Effective Strategies for Parvo Prevention

Besides prevention, owners should learn about the causes of the disease and its symptoms.

Parvo or canine parvovirus is a viral disease commonly affecting dogs. It's a highly contagious disease that needs only slight contact with an infected dog to spread. The high mortality rate proves that this disease rarely has an undesirable outcome. Therefore, prevention is the only choice that dog owners have if they want to ensure a long and healthy life for their little friends.

Here are some preventive measures to protect your dog and yourself from parvovirus.

Vaccinate as soon as possible

Vaccination is the only proven way of protecting a puppy from parvo. The mortality rate of young dogs suffering from parvo is 91%. The rate is lower for adult dogs, but it can have serious health consequences even if they survive.

Fortunately, vaccines for all types of parvo are available today. The first vaccine should be administered six to eight weeks after birth. The puppy should then receive booster doses every three weeks until it reaches 16 weeks. The next dose should be a year later and every three years to maintain immunity.

Get information about parvo symptoms

Besides prevention, owners should learn about the causes of the disease and its symptoms. In most scenarios, early detection is crucial for successful treatment.

The incubation period typically lasts three to five days. The first symptoms appear within ten days of disease contraction, including lethargy, fever, vomiting, and diarrhea, naturally leading to weight loss. As a result, dogs go into shock and rarely survive.

Limit an unvaccinated dog's contact with other dogs

Before receiving at least three doses of the vaccine, pups shouldn't contact other dogs, even if those animals are vaccinated. Vaccinated dogs might not be infected but can transfer the disease to unprotected dogs.

Try not to take out the dog on walks or let it mingle with other dogs that regularly go outside.

Limit the dog owner's contact with other canines

Just as contact with other dogs can lead to disease contraction, owners can also transfer the virus to their dog if they've been in contact with other dogs. Parvo can affect humans, but they'll more likely transmit it to their pets.

Don't get another pet before completing the vaccination

Owners should refrain from adopting a new dog into the family before the first one is fully vaccinated. New dogs can carry undetectable diseases, exposing the current one to risk.

Keep the pup's surroundings clean

Keeping the dog's environment clean is the number one rule owners should follow. However, successfully cleaning the yard and other surfaces possibly contaminated with parvo is difficult. Furthermore, parvo doesn't disappear with regular cleaning products.

Only a professional cleaning service experienced with cleaning pet habitats can help dog owners be completely confident that their dog isn't exposed to harmful environments.

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