Parvo Treatment and Prevention

Last updated: August 02, 2016

Parvo Prevention Plan

Our goal is to keep the immunity high and the wild virus numbers low. That prevents Parvo breaks! If you have a Parvo break, call us! We can help with a game plan to shut it down quickly.

1. Vaccinate – 50 percent of prevention is giving the Parvo vaccine early. When they start eating gruel, it is time to start Parvo-only vaccines.
   • Revival recommends vaccinating:
     • Puppies – Start when they begin eating food and every two weeks until nine weeks of age. Booster at 12 and 16 weeks if you keep them back for replacements.
     • Breeding Females & Males - annual boosters
2. Disinfect – 50 percent of prevention is disinfecting. Penetrating disinfectant is a must! Bleach will sterilize the surface, but will not go through smeared feces or fat to get the virus underneath.
   • Virkon^® and Oxine^® (with citric acid) are penetrating disinfectants. They are safe around young puppies. Bleach and quaternary ammonias are absorbed through the thin skin of puppies and are a cause of Fading Puppy Syndrome.
3. Isolate – For three weeks, isolate incoming breeding stock or returning puppies. We treat them like they have the plague!

If you're uncertain, we can help you be sure your Parvo Prevention is solid!

Parvo Treatment Plan

1. Isolate – If you have an area to isolate a sick puppy, do so. If not, do not move healthy animals around the kennel or to another kennel. You will just spread the disease. Try and isolate to just the building where it started.
2. Take Care of Healthy Puppies First – Then move to the sick ones. Do not go back to the healthy puppies without strict disinfection, and if Parvo is the issue, change clothes. Removing coveralls after care and washing your hands will go a long way in stopping the spread of disease. Hand disinfectants take too long – don't rely on just them. Be certain you're using a penetrating disinfectant to kill Parvovirus. Bleach won't cut it in an outbreak! Virkon spray and shoe bath is good.
3. Booster – Give a Parvo-only vaccine immediately to every puppy over four weeks and booster every two weeks.
4. Give Electrolytes – All kennel puppies go on electrolytes in water. You want to hydrate any puppy thinking of getting sick. Breeder's Edge^® Puppy Lyte is recommended. Always keep Puppy Lyte in your kennel to use when needed.
5. Fluids save the puppy from death. Parvo puppies do not drink and are losing liquid from the diarrhea and vomiting. Without injectable fluids, they will die. We like saline and it is available in 500 cc bottles. You have to give SQ fluids at least, but IP or IV fluids are faster and better. Ask and we can explain the technique.
6. Start with five cc/lb shock dose of fluids to catch them up. Then follow with five cc/lb, twice a day, plus add what is lost in vomiting and diarrhea. Two Tbsp of diarrhea is 30 cc of fluid. You can add antibiotics (Tylan^® 100 mg/500 cc), but don't pill a nauseated puppy.
7. You can add 50 percent Dextrose to make no more than a 10 percent solution for injection. We like a two percent (20 cc of 50% dextrose & 500 cc of saline), but up to 100 cc of added 50 percent Dextrose is okay for fluid injection.
8. Metoclopramide, a prescription product – stops the vomiting or use one of the many others. Your veterinarian can help you.

If you need help, call us at 800.786.4751.

-Dr. B
Don Bramlage, DVM, Former Director of Veterinary Services at Revival Animal Health

The materials, information and answers provided through this website are not intended to replace the medical advice or services of your personal veterinarian or other pet health care professional. Consult your own veterinarian for answers to specific medical questions, including diagnosis, treatment, therapy or medical attention.