much for your information, without your information our puppy would have died. I stayed up with him around the clock using your advice and he pulled thru. So again from the bottom of my heart Thank You. Tina Nickell & Baby (6 month pit bull puppy)

nikkiAbernethy on June 27, 2015:

I am treating my puppy at home (under vet care). He has been prescribed cerilium, which I was instructed to crush, mix with a small amount of pedialyte and administer with a syringe. I did this, but he immediately vomited it back up. I dont have extra tablets, and cant get more until Monday. How would I dose him (at 14 pounds) for the pepto bismol? Or would this not be a suitable combo/replacement? Thanks for any help you can offer!

Sara Lopez from Orlando, Florida on April 18, 2015:

Tiramiflu in early stage of Parvo is THE KEY. Your pet can give you the prescription, they might get mad as you wont pay the thousands they required but offering no guarantee your dog will be saved. REQUEST AND DEMAND A TIRAMIFLU PRESCRIPTION. Give your dog also Pepto Bismol, gatorade and pediasure. After 48 hrs boil chicken no salt no nothing just chicken and give them a srynge with the broth, next day do white rice no salt again or anything and give a little of the water with the broth plus the pedialite and gatorade every 2 hrs. Put an iv on skn at least every 2 hours to maintain hydration Will take few days but they will survive. TITAMIFKU IS THE KEY, hidration, the broth, yogurt, very small doses but fed them every 2 hrs to mantain his stomach hydrate and proteins. When vomit and diarreah stop boil chicken liver and give them a small amount of the broth every 2 days. I know few dogs been saved, mines also, thanks to Tiramiflu and all the other things, the broth, white rice and yogurt with the pedialite and gatorade (orange, no berries) . Write me if more advise needed. Im not a vet but my dog and others i know are parvo survivors with this advise. consult your vet, but PLEASE give the TIRAMIFLU is KEY. GOOD LUCK saralopezpr at gmail

CynthiaJohnson913 from Mesa, Arizona on March 21, 2015:

I am currently doing at home treatment on my 6 1/2 month old baby boy Sarge. He weighs 50 pounds and is fighting. He had his first 2 puppy shots but due to injury I am no longer able to work. I never thought missing the last baby shot would make him susceptible. I was wrong. My neighbors have a 5 month old who they never had vaccinated. Our neighborhood is overrun with strays and dogs without owners who give a crap. Instead of cleaning up their poop they bring their puppy to my house to use the same spot where my babies go. Figured this out a few days too late.

I have a 2 1/2 year old girl, Sassi, who had parvo 2 years ago, when she was 4 months old. Same apartment. There are so many differences in the two.

Let me explain.

Sassi was completely symptom free at 4 pm. 6pm. 8 pm. At 8:30 she began to act strange. She would not come inside. When I went out to get her she was throwing up. Then she started with diarrhea. I brought her in and this continued. I let her back out and watched her do this for an hour. At 10 I forced her inside and sat by her and continued to clean it up. I assumed she had eaten something and was getting it out of her system. At 11:17 pm...2 hours and 47 minutes later...she went into convulsions. I was in the car and off to the vet. The first vet...a bad vet...went with poison, a fomotodine shot and saline subcutaneouslely.

This was a 24 hour fix.

We were back at the vet Sunday at 9am.

Parvo.

I took her home for the night with injections of pain medication and saline under her skin. they gave her a shot of antibiotics and something for her stomach. Since they were not staffed over night I slept on the floor of my living room next to the cage she was in. By the next day I did not think she was going to survive. I dropped her off at the vet at 7 in the morning on Monday and she spent 4 days hooked up to IV lines 24 hours a day. when I brought her home I did so with pills for her stomach and pain injections. I was told not to force anything down her throat because it would irritate her stomach. I stayed on top of her and to this day if I leave a remote control sitting out when I leave the house she will eat it.

Now on to Sarge. 4 days ago I came home and he had thrown up and had diarrhea on the floor. There was no intense odor. I assumed he had gotten into something like he has so many times before. nothing changed in the way he acted that entire day. He barked at the neighbor's cat and wrestled with his sister. He ran around and wagged his tail. He did not throw up again. The next day I noticed that he was not eating. He was still drinking water but he was not throwing up and did not have diarrhea. I could not figure out why he was not eating yet he was not sick. By the next day I really became worried when he stopped drinking water as well. He still had no diarrhea but I was noticing a difference in the way he swallowed. By that evening of day 3 I called a friend who worked for a vet and told her my dog had parvo. This came after the discovery of my neighbor's dog also having parvo and being unvaccinated. She recommended I contact the vet's office where she worked for the at home treatment. For Sassi the treatment was $3000. I do not have that kind of money right now. Taking a sample in and not my dog we discovered it was in fact parvo. I was given IV bags with lines and needles. They gave me three injections of penicillin and three injections of famotadine. This is a three day supply as the first three days are the most important. The vet also told me to give him Pepto Bismol. This shocked me. I had gone to the feed store recognizing the symptoms and bought Parvaid. after looking at the product the vet said it could not hurt to give it to him as it is all natural and has a lot of ingredients that are used to calm the stomach. One thing he did tell me that had changed since my Sassi had parvo is that now they have found it is best to force your dog to eat. He gave me a large syringe. I have boiled chicken and brown rice ready for him to eat when he is ready. I put that in my ninja with water and blended some of it until it was liquid enough to go in the plunger. This is what I am feeding him. It has been discovered with the parvo puppy the sooner you can get their body to accept food again the better off they are. This is an important change to how we are dealing with parvo now.

We are at the end of day 5. it is his second day of treatment and he is fighting like a mad dog. It's very difficult to force feed a 50 pound puppy. He goes outside and barks at the neighbor's cat. I can gently get him to play with me. Nothing strenuous. Just a little back and forth. He has even wrestled his sister a couple of times. These are all good signs as he is getting some of his energy back.

My biggest fear was having Sassi around Sarge. Speaking to the vet it is nearly impossible for her to get parvo again since she has already had it once. For all of you parvo parents with a dog that has survived keep this in mind... Even though your puppy may not get parvo a second time they can get what my vet described as a severe flu. Vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and weakness. This is all just as dangerous as parvo. The dog can still become dehydrated. it is best to keep them separated which is why Sassi has moved into our bedroom with her food and water and bed. Sarge has the living room as the floor is tile. I can't keep them apart 24 hours a day. Sassi is getting depressed. I believe Sarge having her around occasionally is also helping.

You have to also remember to always get down and talk to them and tell them you love them. I noticed Sarge flinches from me now because most times when I am coming to him I am giving him a shot or hooking up an IV or jamming something down his throat. If you notice this with your baby remember to always show him your hands. Whether you have something in them or not. It is important that you do not try to trick them. You want to have their trust. This is the best way to do that.

Most important thing to remember is that this is a long process. It does not cure overnight. The horrible sickness last for up to a week. Then there is still weakness, lack of appetite, and occasionally still some diarrhea. You have to keep your yard clean. You have to bleach it 2 times a day for at least 2 weeks... I did it for two months after Sassi and will do it again with Sarge. You have to keep your dog clean. You have to keep an eye on him and make sure he is drinking water. You do not want the dehydration to come back. Once your baby is better check with your vet for when it is time for a booster.

And be patient.

You're going to get tired and angry and dirty and frustrated. But your baby can not do it without you. You are his life line. You are the only one that can save them. You have to give them something to live for. They have to know that you love them and you want them back. If you need help ask for it.

Brittany Hodge on October 16, 2014:

Last Saturday night my 5 month old puppy stopped eating but was drinking water but not as active as usual. Wasnt vomiting or pooping. Tried Pumpkin Pie to help him feel better but vomited it up Sunday night. Took him to the vet Tuesday morning he has parvo and since I cant afford the inpatient treatment I chose to take him home with meds. They loaded him up on IV fluids theee and gave me nasuea , diarhea and 2 antibotics. But was told I can only let him lick an ice cube or give pedialite ice chips to moisten his mouth til 24 hrs after his last vomit. He is now only vomiting once or twice a day and stool is basically liquid but now no visible blood just looks like melted chocolate. Im afraid he is gonna dehydrate if I dont force liquids down him but they said I can not give anything more than I mentioned til 24 hrs after vomiting. What is your thoughts and can I do anything more than what they have said. He doesnt really lay down a lot either he is usually sitting up til he cant hold his head up no more.

Byron Shannon on October 10, 2014:

I have a 12 week old puppy. Noticed he wasnt playing yesterday and i took him for a ride in da car and he threw up.. so i waited til this morning to take ho. To the vet and i noticed he had runny diareah.. so i took him in and the vet tested him he was positive for parvo... he gave him shots anf fluid.. i have another appointment in the morning.. he still go to his water bowl to drink but not to concerned on eating.... do you think i caught this in time? Im going to use your tips to try to help him bc i dont have the money to continue to go to the vet

Weimaranergirl on August 25, 2014:

I lost a puppy today from parvo...my heart is broken....she has been at the vet since Friday and they called this morning at7:45 am...to tell me she did not make it....I wish I would have tryed to care for her myself...I had no idea ,nor did they offer for me to care for her at home. I feel like I let her down because I was not with her...she slept with me and was never in a crate...the vet called me every night to update me, but some how I feel that she felt as though I left her...and she had no idea why or any reason to fight...very sad... :(. 700.00 later and she still did not make it.

Karmas Dad on August 22, 2014:

Our 5 month old pitbull Furchild started acting strange Sunday night stopped eating and drinking, started throwing up white every couple of hours. By Monday she was noticeably skinnier and looked so depressed and doing almost nothing but sleeping. She would still play tug a war a little so we didn't think parvo. By Tuesday she had diarrhea (no blood) and her vomit went from white to yellow bile she had drool coming from her mouth constantly when she would throw up she would go to a corner and just stand there afterwards until we called her to move.. She wasn't up to date on her shots when we got her from my girlfriends sister. But we went to Big R and got the 7 in 1 shot and gave it to her Tuesday. We have been giving her water and pepto by syringe, then Wednesday I got her to drink by herself :)) she would throw up afterwards but eventually stopped. It is now Thursday she no longer has drool and she is chasing flies if they come near her face or land on her. She will get up and drink her water by herself. She hasn't pooped in a day or two but she leaks poop from her butt!? She will walk outside and go pee for us it's been just about 24 hours since her last vomit so we are going to try baby food today see if she will eat. We have tried food but she just looks at it and licks her lips. She is still so weak but we are hoping for the best it's day 5 and she still going. She isn't just our dog she is our family and our soon to be born sons future best friend/protector is the way she is acting a good sign?

Teri Brady on August 16, 2014:

I have a Boxer mix she's been at the vets for 5 days she inproving very slowly not sure if she's going to make it how long would you suggest trying. I'm praying she pull through I just don't want to prolong her pain if she's not going to make it.

Stem Williams from Cullman, Alabama on July 23, 2014:

Oh my I read this and was thanking god there is hope my 4 month old puppy started acting fatique about 3 days ago when I seen he was sick I took him to vet he was just throwing up at the time the vet gave me antibiotics and stomach med and gave him an inflamitory shot I started forcing it down him he has been throwing up so bad its hard to keep any thing down him last night he had bloody diareah so bad but just one time so all night I gave him water this morning o

I seen he was drinking water all by him self but he is throwing up so much I am gonna get pedilyte this evening and pepto is it good to let him drink as much water as he is even though he is throwing it up

Addy123 on June 13, 2014:

READ CAREFULLY MY PUPPY MADE IT THREW PARVO. My German shepherd mix is now 12 weeks old :) and i got her at four weeks from a random person the day I brought her home her poop was normal she was eating but threw up once. The next day she slept all day and only got up to go diarrhea which smelled like blood/iron and threw up again and didn't want to drink her puppy milk. The next day was the same except she only drank a little bit of milk so we called the vet and decided to take her the next day. The next day we took her to the vet and she was alert and moving around in my arms the vet took tests said she was positive with parvo. The vet was surprised he said she looked good meaning they found it in the early stages and gave me medicines like antibiotics and nausea medicine the antibiotics was enough to last two weeks and we did at home treatment since couldn't afford hospital stay. For the first week we made sure she ate and drank and gave her pedialyte none flavor and she slowly stopped sleeping so many hours and played more each day we bleached the house a lot and bleached where she pooped and gave her baths to cool her off because German shepherd get really hot. Before the antibiotics ran out I ordered real powered goat milk for her on ebay because it has antibodies do not boil, boiling and microwaving kills off the antibodies she took that mixed with puppy milk once a day. That kept her immune system up in case she was still fighting it and I put yogurt in the goat milk to help even more. My beautiful German shepherd mix pulled threw and hasn't relapsed with parvo and I'm so happy after all the stress she's alive and happy and just being a 12 week puppy! :)

Kamila Bernal on April 10, 2014:

My puppy was postitive on his parvo test yesterday. I noticed he wasn't acting like himself so i called my mom and we took him to the vet. They said it was $500.00 to $1,200.00. We couldn't afford it. They gave us medication. We went to go buy pedialyte. The medication the vet gave us is Metronidazole and Metoclopramide. Would this help my puppy or should i buy something else?

Caira Rogers on March 02, 2014:

I'm not sure if this thread is still open, or if I'll get a response.

But, it's worth a shot.

My future mother-in-law just got her son and I a puppy to celebrate my first pregnancy- this was to be our baby's little companion once he/she is born.

We named this little German Shepherd/Blood Hound mix Marley, and he's only about 2 months old. We paid the owner $40, and were told he had all of his shots up to date and didn't have worms. When we got him, he was bloated a bit and really chubby, but we assumed it was because he was a young puppy and liked to gorge himself on food until the point of being unable to move.

We've had him for about a week and a half, but last night he started showing signs of parvo. Turns out he also has whipworms, and the owner blatantly lied to us about having the shots done. He's been vomiting since 11:30pm, and he can't even keep water down for more than a few minutes. We called a vet's office, but they quoted us $750 just to get him checked out, tested, and to get antibiotics administered, and ALL of our money is tied up in the move we just made to Florida. We can't afford to take him in to be treated, and he's dropped most of his body fat in a matter of 12 hours. He looks like he was abused for months and starved by someone even though he ate like a horse a few days ago.

We've been force feeding him the pepto and pedialyte, and this poor baby is having so much trouble with the ice chips, but it's working at least a little bit. What I'm worried about is that he won't make it through the night. My fiance and I spent about 4 hours crying earlier, because this puppy is our baby and we don't want to lose him. If he gets way too far along with this illness, we can't even afford to euthanize him to avoid prolonged suffering in the little guy.

We had one dog succumb to parvo about 8 months ago. He was a Chorkiepoo and passed away about a week before his first birthday. We didn't know how to care for him then, but I'm hoping we can save this one.

This is tearing us up inside, and we're panicking over what to do. We're taking the article step by step, but he's so skinny and his breathing is shallow. He barely responds to anything and just wants us to rub his head and belly. He's miserable and you can tell. We're scared.. Do you have any other advice? Is there any way we can help him with the pain without taking him to a vet?

I'm very sorry for posting on this thread after so long of it being dead, but I really need help and this is the only place I could find to go for it. A response would be appreciated, but is not demanded. Please, don't think it is.

Thanks again,

Caira

Tonilee Materas from Worcester, Massachusetts on March 01, 2014:

As of 2/28/14 my mixed breed puppy of 4 months old " Cody" started throwing up vile that night I thought he just ate something bad then the next day he started throwing up more in the morning he looked lethargic weak his eyes were glossy he smelled really bad and he wouldn't eat or drink and I knew it was signs of parvo so I had a can of baby formula and started feeding it to him with a syringe by mouth as I was doing that he wasn't throwing it back up soo about 8 hours later he started getting up playing and chewing on his milk bone but he still wont eat or

drink so I'm still feeding him by syringe. Do I keep doing so until he does it on his own????

Argonic on January 28, 2014:

This is going through my litter right now.. the first one got it last Tuesday. By Friday he was dangerously ill, I called the vet but they were too packed for the next few days. At the time I started force feeding him puppy milk, and he got better. Then three others got sick, the runt got it bad and died last night (Monday). They got their shots, so it's kind of getting hard to deal with the rest of my family bashing me and calling me a bad pet owner. I'm going to try this on the remaining sickies, they aren't as bad as the runt was and can seemingly keep down the milk. I hope it goes well for them~

Jennn379 on December 25, 2013:

I'm not sure if you will read my comment because its been a while from the last response but is love advice on my pup and her parvo. She is 8 weeks and got diagnosed with parvo on Tuesday they did the sq fluids and nauseous meds on her since I can't afford to keep her there. She went home and seemed okay. We've been giving her the meds we got and pedialyte every hour until this morning around 3am threw it up 4 times until 8 am we took her back to the vet and they did another sq fluid treatment and told us we can go again tomorrow Friday and Saturday. We have been giving her still pedialyte religiously and been cleaning the area. We still have to force it but no throw up today. I will be giving her chicken & gravy Ferber tomorrow morning since I read I should wait 24 hrs after she last threw up to feed her. Anything else I can do?!!!!! She is still really sad and sleeps alot! I constantly check if she's breathing and check her gums and still show love even though she's asleep. She is my everything right now and is hate to loose her!!

mickeyneedhellp on November 30, 2013:

Hi my dog has parvo we whent to the vet and they gave her a shot and some trwatment and i been trying to keep her hydraded with gatorage but the vet said water is no good but she dosent wanna eat and shes beeing trowing up white sticky stuff ?

lizbeth sandoval on August 02, 2013:

I have a puppy its about 5 months in half! shes been sick sense Monday but all the Vet Clinics told me they are booked up ): my puppy doesn't eat but drinks water, she doesn't have diarrhea ? she throws up her water then drinks water again, we gave her pepto but ithink she threw up ,we always checking up on her ,she got really skinny! help me please!!!

AmberMarieEly on May 08, 2013:

My puppy is only 2 months old, he is a German Shepard and rot mixture. He got parvo, as soon as I noticed him throwing up I took him straight to the vet. His symptoms had just started the day I had taken him. He's in the vet hospital now, that was 250$ as a down payment, and would be 700$ more for a week, which I do not have. I have to bring him home today, is there a way I can make sure he will pull through since I can not afford to keep him in the vet any longer? I have scrubbed my entire house down with bleach, I have washed all of the curtains, bed sheets, blankets, and clothing. I'm going to bleach the yard next, but I want to do everything I can for this puppy because he is like a child to me.

AmberMarieEly on May 07, 2013:

My puppy is a rot and German Shepard mix. He is about 2 months old. He woke up around 4am puking, that day around 2:15 pm I took him to the vet. They said he has parvo. Since I caught it in such a hurry, and he only just got symptoms, will there be a greater chance of him surviving? He only threw up 2 times, and did not have diarrhea until I went to the vet. He did not have the smell of parvo, and there was no blood. He still was able to drink milk, but he wasn't able to eat food or drink water. All he did was sleep. I can't afford to keep him at the vet for another night because just for one night it was 250$. Is there a way I can keep him doing well like they are here? Should I just follow everything that you said above since I had already taken him to the vet? This puppy is like my own child, and I am trying everything I can for him. I was told from the people who gave him to me that he has already had his shots, which he hasn't. I just hope he makes it through, with him only being 2 months old he may not be able to fight it and I am very worried. Please help!

QRSamuels on April 19, 2013:

Thank ou so much for this information. I have a toy poodle 7 weeks 4 day diagnosed with parvo yesterday. The vet treated him with antibiotics and fluids . He told me to take hime him home and care for him. He did not offer any of the advise that you did. Thank you so much. This is day 3 of the illness day 2 of treatment. The puppy no longer has diarrhea. and very little vomiting. he hasno appetit and refuses to drink. I am forcing fluids down him every hour and using pepto as you suggested. He looks very weak but he can still walk. Is there any thing else i can do? and how long before he gets better? when should I have him vaccinated? Also do i need to get rid of his bedding and buy all new for him? can he catch it again? Please help!

ButtonzMonique on February 14, 2013:

I just got my 6 month old puppy 2 days ago. He has been a pretty relaxed dog but for some reason today when I got off ov work all he has been doing is sleeping. I'm not sure if its just that I'm paranoid because we took him out on a walk or what but I think he has parvo. I'm taking him to the vet tomorrow but tonight I will be sleepless watching over him. I wanted to get his shots the first day I got him because I know he is over due but the vet I was recommended to was closed on Wednesday and Thursday (i got the dog Tuesday night) I also had the dog at a couple of pet stores with me and today I read that it is a high risk place for dogs to catch parvo

MagicStarER (author) from Western Kentucky on December 12, 2012:

That is great! I'm so glad he is ok now!

Jimmyandboss2012 on December 12, 2012:

Yeah he is 100% now, This blog helped me a lot, Thanks again. Pics are sent on email. :)

MagicStarER (author) from Western Kentucky on December 09, 2012:

I don't know if you will be able to bleach the soil. I don't think you can. Maybe somebody else knows... You will just have to be very, very careful in the future if you ever get another puppy, and be aware there is Parvo in the soil around your place - make sure any new puppy has had all its Parvo shots before taking one to your property - ask a vet to be sure what to do. It sounds like your pup is really doing well! I am so glad! I am so happy if this article helps any puppy to live! Boss must have just had a mild strain of Parvo, thank goodness! Do you have any pictures of him? :D

Jimmyandboss2012 on December 07, 2012:

No im just giving him clavulox tablets twice daily, He is now drinking lots of water and im hand feeding him canned food now which he is eating, He still walks slow everywhere but atleast thats a start right.. He hasn't vomited which is good too and no diarrhea either.

Do i leave the bleach in the soil or rinse it straight away? I have a very big yard so its gonna take a lot of bleach :/

Thanks for ur help again MagicStarER

MagicStarER (author) from Western Kentucky on December 07, 2012:

Just keep the place clean for now, and then after he gets well again, you should disinfect everywhere he has been with bleach. The parvovirus can live forever in the environment, and if you can't disinfect everywhere, any new pups you bring to your place will be exposed to it.

Just keep giving him water, or pedialyte if you can get it. You can make your own - look up above in the comments for a homemade recipe for it. Offer him chicken baby food, chicken or chicken liver broth, and then canned dog food mixed half and half with soft cooked pasta for the first few days.

It sounds like he is getting better - it usually takes at least 10 days. Give him his medicine as directed - you should have to be giving him the Cerenia still, right? Cerenia really helps them a lot - calms the intestinal spasms, and makes them sleepy. Keep trying to give him fluids, though!!!! Food is not that important right now, but the fluids ARE!!! If they die from parvo, it is because of dehydration or because of hemorrhaging in the intestines. He will eat when he is ready. Always wait for 24 hours to feed a dog that is vomiting - You have to give their digestive system that long to rest - if you feed them too soon, it will just make them vomit again. You can give him ice cubes to suck on - most dogs like them - just hold them up to his mouth and see if he will lick them - the ice will calm his stomach and also hydrate him.

Jimmyandboss2012 on December 07, 2012:

He hasn't thrown up since he was at the vet yesterday too which is good. What should i do with the yard and house? should i disinfect it so he doesn't get sick again or will he be okay?

Jimmyandboss2012 on December 07, 2012:

No they said he was still hydrated enough, his gums looked good at the time. I got him up earlier this morning and put fresh water in his bowl, He still didn't want to drink it so i got a seringe and tried that way, I was doing that for a few hours then he decided to drink water by his self by the afternoon, He is now walking around slowly following me where ever i go which is an improvement, i then tried giving him food which he doesn't want to eat, ill keep trying but i don't know what else to do.

And thanks i hope he gets better soon too! All your information and comments really hlped me through this, Im very great full.

MagicStarER (author) from Western Kentucky on December 06, 2012:

Did they not give you any IV fluids for your pup? If not, then start giving him fluids right away!!! Give him at least 2-3 tablespoons or more if you can get it into him every hour. The Cerenia will make him sleepy and will help with the intestinal spasms. clavulox is an antibiotic. But he MUST have FLUIDS!!!! If he is throwing up, do not feed him anything for at least 24 hours after throwing up. He will get very skinny and pitiful looking, don't worry, he will bounce back in a few days after he starts feeling better. GET SOME FLUIDS INTO HIM ASAP!!! Or get your vet to give you some IV fluids for him - you can do it yourself twice a day. You just stick him with the needle hole side up between his shoulder blades, stick the needle in sort of sideways and not straight in. Open the clamp on the bottom of the bag. Let the fluid run in slowly, then shut if off. Best of luck to you and your baby!

Jimmyandboss2012 on December 06, 2012:

Thank you so much for your advice on this virus, My male dog boss got diagnosed with a virus with all the same symptoms, He has been at the vet today and they gave him a cerenia injection and clavulox injection and clavulox tablets to take home, ever since i took him home all his done is lay on the bed and sleep, he hasn't drank or eaten or anything, i rand the vet and he said to wait till 24hours since injection and try to get him to drink and eat a few table spoons of food for his stomach lining, ive been by his side ever since but im worried as he looks worse and just lays in one spot and does nothing. what else should i do?

boss is a year old and is a rottweiler x staffordshire terrior.

email me if you'd like

jimbeam8989@gmail.com

thank you

MagicStarER (author) from Western Kentucky on December 03, 2012:

I am so sorry. It has happened to me, too. Vets do not want to tell you these things - they want you to hospitalize the dogs and charge you lots of money. Well, I don't have lots of money and a veterinarian with a conscience told me what I could do at home. ie, the fluids and the Pepto. It works. They also need the Cerenia or the Reglan, and Sub-Q fluids, and maybe an antibiotic. If you can afford it, you can get these meds from the Vet, but still treat your dog at home, and get better results because the dog will be more comfortable with YOU at home. There is nothing more they can do for a dog in the hospital. So why pay for it, when you can do it yourself.

Just remember now, to clean up any areas where the puppy was, with bleach. Parvo-virus can linger in the environment forever and can infect any subsequent pups you bring to the property. And if you ever have another baby that gets Parvo, remember the 2 rules to save his life: 1) Hydrate and 2) Protect the intestinal lining.

You can not save them all. But you can save most.

Crying with you about your puppy - I just had one pass away a few days ago, but it didn't have Parvo, it was born sick and was only 1/4 the size of his brothers, and would not suck, I had to feed him with a spoon and put him in a basket with a heating pad set on low to keep him warm, but despite my best efforts, he could not thrive - he had some sort of disorder he was born with. :( I sure miss the little guy, so sweet and special - his name was Ralphie Peeper. :(

cerezita1968 on December 02, 2012:

Thank you for your information. I am crying my dog is dead it happened today. I wish I found your information before. I was crying with him, I did not know what to do. I took him to the wrong vet. They did nothing for him. Just the test and told me there is a 50 percent chance to live.

MagicStarER (author) from Western Kentucky on November 11, 2012:

It sounds like your puppy has a mild strain, thankfully. Cerenia is good stuff, helps stop the intestinal spasms, helps them rest. Are you giving her SubQ fluids at home? Go easy on solid foods if she is vomiting at all. Fluids are the most important thing! I'm pretty sure your puppy will be fine! Don't be alarmed if she gets a little worse before she gets better. It takes about 10-14 days to get through the disease process. Praying for your pup! Oh, if puppy is vomiting, you can let her lick on ice cubes, it helps calm the nausea

matiekack on November 10, 2012:

Hi there! I just brought my 8 week old pumpkin home from the vet today with a Parvo diagnosis. Such a heartbreaking thing to hear. I found your article while I was waiting for them to administer fluids and antibiotics because I wanted to know what the odds of survival are with home therapy. I was quoted $3000 for treatment, which is so unbelievably not even close to anything I can pay at this time. I was told we caught it very early on (so early that I was the one who insisted on the test, even though they were sure it couldn't be Parvo) and that improved my chances, and after reading your article I feel very optimistic and adequately prepared to power through this difficult weekend.

She was prescribed Clavamox as an antibiotic and Cerenia for nausea, as well as Pepcid to protect her stomach. They said she didn't appear too dehydrated, just slighty tacky gums. They gave her SubQ fluids to make sure she stays hydrated, and I picked up unflavored Pedialyte on my way home which I mixed with some chicken broth to entice her. She surprisingly went right up to the mixture and drank a good amount, and then she ate some wet food. She then followed me around the house as I cleaned and swept and tried to jump on the broom. She tires very easily, but she still likes to get up and play every now and then.

We haven't seen any diarrhea or bloody stool yet, and her vomiting has been minimal- just a few little blips of white mucus, but it's been about 12 hours since that happened.

I have the Pepto just in case, but I think the Pepcid will help soothe her tummy, plus the diarrhea hasn't shown up yet.

I hope I'm doing everything right. I'm just gonna keep on the Pedialyte and keep a close watch on her. We're spending the night in the living room tonight because of the hardwood floors, just in case any accidents happen. The whole main level has been sterilized...next step is my bedroom.

I just wanted you to know that your post is sincerely helpful and encouraging, and I appreciate so much that you took the time to post this. Thank you more than you know. I'll keep you posted!

Tara from knoxville tn on October 23, 2012:

i want to thank you so much for sharing this. My boxer chloey was diagnosed with cancer and we lost her 24 hours later. i was devestated because she had been my best friend for the past 5 years. she had been beside me through everything and was the greatest dog i could ask for. a couple months after losing her we rescued another boxer who had been abused, burned with cigarettes, and thrown out of a truck out in the woods. He had the exact same colors and markings as chloey whom we lost. a couple weeks ago he started acting funny, nothing major at first but then he started vomiting and refused to eat. the next morning he had explosive diarreah in the house so i took him to the vet. they diagnosed him with parvo and wanted $500 just to start treatment. we had spent $800 trying to help our boxer with cancer and we had spent $3500 on our wedding which was scheduled for the very next week after we found out he had parvo. Then i found your website and have been trying these things and doing everything i can to help him. he goes back to the vet tomorrow to see how he is doing. i am praying he is better. your post was a blessing. thank you so much

MagicStarER (author) from Western Kentucky on October 23, 2012:

First of all, don't give him milk. It will make him vomit more.

Give him the Pedialyte every half hour, at least 1-2 tablespoons full, more if you can.

Give him the Pepto Bismol every 1-2 hrs, half a teaspoon full

Keep the puppy clean, warm, quiet, and dry.

You can tell the vet you will treat the puppy at home, it will be lots cheaper. They will order IV fluids, which you can give yourself twice a day, plus something like Reglan to slow and calm intestinal motility (they have new drugs now better than Reglan) and they might give an antibiotic. Getting the right meds from the Vet and treating your pup at home will be lots cheaper.

The 2 reasons that puppies die from Parvo are 1) Dehydration, and 2) Hemorrhage. So the 2 most important things you need to make sure you do are: Make sure the puppy gets lots of fluids - even if they come right back out again, keep giving the fluids, some will stay in their system. And give the Pepto to coat the intestines, this will help stop the hemorrhaging of the intestinal walls.

Good luck with your puppy!

artsyholly on October 22, 2012:

This is urgent. I have a 7 mo. old puppy who has 2 out of 3 shots for parvo..he got sick Saturday night..laying around feeling weak and vomiting white fluids and will not eat, we have given him pedialite and warm milk every so often..it is now Monday and he has been seen by the vet and they say it is a BIG possibility it is parvo..I have to pay an additional fee to get him tested to clarify that it is parvo..if it comes back positive and I have to pay a larger bill to get him treated...how can I treat him to save his life with out borrowing funds from family? And is their a chance with it being 3 days in with out treatment that he can still survive?

MagicStarER (author) from Western Kentucky on September 19, 2012:

Oh, I am so, so sorry, sevenuia1234. :( You did all you could, I know. Please know that you can not always save them, even vets can not do it, either, no matter how much they do. It is not your fault. I am so sorry you lost the puppy. This was the brother, right? The other puppy is ok now, right?

sevenuia1234 on September 18, 2012:

I done all I could, he did his little last scream and passed away on me): I don't know how he died so quick he only had it for two days and I put lot of fluids in him. Nore than u can imagine and he was holdin them diwn good too):

MagicStarER (author) from Western Kentucky on September 17, 2012:

OMG! Get some fluids into him NOW, keep him warm and still, hold him up next to you like a baby and keep him warm - give him the pepto, too.

sevenuia1234 on September 17, 2012:

He just glt all stiff I believe he's dyin he takin slow breathes

MagicStarER (author) from Western Kentucky on September 17, 2012:

You might have to hold him with his head higher up, pick him up and hold him like a baby.

sevenuia1234 on September 17, 2012:

Okay thank u he's bein really whiny and acting like its hard for him to breathe

sevenuia1234 on September 17, 2012:

Okay thank u

MagicStarER (author) from Western Kentucky on September 17, 2012:

:( That's ok if he throws up, keep giving him fluids regardless. Some will stay down. If you can't get store bought Pedialyte right away, use this recipe to make it home made:

2 quarts water

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Don't forget to give the Pepto-Bismol (or generic equivalent) every hour or 2 - give 1/2 teaspoon each time. Give the Pedialyte every half hour, about 2 tablespoons full, or more if you can get it into him. Keep him calm, warm, clean, and dry.

sevenuia1234 on September 17, 2012:

he has improved and has been drinkin on his own and eatin he keeps tryin to play fight, he's back to his normal self.

But everytime I give little man fluids he pukes, and I don't have pedialite right now til my dad gets off at four so I. Have been givin him his milk and than more water. But he looks so skinny and pitiful.

MagicStarER (author) from Western Kentucky on September 17, 2012:

Sounds good! Don't stop making sure the puppy is getting enough fluids! If you stop too soon, he might relapse and get sick again! Give him things that are easy to digest like chicken baby food, or canned chicken dog food mixed half and half with soft, mashed pasta. If you can get him to drink home made chicken broth, try that, too.

With the other puppy, do the same thing - force pedialyte every half hour, at least two tablespoons full or more, and give the Pepto every hour or 2 depending on how often he is throwing up. 1/2 teaspoon full of Pepto.

sevenuia1234 on September 17, 2012:

He is doing well and eatin on hir own now his brother has beensick cor two days lost weight like crazy can't hold anythin down and is oukin up like freen mucus stuff

MagicStarER (author) from Western Kentucky on September 14, 2012:

I'm guessing they are tapeworm segments. How is the puppy doing? Are you getting fluids into him, and the Pepto?

sevenuia1234 on September 14, 2012:

i have been givin them ulta guard ridworm but they have been pooopin out worms and i normally keep fleas off my puppy but they haven't had a bath ina week or so, and they have fleas so that is probably where they came from. but now they aint got worms comin out they have little things that look like little white seeds? i casn't seem to figure out what they are i have been just feeding them heir cesar meals and givin them water. so they haven't ate anything with seeds.

MagicStarER (author) from Western Kentucky on September 14, 2012:

to Karina5112 - I am sending you an email, ok?

Karina5112 on September 14, 2012:

Please HELP ME, my dog has Parvo I took him to the vet today, he keeps throwing up & looks soo skinny and sad, he does not eat. He is 4/5 months and I don't want him to die :'( The treatment is $700, I'm willing to pay but what are the chances of him surviving???

Please contact me at my personal email ssmilez@aim.com

I'm desperate for help and advice!!!

MagicStarER (author) from Western Kentucky on September 13, 2012:

White and flat are tapeworms. What pills are you giving him? To get rid of them he needs Praziquantel or Drontal Plus. Wormer for roundworms will not get rid of the tapes. Lots of times they excrete the segments even if they are not being wormed. It is probably not the worm medicine making him poop out the tapeworm segments unless it is one of the above mentioned medications. They get these from fleas. :( Dog.com had a Drontal Plus substitute that you don't need a prescription for, can't remember the name of it...

sevenuia1234 on September 13, 2012:

yeh he just pootied again there white and flat

sevenuia1234 on September 13, 2012:

they were flat, and yeah i don't like givin them shots but my mom has cats and cats are the #1 carrier of parvo. and since i have been givin him pepto he doesn't have diarrhea anymore and hasn't been puking. do you have any idea how long it will take to get them out of his system? (the worms). the pills i have been givin him says i can't give him another one for two weeks.

MagicStarER (author) from Western Kentucky on September 13, 2012:

Were the little worms round or flat? It's hard telling what they were without looking at them - sometimes worms make dogs sick, too. Just make sure he gets lots of fluids into him, pepto if he vomits or has diarrhea. It is not a good idea to give shots if his immune system is down due to having a worm infestation... (I personally hate the parvo shots, and I actually believe that the shots can cause the pup to get parvo!! Because of a puppy I had, that came down with parvo about a week after getting the shot!)

sevenuia1234 on September 13, 2012:

thank you, your information has helped me a lot so far he was up and licking me in the face this morning, i fed him one of his little ceaser meals and he has held it down good so far, but i also have been givin him the pepto every couple hours just to be sure, i also wormed him yesterday and he had little white worms? i am guessin there round worms because i have had to hold him a lot to feed them since i have been bottle feeding since they was two weeks old. do you think it would be okay to go ahead and give them there parvo shots?

MagicStarER (author) from Western Kentucky on September 13, 2012:

To sevenuia1234: Please keep in mind I am not a vet. Just sharing what I have done to keep my own puppies alive when they got Parvo. Keep the puppy clean, warm, dry, and quiet. Give pedialyte every half hour, at least a couple tablespoons full, more if possible. If it runs out of his mouth or if he vomits it back up, don't worry, just keep giving the fluids, some is likely to stay in, and the more the better. Give the Pepto-Bismol about every hour or 2, about 1/2 teaspoon full each time. Keep doing this until the puppy is up and around again, and is both eating and drinking on his own. When you first notice the puppy is hungry again, give chicken baby food, chicken broth, and then something easy to digest like chicken or canned chicken dog food mushed up with soft pasta. Try to get your pup to a vet if you can afford it, they have medicines to soothe your puppy's intestinal spasms, and can give you subcutaneous IV's to hydrate the puppy. If you can not afford it, just keep giving fluids and pepto until the puppy gets better, usually about 7-10 days or so.

sevenuia1234 on September 12, 2012:

Can u help me please

sevenuia1234 on September 12, 2012:

i have a five week old puppy that i just found out caught parvo today, i don't have the money to take him to a vet but i did what you said and give him pepto bismol. but i bottle feed and i have been forcing him to drink a little bit of the bottle every hour, is there anythin g else i coud do?

MagicStarER (author) from Western Kentucky on August 30, 2012:

Listen to phinner! Everything said is the truth! The 2 most important things are to give the pepto to coat the intestines and keep them from hemorrhaging, and to get fluids into them. When a pup dies from Parvo it because of these 2 things: hemorrhage, and dehydration. And NO, the parvo shots do NOT guarantee the puppy will not get parvo. The parvo shots currently given in the US do NOT cover the newest and very virulent strain of Parvo. In fact, I suspect that the vaccines actually CAUSE the pups to get Parvo.

phinner on August 30, 2012:

Many years ago (85'ish), I had a husky/chow pup, Duke. One day, I came home from work to find Duke lying in the yard unable to move. We took him to an emergency vet and, long story short, they gave us 50/50 odds (he will or he won't) of him recovering from parvo - and an estimate of $500 to attempt treatment. Being young & dumb, we decided to have him put to sleep.

Years later, we had another pup (lab mix) who got parvo and this time we asked the vet if there was anything we could do at home to treat her. He sent me home with some "medicine" and instructions. As it turned out, the medication was very similar to PB without the minty smell, but a heftier price. We followed the instructions given, and she pulled through like a champ.

Over the years, we've had her offspring, his offspring, and currently her offspring - that's great grandma, grandpa, mama, and the 2 kids. All but grandpa contracted parvo during their puppy years. We have used the same instructions given to us by the vet years ago (the same instructions given in this article). All of our dogs pulled through and lived long happy lives. We still have Colby (10 yrs) - the last of the line, but will be getting him another playmate soon.

The home remedy in the article works - it's not easy, but it does work! I tell everyone who has puppies about it. We did use water instead of pedialyte, but pedialyte makes more sense. I've been told by the vet that a dog can go 11 days without food, but needs water everyday. So, don't worry if your pup isn't eating - he will when he's ready. And always keep an eye on your dog in their puppy years. The parvo shot does not guaranteed you that your pup will not get it. A friend of ours found that out the hard way.

lmc1899 on July 12, 2012:

The vet said he is 99.9 percent sure its parvo due to the low cbc test( white and

Red blood cell counts ). But he has no other symptoms so far..thank god. His poop is still normal looking and smelling. He also has a huge appetite..so? ? Is it the calm before the storm or maybe i caught it so early the parvaid is helping already. Im so scared to lose him..hes such a sweet smart pup.

MagicStarER (author) from Western Kentucky on July 12, 2012:

What did the vet say was wrong with the puppy? I am not a vet, so I don't really know what to say. It sounds as if he may be anemic, and has some sort of infection.

lmc1899 on July 11, 2012:

My husband got me a puppy sunday as a surprise. Its about 10wks a little under 4 lbs..its a chiweenie. I took him to the vet this morning for fever. His temp was 105. He has no other symptoms so far but the vet took a cbc test and his cell counts were very low. He acts ok especially outside but mostly lays in his bed. The vet gave him a shot and some nutrical which i took home too. I was advised to give him the nutrical every 6hour hrs and the clavamox 2 x a day and pedialite every hr or 2. So i bought some parvaid and mix that with the pedialite every hr. So far no poop sincethis morning and ut didn't look bad ..oh and he ate some chicken baby food. And to top it off now my 18do month old has fever ...i could use some advise, encouragement and a ton of prayers please!! My email is lmc1899@hotmail.com. thanks in advance and god bless.

MagicStarER (author) from Western Kentucky on June 15, 2012:

You are very welcome, crzydebs! That's what this article is for, to help people recognize Parvo immediately and to know what to do to save your puppy! It sounds like you are doing a great job and your puppy is already on the mend! Let me know when she is all the way better! I am so glad I was able to help a little!

crzydebz on June 14, 2012:

I just wanted to thank you for your personal attention. Your article was extremely helpful and the personal emails you sent to me were encouraging and supportive.

crzydebz on June 13, 2012:

The last time she vomited was Wed. morning around 5am. I have been giving her 12cc of pedialyte every hour. She has been sick since Monday and it seemed to hit her real quick. 6:30am she was an energetic puppy 9am she was throwing up and lethargic. She is not drinking on her own and she does not like me trying to force her to drink...I just tell her hate me now, thank me later. Thursday it will be 4 days sick, and 3 days w/ treatment. Doc gave me Cerenia for nausea and the antibiotic is Metronidaole. She has hook worms too. apparantly the worming med I gave her didn't do the trick. So the doc gave her a round for the hook worms and I have to give her the 2nd round later on today (thursday). They did not give her Tamiflu

crzydebz on June 13, 2012:

Yes, the vet gave me Cerenia for her nausea. He gave me metronidazole at the antibiotic. She also has hook worms so he gave her a dose of med on Tuesday morning and then I have to give her the 2nd dose Thursday. He did not give her an IV I am forcing pedialyte about every 1 hour to every 1 /2 hours. I am giving that to her through a syringe 12 cc's. The vet said 10cc...but I have been giving 12. She acts like it's an awful thing getting that but I'm staying strong and forcing it on her. In about 3 and a half hours it will be 24 hours since the last time she threw up. Her energy level is horrible...but she is still able to walk around slowly. I cleaned out her kennel with bleach and put an old shirt in there that was kept in a whole other room that hasn't had exposure to my pup and I put the kennel infront of the sofa and I am laying on the sofa so she can see me. I have my alarm set to wake up about every 2 hours because I'm totally exhausted myself so I can give her pedialyte and I opened my eyes before my alarm went off because I started thinking about my baby in my sleep and poor girl was standing up staring at me. I picked her up and my finger went across her little butt and I got a little poop on my finger it is a greenish, yellowish clearish color. No blood in it. I took her outside thinking maybe she had to throw up or poop but she just went tinkle and came back up on the porch and layed down. No vomit or diarea as of yet. She is not drinking water on her own yet. I have a small bowl that I pour the pedialyte in so I can fill the syringe and I offered her the bowl she looked at it and then looked away. On Monday morning we woke up at 6:30am and she was fine and dandy running and acting silly and playing. I had a client come in and she is supposed to lay on her bed by my desk when I'm working and she usually does that really well. By 9am on Monday morning she was throwing up white foamy stuff and was pretty out of it. My boss came in asked me if she had diarea and told him no, because her poop that morning was solid and healthy looking. So he told me lets watch her and if she isn't doing better by tomorrow (tuesday) we will contact a vet. So I was like ok. Well Monday night around 9pm she had direa sooo bad. I called my friends mom and was crying and told her what happened (she has 9 dogs that she loves to death) so she told me to get her something to calm her stomach like pepto and some pedialyte and force her to drink that. So I did that through the night. Kept waking up to make sure she had pedialyte. Then I texted David, my boss let him know she wasn't doing any better. He came in and made a vet apt. for her. I took her to the vet. He said that she tested pos. for parvo and she had hook worms. He said that it wasn't a severe case of parvo yet and she seemed pretty well hydrated. But she did have hook worms that don't help a thing. So last night I didn't sleep at all because every hour on the hour I have been forcing pedialyte down her and then she had a rough night w/ vomit and diarea....sweet girl didn't even have an accident in the house she managed to jump off me and stand at the door til I got it open and take care of her business outside. But it was up and down all night loong last night til about 5am. Then today she was pretty much out of it layin in her bed next to me while I was working (pft, not really working just sitting at my desk lookin busy I guess and not even doing a great job of pretending to look busy)....but every hour still forcing fluids. I have been keeping a log of everything I do and everything she does and the time and day. Thursday is going to be the 3rd day of treatment. I'm just trying so hard to make sure she is ok.....if my love for her would make her better she would be gettin in puppy trouble again. She is such a loveable pup, She even has about 10 people calling about her every day making sure she is ok and checking on her progress and I have one client/friend that comes by every day and checks on her and will run errands for me so I don't have to leave her. He even puppy sat her while I took a shower...it's killin me that she is in her kennel because I like it when she is laying on me to sleep so I know exactly what she needs but I know it's best to keep her in a clean place vs. somewhere she contaminated....so I have her about a foot from me. On Tuesday she weighed 12.5 pounds and I swear I think she probably have lost at least 2 pounds in 1 day. Sorry for the long response, but I haven't ever had a puppy before and I haven't ever experienced parvo before. I have had sick kids but it's a little different since I didn't give birth to her I don't have the natural instincts that you have when your dealing with your child....that was 1 reason why I liked holding her so much, it made me feel closer to her....thank you so much for your response.....

MagicStarER (author) from Western Kentucky on June 13, 2012:

Is your puppy still vomiting? If so, do not give any solid food for at least 24 hours after the last vomiting. Force fluids and help the puppy lick on ice cubes. The ice will help settle their stomach. What did the vet give you and tell you to do? Please let me know. It is not as important that the puppy eat as it is that it get fluids - did the vet give you IV fluids for the puppy? If not, give the puppy pedialyte every half hour, at least 2 tablespoons, more if you can get it in. Did the vet give you something to calm the puppy's digestive system? Usually they will give something like Reglan or Cerenia. Did they give her Tamiflu? They gave poor little Indigo Tamiflu. Just keep her warm, dry, clean, and let her rest. Get as many fluids into her as you can. The puppy will shed parvo virus for at least 6 weeks after recovering from it. Just a FYI. Don't worry too much about being skinny - when she gets to feeling better, she will eat like a starving bear and regain all her weight in a couple of days! You will be amazed at how fast they recover completely! How long has she been sick - how many days? Will she drink water on her own?

crzydebz on June 13, 2012:

My puppy was diagnosed w/ Parvo yesterday. She is 3 months old. I haven't slept in 2 nights. I have been sleeping on the sofa with her on my chest waking up to take her outside, pump fluids into her pet her sooth her, etc. This article was very helpful to me because I have been trying to give her baby food turkey because I know she must be hungry and I can tell she lost weight since yesterday. I have been keeping a log of everytime I give her a medication, every time I give her pedialyte. The Vet told me to give her rice but I know she will not eat that so I have been mixing pedialyte with rice cereal (baby cereal). My little black lab Faith lives with me and works with me. She goes everywhere with me. I haven't left home since we got back from the Vet's. I will have friends get me food, or pick up something from the store for the baby or whatever. I'm worried sick about her. I'm so freaked out that I wait until someone is here so I can take a shower, because I don't want my baby alone for 1 second. I am sertylizing our home/office tomorrow and have sterylized her kennel tonight. I'm going to let her sleep in her kennel tonight but I'm sleeping on the sofa right next to her so she can see me and if she needs anything I'll be right there to help her. Do you think there is anything else I can do? I thought she was getting better yesterday as she was playful and playing tug with my jeans and play growling and then all of a sudden she is just sleeping and all boney ...it's totally heart breaking. I haven't noticed any blood in her stools or in her vomit. Her stools and vomit has been happening at ungodly hours like 4 or 5 in the morning. I'm just hoping my poor little Faith pulls through. If anybody has any advice please let me know. you can email me direct at crzydebz@yahoo.com.

Thanks,

MagicStarER (author) from Western Kentucky on June 12, 2012:

to kww1970: So you do not think it is cruel to kill another living being? You can say whatever kind of platitudes and excuses you want. But killing is killing, whether it is done with a smile or not. The end result is the same, it ends up with a dead body. Anybody who thinks it's ok to murder as long as you are "kind" while you are doing it, is deluded. Sorry. I don't buy it.

MagicStarER (author) from Western Kentucky on June 12, 2012:

Sorry I did not see this sooner. NEVER, NEVER give a dog aspirin!!!! Only pepto-bismol and the pedialyte - you can make homemade pedialyte, just add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon sugar to 8 oz of water. You should give the Pepto-Bismol 1/2 teaspoon every 2 hours, and the pedialyte every half hour, at least 2 tablespoons each time, 3 or 4 is better if you can get it down him. Do not let the dog eat until 24 hours after the last vomiting. Start out slowly when the pup starts to look a little better and has not vomited for 24 hrs, give just a little chicken broth, then a little more, then try to get the dog to eat a little chicken baby food or pureed chicken and rice. You might have to make the dog eat the first time.

Is your dog still alive?

Robin Delehanty from culver, Indiana on May 18, 2012:

i just lost my5 month old puppy spot to parvo 3weeks ago. he was my baby i miss him so much and now we just found out that my other dog demon gave my moms dog taz parvo 2weeks ago my moms dog passed away last night.now im struggling trying to figure out how to make sure this does not afect demon too.i cant aford the vaccine but i am giving him asprin every 4 hrs and pedialyte every hour to try and keep him from getting it too.i have disinfected the house really good but what else can i do to make sure demon deosnt get it.ive tryd so hard and don't know wat to do.PLEASE HELP:(

ROBIN

Mylove013layla on May 12, 2012:

My pitbull Puppy is sick with parvo. I'm currently taking care of her. I took her to the vet and they said that I was my choice to hospitalize her, but I don't have the money. So they even gave me the iv fluids to keep her hydrated. Shes been drinking pedialyte on her own. I'm really scared, she is only 13 weeks and I been having her since she was 4. I don't want to loose her ): she is Like my kid )':

susannesanture on February 28, 2012:

i have also treated many dogs in the same manor. this is the closest description i have ever seen to what i do. i have only lost one dog out of about 15 or more that i have treated. very well spoken! the only thing i want to specify on this post, and only cause some people try using regular disinfectant on their yards, ONLY BLEACH is known to kill the virus from the soil. so please do not try and spray randon cleaners that say disinfectant on it all over your yard, it will NOT work. again ONLY bleach, please be cautious of spreading this and make sure u do a thorough job of disinfecting. my first dog caught it from a yard that had been infected and not disinfected properly. that was the 1 dog i lost because i was not as aware then. again...great post.

Hennisy slsrjg on February 21, 2012:

my puppy is almost 5months old (Hennisy)she's a bullmasive, boxer and pitt. i hadn't got her any of her shots yet. Four days ago she quit eating and drinking water. She got diariha really bad and strted throwing up. I called the vets office and they told me its more likely parvo. I don't have any money to take her in to get tested or any help. Ive been giving her pepto and phidialite. To keep her hyrated. I have to use a drper to give her water. She's still alive. She don't seem to happy but, im trying to do everything i can do to help her.She's my baby and i love her to death and i don't want to loss her but, i don't have the money to get her treated. I don't have a job so its hard. If anybody could help me out and give me some tips or something i would really appreciate it!!!!

kvvw1970 on December 16, 2011:

I don't usually comment on articles but this struck me personally. While this article is well written and gives very useful information, the very last sentence needs to be changed! I work for a Shelter and we do euthanasia here, and not once is it ever cruel! We have every member of our staff that takes the utmost care of every single animal that has to be euthanized for whatever reason. They feel nothing but love from us whether it is a feral cat, aggressive dog, or a canine with parvo. Though it is the worst part of this job we take pride it doing it with dignity and respect to all of our 4 legged friends. Thank you.

karacoop on November 18, 2011:

I want to thank you for this- I lost a pup this week to Parvo, I still have his brother and sister, we gave them shots the day after their brother passed not knowing for sure if it was parvo. He did not show signs until a day and a half before his death, but my friend came and said it was the Parvo smell. I have called a vet as my other 2 now have it, laying around and the boy has vomited 2 x's and but ate and drank on his own after I first gave him pepto yesterday, neither had went for over 24 hours without food or drink at this time, I have been continuing the pepto and gatorade with electrolites, but the boy has now started some running diarrhea; the vet's office says sorry we are out of the iv's and things to treat at the time and the other vet in the area will not see pitbulls? This has helped so far, is there a chance that I can save them both? The girl has only spit up one time (but no odor was present)and both have been outside today when our adult dogs went out? This information has helped more then anything I have read, is there a chance without vet help for a few days?

dfelker on November 09, 2010:

My friend just lost a pup to parvo, which led me to read this. What I am really impressed by is not the information (tho that is good) but the compassionate and understanding tone which really shines through in your writing. Thanks.

Internetwriter62 from Marco Island, Florida on July 16, 2010:

That was a fantastic hub on what to do in what would be for many an impossible situation. I don't have a dog of my own, but my sister does, so I will pass the information along. The devotion you have for helping a dying puppy is truly an inspiration. It's not easy saving animals, and I am a big advocate of spaying and neutering, I always had my pets neutered. Thanks for showing us not to give up on our pets, rated it up.

Julianna from SomeWhere Out There on March 17, 2010:

We have a new puppy he is a Cocker , he has his shots but I have bookmarked this because a person never knows and the season is around the corner. :)

arisel from Honolulu Hawai on March 11, 2010:

O I LOVE PUPIS NICE COMMENTS MY HUBS PLEASE

Beth Morey from Montana on March 11, 2010:

Cody, one of my dogs, is a parvo survivor! Just wanted to share a happy ending to a parvo store, because it IS possible. Here's Cody a few months ago:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3476/3795617294_f63...

A rough life, to be sure. ;)

MagicStarER (author) from Western Kentucky on March 09, 2010:

To Faybe Bay: Thank you! :) I am sorry you lost a dog - Don't blame yourself, you can not always save them. I had 2 chocolate labs, brothers, who both caught Parvovirus. The first one was dead within hours, and there was nothing that could be done - I did not immediately know what was wrong, and did not know what to do. The second one, Joe, then became ill with the same symptoms. By then, I knew to immediately give the Pepto-Bismol and start hydrating. Then got him to the vet right away, where he got a shot, antibiotics, and Reglan. I was able to save him, thank God. And he lived on for many years, to be my best friend. Joe is gone now. But I sure miss him. He was my best friend and understood every word I said. He was very smart and could lead horses, take other dogs for walks, and would help me get up when I needed it. He would bend down so I could grab his collar, then he would back up and pull me up. I think about him every day.

Unchained Grace from Baltimore, MD on March 09, 2010:

What I can tell you is she was exhibiting the same things you mentioned here and the vet said it was just a stomach virus. Had I known then what you just wrote, She might've had a chance.

I just rated and Stumbled this so someone else might have the chance Panga didn't have.

Faye Constantino from Florida on March 08, 2010:

I lost a dog to Parvo too. I am rating you up and bookmarking this so I can pass it on to others.

MagicStarER (author) from Western Kentucky on March 04, 2010:

I am so sorry about your Rottweiller. It hurts to lose your pet! There is not guarantee that you could have saved Panga.

Unchained Grace from Baltimore, MD on March 04, 2010:

Many years ago, my Rottweiller (Panga) died from Parvo. The vet in the area misdiagnosed it at first and by the time I could get to a vet who was more knowledgable, she was too far along. I found her dead on my kitchen floor one morning.

I wish I had what you just read at my disposal back then. Thank you.

My Dog Has Parvo What Can I Do

Source: https://pethelpful.com/dogs/How-to-Save-a-Puppy-with-Parvo-Virus

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