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Dog Parvo Symptoms
Learning more about dog parvo symptoms is essential as canine parvo can cause serious health problems, even death, to our dogs.
As parvo in puppies can be deadly, it is important for dog parents to learn more about this disease so that we are better informed and know what to do in the unfortunate event that our dogs show signs of parvo.
This page takes a look at the various clinical symptoms exhibited by puppies and dogs with parvo.
Please also visit our page on Parvo in Puppies for more general information about dog parvo.
For information on conventional and some natural parvo treatments, please visit Parvo Treatment.
Dog Parvo Symptoms
Dog parvo symptoms come in different degree of severity, depending on various factors, such as the age and the overall health of the dog. Many adult dogs exposed to the virus show very few clinical symptoms, if any at all. Young puppies (12 weeks or younger) are the most vulnerable. In fact, the majority of cases of disease are seen in dogs less than 6 months of age.
The symptoms described below are those of the more common dog parvovirus - the intestinal parvo. These symptoms may not appear in the order as listed below. Every dog is slightly different. Usually, the onset of these clinical symptoms is rather sudden, often 12 hours or less.
Lethargy
A puppy with parvo may appear lethargic - He is reluctant to play and seems to be sleeping or lying around a lot more.
There are several reasons why a puppy with parvo is lethargic. The main reasons are:
- Weakened body organs, such as the heart, liver, and kidneys
- Low blood sugar
- Dehydration
Appetite Loss
A dog with parvo will lose his appetite and show no interest in food.
Vomiting
As the parvovirus attacks intestinal cells, GI tract problems are common parvo symptoms. One such problem is
vomiting - usually uncontrollably. The dog will continue to heave and throw up yellow bile
even after the stomach has been emptied.
Diarrhea
Another typical symptom of parvo is diarrhea. The stools have a very distinct, foul odor.
At the beginning, the stool is yellowish or greenish looking. It will then turn into a dark-brown runny stool, which actually is old blood from the small intestine.
Dehydration
As the puppy continues to vomit and have diarrhea, he will dehydrate very quickly, leading to extreme shock to the dog's system. In fact, dehydration is the main cause of
death for dogs with parvo.
Visit our page on Dog Dehydration to see how to check for dehydration in dogs.
Other Possible Parvo Symptoms
In severe cases of dog parvo, the dog may develop a fever (sometimes as high as 106°F).
Also, the white blood cell counts will become lower.
A dog with parvo may also appear depressed and lose interest in even his favorite activities
and games.
Parvo Symptoms - Vomiting but No Stools
Sometimes a dog with parvo vomits but has no stools. This may be due to one of the following reasons:
- The dog may have both Parvo and worms.
- The dog is severely dehydrated. Test for dehydration and try to rehydrate the dog.
- The dog's intestinal tract lining is swollen, which can be due to various reasons. This condition can become serious: if the puppy is straining to pass a stool, this can be hard on the heart, which can be weakened by the presence of the parvo virus.
If your dog does not produce any stools in 24 hours, you should take him to your veterinarian to check for blockage, as a blockage is life threatening.
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Related Topics
Parvo in Puppies
Parvo Treatment
References
Information Sheet on Canine Parvovirus, University of California
PetEducation.com
TOP of Parvo Symptoms
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