# Friends dog has Parvo



## lauriej57 (Nov 20, 2008)

Hubby visited a friend today, and found out that his dog has Parvo, he's a little over a year old, and one our Missy's best friend. Thankfully, he didnt' take Missy with him today like he usually does.

We haven't been to his house, nor he to our house in about 2 months. Our dogs are all vaccinated against parvo, do we have any need to worry?

I know that Parvo is highly contagious, and it stays in the ground for a long time, and it's very often deadly, and can be expensive to treat. 


I know that vaccinations are not fail safe. Will it ever be safe for us to take any of dogs over to visit and play, I know it can be transmitted by people, with feces on their shoes. 

How do dogs get this, if they haven't been around a dog or an area where a dog has been that has parvo? Do pigs get parvo, that's the only new thing that he has on his property, and his dog, Sarge, runs when they are outside, but he stays close to the house?

Any info will be appreciated, I'm not panicking, yet, since they are all vaccinated, but still very concerned.


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## GoldenMom (Jan 2, 2005)

I wouldn't be terribly worried about your dogs right now, unless you have any really young pups.

How was Sarge's parvo diagnosed? It's actually pretty uncommon for an adult dog to come down with parvo. Gastroenteritis can often mimic parvo (and would be a big possibility in a 1 year dog who has the run of the farm).


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## derm (Aug 6, 2009)

lauriej57 said:


> Hubby visited a friend today, and found out that his dog has Parvo, he's a little over a year old, and one our Missy's best friend. Thankfully, he didnt' take Missy with him today like he usually does.
> 
> We haven't been to his house, nor he to our house in about 2 months. Our dogs are all vaccinated against parvo, do we have any need to worry?
> 
> ...


Vaccinations against Parvo if done correctly are as close to fail safe as their is on this planet against a disease. I have never seen a pet get parvo that had the shots in the right order at the right time. If your pets have had this done you are OK. Parvo is a virus that lives nearly forever in the environment and is fairly widespread everywhere in America. A dog can get it anywhere.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

I just wanted to mention that there was a newer strain of parvovirus that came out a few years ago, and was killing dogs who had been previously vaccinated. So do keep up on the vaccines, especially if your dogs haven't had a booster in the last couple of years. CPV 2c? I can't remember the name for sure, but I think it was 2c. Now they have developed a vaccine for it, but it your dog hasn't had a booster in 3yrs, it would be a good idea to have it. You want to keep the titer high on the older strains too.
I'm sure someone who knows more about this could give you exact details, but it did start affecting dogs a few years ago.


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## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

I've only seen one dog die of parvo. It had recieved it's first shot and got the virus before the second one. I had never heard of any getting it if their shots are kept up. Not saying it can't happen, just never heard of it.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> Do pigs get parvo, that's the only new thing that he has on his property,


I don't know about pigs getting it, but unless his entire property is heavily fenced, it's safe to bet other dogs have been there even if he's never seen them


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## Oregon Julie (Nov 9, 2006)

Having lost fully vaccinated young adult dogs to parvo I will disagree with most of what has been said here. There is a newer and rather nasty type that has developed over the past few years and to the best of my knowledge the vaccines do not cover it. So yes, vaccinated dogs can and do get it and die. However I would not rush out and vaccinate the dog again just because the friends dog has it. IMO your dog either is or is not covered by the vaccines that it has had so far. Giving it another one at this point is only going to stress it's immune system and that is not what it needs at this point.


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## lauriej57 (Nov 20, 2008)

Our dogs are completely up to date on their vaccines, our Missy, the oldest is due for some boosters in the spring, so they should be safe, unless of course, it is the new strain of parvo. I will keep a close eye on them, they haven't been around his dog in a month or two, but they only live about 2 miles away, and if his dog has it, others in the area may have it also. 

He discovered it, because the dog became very ill, diahhrea, vomiting, laying around, and took Sarge to the vet. This man doesn't pay for anything unless he has to, so I know Sarge was very ill if he took him to the vet. His attitude would normally be, "he's just a dog".

I'm also going to spread the word around the neighborhood, in case there are others out there who have not had their dogs vaccinated.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

Oregon Julie said:


> There is a newer and rather nasty type that has developed over the past few years and to the best of my knowledge the vaccines do not cover it.


The merial rep that comes into the office said they did cover it. He could have been just giving great "salesmanship" though. It's been around for a few years, so hopefully all the major vaccine makers do cover it now. It would be good to know for sure though.


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## tailwagging (Jan 6, 2005)

Something that was e-mailed to me that I kept.

Parvo or is it Campylobacter 
Campylobacter is a form of food poison. It can be passed from people to dogs and then back to people again. It is also referred to as "Show Crud" as it is very common in show dogs.

This disease is becoming more wide spread. As the winter begins to pass into early spring each year, a new wave of deaths occur from this. And each year, the question comes up again: "Is this a new strain of Parvo?" and each time there are 100 different replies.

This disease is so similar to Parvo, that some dogs have tested in the low positive for Parvo. In most cases they DO NOT have Parvo and it has been recommended that three Parvo tests are needed to exclude Parvo. this disease seems to move from the West to the East through the dog shows.

It is medically known as CAMPYLOBACTERIOSIS, the name of the organism causing this is Campylobacter Jejuni. This disease can be tested for specifically, though some vets don't know about it. Bring it to their attention that you might have an effected dog that appears to have Parvo, but in your mind know that could not be possible, have them tested for Campylobacter. It is important to not that this disease can be transferred between humans, dogs, cats and other livestock. Many vets today are reporting that a cure for Parvo has been established when they actually are treating and curing Campylobacter and don't realize it.

The Campylobacter Jejuni is a Gram-Negative, slender curved, and motile rod. It is a species of bacteria that resembles small tightly coiled spirals. Its organisms are known to cause abortion in sheep and fever and stomach inflammation in man and may be associated with enteric diseases of calves, lambs and other animals. A genus of bacteria found in the reproductive organs, intestinal tract and oral cavity of animals and man. Some species are pathogenic. It is a microaerophilic organism, which means it has a requirement of reduced levels of oxygen. It is relatively fragile and sensitive to environmental stresses (e.g. 21% oxygen, drying, heating, disinfectants and acidic conditions). It causes more disease than Shigella spp and Salmonella spp combined. (Taken from the US FDA "Bad Bug Book") It is also known as Campylobacter enteritis or gastroenteritis. It can also be diagnosed as Sirochete or Giardia diarrhea.

TESTING : Diagnosis is by direct fecal on a VERY fresh (still warm, so bacteria are still alive) sample, mixed with saline and examined microscopically. There is usually a decrease in normal bacterial numbers and motility. Blood testing will result in the low positive for Parvo. Tests are not conclusive, so if a low Parvo test is shown start treatment immediately !

INCUBATION TIME : Its incubation period is reported to be anywhere from 2 to 10 days.

SYMPTOMS : These can mimic Parvo. The diarrhea does not always have the foul odor. It usually progresses as follows. Begins with mucus-covered solid stools, loose stools, progresses to diarrhea, profuse diarrhea, the squirts, depressed appetite with or without vomiting. The diarrhea may be watery or sticky and can contain (but not always) blood. These symptoms can be minor to severe. Some animals hardly show any symptoms, while others can become fatally dehydrated. Also seen are temperature drops and shock followed by death and all within 12-24 hours. In very young puppies you will hear them cry quite loudly and nothing will comfort them, then respiratory problems occur. Puppies need attention immediately as the fatality rate is high.

SOURCE OF INFECTION : Fecal matter, non-chlorinated water, such as streams, ponds or puddles, food poisoning from food or from a human who has food poison, even a light case. This disease can also be transmitted to these areas by our common fly, flitting from one host to another. The bacteria is also found in raw or under cooked meat. For all intents and purposes for the Dog Show Crud, it is transmitted in public X-Pens and public elimination areas. Some also say through urine, saliva via contact, or through the air. This bacteria reproduces at a rapid rate.

TREATMENT : As soon as any of the symptoms are seen, see your vet immediately for the proper tests, because the disease progresses so rapidly. Re-hydration may be required within a few hours of the onset. This is the worst scenario. It could be that the dog will have a very mild case and be treated at home with anti-diarrheal medication and antibiotics but it is not worth it to take the chance. Most cases are not as drastic/catastrophic, clinically as Parvo if treatment is done in a timely manner. The younger the dog the more serious the case. Drugs for treatment are Tetracycline, Erythromycin and some have had success using Cephalexin.

(In humans you will also see fever, abdominal pain, nausea, headache and muscle pain. This illness usually occurs 2-5 days after ingestion of contaminated food or water and up to 10 days after. Illness generally lasts 7-10 days, but relapses are not uncommon. Most infections are self-limiting and are not treated with antibiotics. However, treatment with Erythromycin does reduce the length of time that infected individuals shed the bacteria in their feces.)

Many veterinarians have recommended that if you have a dog with diarrhea, cramping, vomiting, etc., and has been to a dog show, camping, groomer, park, or any public place, or if any one in your family has been ill with diarrhea or food poison like symptoms, etc., that the dog be seen by your vet as soon as possible to diagnose the problem and treat it accordingly.


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## brody (Feb 19, 2009)

I have seen parvo for many years - 3 puppies who died - one had two sets of shots, one one set, and one none 

Have had 3 cases of it this fall - (2 siblings and 1 other) all week or younger puppies ... all beat it and are doing well now 

(I foster for shelters so see more of it than many would) 

My adult dogs are vaccinated and foster dogs are quarantined - if there is something contagious I put pretty strict isolation procedure in place
I've never had parvo spread ..


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## Oregon Julie (Nov 9, 2006)

My six month old, fully vaccinated ***** who got and died of a very nasty version of the disease was taken to Oregon State University for a necropsy to confirm what she died of. It was parvo and the vaccine did not cover it. My feelings about vaccines changed greatly after our experiences with parvo and I do not view that as the silver bullet to protect us for all evil that others do. Just my opinion and in the end, my dogs, my rules and views are what matter to us.


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## lasergrl (Nov 24, 2007)

Why would Campylobacter make a parvo test positive? One is a virus, the other a bacteria. Its been proven that rescent parvo vaccines dont even cross react to make a parvo test positive. I am not saying this isnt true because I havent researched it, it just sounds rather fishy.


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## lamoncha lover (Mar 1, 2009)

I once walked into the vet 3 seconds after a parvo dog came in. Thank God the front girls told me. I about died. I eneded up having vet spray me, my dog, my shoes before i left, When I got home i took my shoes off in the car then washed them in diluted bleach water. Then I gave my 85 pound dog a diluted bleach bath. Then I showered and washed my clothes in diluted bleach water. Then I went back and sprayed diluted bleach water in my vehicle. Not scared of parvo at all I guess?
In reality I suspect that every walk I take with my dog she is covered in parvo virus. Every trip to the vet. It is very prevelant down here. I try to vaccinate everything and thats about all I can do. It still puts the fear of God in me


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

You end up with a lot of false Neg tests rather than the other way around. It has nothing to do with Campylobacter. It's just that the quick snap tests are not always perfectly accurate in detecting CPV.


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## tailwagging (Jan 6, 2005)

http://www.avma.org/animal_health/canine_parvovirus_faq.asp


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## tailwagging (Jan 6, 2005)

lasergrl said:


> Why would Campylobacter make a parvo test positive? One is a virus, the other a bacteria. Its been proven that rescent parvo vaccines dont even cross react to make a parvo test positive. I am not saying this isnt true because I havent researched it, it just sounds rather fishy.


not sure either but from what I gather, both destroys the lining of the intestine and causes toxins. so maybe the test tests for toxins?


http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=2232&S=1


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## Starwynn (Dec 27, 2010)

There's a trick with puppies and parvo. First, it's important that their mother is current on vaccinations before she's pregnant. If a pup isn't from a vaccinated mom, there's a higher risk of parvo - vaccination or not, the risk elevating with the fewer number of shots they've been giving, and of course the risk DEcreasing with the more shots they're given. 

For example, a shot could have been kept poorly, be a bad batch, not really defend the pup well enough for the strength of assault by their exposure to a parvo virus, or the pup could be more immune-depressed by worms, etc. Also if a shot is given while the pup is still under the protection of the mom, then it might not 'take' I've heard. That's one reason why we repeat the shots.

But if you have a pup that has had at least two shots, who was from a vaccinated mom, and you don't push it with the exposure, your risks decrease. That being said, I trust vaccinations at a vet more so than feed store or online-purchased vaccinations (not that I've never done the latter).

We had a similar situation lately when we bought a little boston terrier. She supposedly had shots, but the owners "left the shot records at the house". She turned out having had no shots, GOBS of adult hook/round worms in her droppings, and smelling of parvo with slightly runny droppings. If you've ever smelled parvo, you'll never ever forget the smell. I have a 10 month old puppy that had been around the new pup, and so I was terrified. Having lost a brand new pup to parvo once before (supposedly vaccinated, shot record and everything, died in 3 days of us bringing him home), I had the sellers take her back. I sobbed the whole way there, and cried for what seemed like forever, all the while wondering if MY dog was going to start showing symptoms.

I learned that parvo virus can live at least a year inside or out. Bleach apparently does work to kill it, at a 1:10 ratio (one part bleach to 10 parts water). Bleach works better on non-porous surfaces and isn't as effective on porous or dirt surfaces. We were told to wash everything in bleach, bleach everything we could, and not get another pup for a few months. We were also told that because we were religious with our own pup's vaccinations (and I witnessed every one of them), that we were likely fine. As it was, our new vet recommends a parvo vaccination every 6 months for dogs that will likely have a high exposure to parvo. We asked because I want to take my dog to the local dog parks to help socialize him. So you might ask your vet if he thinks at this point it's necessary for your pet. Then just watch for signs, but honestly you should be fine.

I also wonder about the dog being an adult and parvo; were they able to do a titre on him to figure out if there was indeed parvo, or another enteritis? What a sad thing to have a friend lose a dog that's that close to you.


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## Rollibb (Apr 20, 2011)

Our 8 month old Chihuahua has parvo she was 3lbs before she was sick, now she&#8217;s 2lbs.We took her to the vet and they gave her treatment for about five days. The 7th day her attitude changed towards the good and she started eating little by little. She might be 2 and half pounds now but she&#8217;s going to make it. So not all dogs die, but at one time she did want to die you could see it in her eyes.


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## Cynecagsd (Apr 1, 2011)

First and foremost, vaccinations against parvo are the best protection short of putting your dog in a plastic bubble you can get. That said....

Parvo is a highly treatable gastroenteritus if caught early. The clinic I worked at had a 98% success rate overall in parvo treatment (a couple years it was 100% since we never lost a parvo dog those years). If treated aggressively with supportive care, IV fluids and antibiotics to prevent secondary bacterial infection, the success rate is quite good. In Texas about 1996 or 7 a particularly bad strain of parvo showed up. We treated aggresivly as always but about 2 or 3 days into treatment, right as the dog would appear to be turning the corner, it would spike a high fever and take a bad turn for the worse. We decided to use ecoli antisyrum and against label directions baytril injectable. Baytril wasknown to cause bone lesions if used in puppies but the vet I worked for said shed rather deal with a lame dog then a dead one. I am sure there are better antibiotics out there now, but for the record as far as I know none of the dogs that were treated with baytril developed bone lesions or lameness.

Parvo is highly contagious and lives in the environment for a year or more. It can even be spread by a person handling a parvo dog and then coming home and handling or coming in contact with their own dog (puppy). Most older animals seem only to develope a slight diarrhea and maybe some vomiting for a day or 2 and then do ok, but have them checked out anyway especially if the vomiting or diarrhea lasts more then a day or 2. In a puppy it is devistating with death usually occuring due to extreme dehydration due to the inability to keep fluids down. 

If you feel you may have come into contact with an infected dog, spraying yourself with a 1:10 bleach and water solution helps. Try to change clothing before coming in contact with your own dog, and shower using the bleach solution. Wash clothing shoes and anything that came in contact with the infected dog with bleach in your washer, and then run the washer again with bleach empty. during high parvo season, spring and summer, a foot bath of the 1:10 ratio bleach solution that you step into before entering the area in which you might infect your dog. This is especially important if you have a litter of puppies on the ground.

I would vaccinate the bitches I intended to breed at first sign of heat cycle to help with giving her the best Maternal antibodies to pass to the puppies. puppies should be boostered once ever 4 weeks once they reach 6 weeks old. I gave my pups a DHM at 5 weeks and Parvo and carona at 6, then a DA2PP-CVK at 10 weeks, again at 14 weeks and a DHLPP-CVK +Rabies at 16 weeks. I also boostered Parvo and Carona at 6 months the first year. I only had 1 case of parvo in my kennel and that was with a 4 wk old puppy that my husband (now ex) let his mother out of the whelping/puppy area into the yard as I was coming in from work one evening. We were treating a parvo case in clinic and the ***** came out and jumped on me before I had the change to get in and take a shower. I had changed clothes at the clinic, and again in the gaurage prior to the ***** greeting me. With the vaccination regimine I used as stated above that was the ONLY case of Parvo I ever had at my house, caught early treated successfully, and trust me there was plenty of chance of exposure even with all the precautions I took.

As for fully vaccinated dogs contracting parvo, yes it can happen. Especially, we noticed anyway, in Dobermans, Rottweilers and German Shepherds. However we also noticed that the fully vaccinated dogs responded quicker to treatment and recovered much faster then those we treated with only partial or no vaccination history.


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## Rollibb (Apr 20, 2011)

I think our dog caught it from the dog next door it&#8217;s a German Shepherd. Now if that&#8217;s the case disinfecting our backyard and inside our house is meaningless right? It&#8217;s a wire fence they can interact all day long.


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## Cynecagsd (Apr 1, 2011)

Rollibb said:


> I think our dog caught it from the dog next door itâs a German Shepherd. Now if thatâs the case disinfecting our backyard and inside our house is meaningless right? Itâs a wire fence they can interact all day long.


This is a difficult situation and onemany people find themselves in. The short answer is no you cant really disinfect your yard and shared fence line. You can try with things like parvosol and even the bleach and water, although what it will do to your lawn is anyones guess. but the possibility of transmission along that fence line is going to be there, andeven if you kept the fenceline clear and disinfected.. if you could... roaming cats, squirrls and other animals can transport the virus into your area.

Now I understand that your dog contracted parvo recently. The question I need to ask is if the dog was treated successfully, or if he/she surcumed to it. if the latter, I send you my sympathy. However if the former, youre probably the best protected dog in the neighborhood. Parvo is a virus and as such is treated by supportive care to insure tht the dog does not dehydrate as it fights off the virus. The antibiotics is there only to prevent bacteria from taking advantage of the immune system while it fights the virus. Now mind you I have been out of the vet business for aboout 12 years now so there may be antivirals that they are using to treat parvo that I do not know about. However essentually your dog just got a super vaccine. 

The way vaccines work is to introduce a killed or modified live form of the virus and the body's immune system creates antibodies to combat the disease. The idea being that the dog would already have the antibodies to fight off the disease should it come in contact with the full live version of it, thereby the dog would not get the virus because the bodies antibodies would fight it off before it could take root. With your dog contracting the virus and going through treatment, remember supportive care while the immune system fights off the virus, he/she will be VERY high in antibodies to fight off another encounter of the live virus. Thats not to say it is imposible to contract the disease again, but its highly unlikely, unless your dog has a low immune response (which would mean he/she probably wouldnt make it through treatment anyway) or he/she comes in contact with a different strain.

Now if he/she did not make it through treatment, again my sympathies if this is the case, DO NOT get another puppy. The virus is alive in your area as well as in the neighbors area and along that fence line. Unless you can disinfect EVERYTHING both dogs ever came in contact with, getting a new puppy will only serve to expose another dog to the virus and another round of treatment. 

I hope my explination isnt too technical but it always helps to understand the dynamics.


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## LoneStrChic23 (Jul 30, 2010)

Had to fight the Parvo battle here too.....labor intensive nightmare, but I pulled her through and she's thriving today....Here's the thread about the whole ordeal & how we got through it:

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=380816


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## Rollibb (Apr 20, 2011)

Yes she made due to the treatment,but I just don't want to go through that again. We breed dogs so it's safe to say no more for at least a year. The last thing I want to do is to bring new borns into this.


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