Does Treated Puppy Still Have Parvo?

I just got a puppy yesterday and the previous owner said she had had Parvo, but they caught it early and were able to get her treated. Does she still have the disease?

Katy from Mt.Morris, PA

Answers:

Does Treated Puppy Still Have Parvo?

Does she have any symptoms? Any vomiting, diarrhea, eating problems, lethargic? If she seems well she doesn't have it. (10/10/2008)

By Judi

Does Treated Puppy Still Have Parvo?

The pup will always carry the parvo virus, however, if she has successfully survived it, that is not a reason to 'get rid' of her. It simply means that you will need to get any pup that comes into your house vaccinated a week or two before you introduce them to the new environment.

If you are wondering if the virus is still active in her stool, that is something I would ask your vet about (usually just a two minute phone call will get that question squared away), but I would venture the answer as being a no. Not if she is recovered from the disease. However I am by no means an expert!

Will she be able to spread it later on down the line? The main way that a dog or puppy gets parvo is from walking in the feces of another dog that is a carrier of the disease (either they have it or are recovering from it), parvo stays in the ground active, for years. So even if someone says that their dog has never had parvo, it is generally a good rule to believe that within the past 5 years a dog has had parvo and walked across that area.

That is the main reason why many puppy breeders stress that you never let your puppy's paws hit the ground until they have had their first vaccinations (and even then they are still susceptible to the disease until they have had their full vaccination term). However, adult dogs can get parvo as well, the disease is not as deadly to them as it is to younger dogs.

So, the real answer to the question, is to find a vet that will look the pup over and will tell you the about the disease, and decide if the pup is still the dog for you. (10/10/2008)

By cdsky3

Does Treated Puppy Still Have Parvo?

You should be taking her to a vet to be checked over so you can ask then. (10/11/2008)

By Maryeileen

Does Treated Puppy Still Have Parvo?

Our dog had parvo when a puppy, but was treated by a vet and got better. The vet said that he could get it again and still should be vaccinated for it. He had already had 2 of the 3 vaccinations. Make sure the puppy gets vaccinated when the vet says to do it. (10/14/2008)

By Harriet Schipper

Does Treated Puppy Still Have Parvo?

Our Rotty came down with parvo only a month or so after we had her and we almost lost her to it. Apparently the breeder was not into shots, etc., although they told us that she had shots. Her sister died of the disease in a relatively short time. Check with your vet about any side effects from the disease, our dog recovered well, but a few years down the road had a type of "chrones disease" and had to take medication the rest of her life. Sometimes the treatment or the disease can cause some lasting medical problems. Find a good vet and make sure all inoculations are up to date. Our vet suggested we not breed her so we had her fixed. (10/15/2008)

By Debbi Lowman

Does Treated Puppy Still Have Parvo?

Puppies shed the virus for 21 days after recovering. Before letting any other animals around the puppy after the 21 days you need to give it a good bath. You can spread the virus until the bath is given, because I have by mistake and not knowing. The virus can live in your home for a long time. Bleach is about the only cheap cleaner for your house and yard, anywhere the puppy has gone while shedding the virus.

I had to learn the hard way about parvo, and spreading it. Nobody told me I could spread it by letting my puppy play around the house after treatment.
The best thing for any other puppies is to get their shots. They need 3 sets of shots spaced every 3 weeks to be safe from this. (12/03/2009)

By Pam