What Are The Dog Parvo Symptoms To Watch For

Parvo Virus or Canine Parvovirus can be a deadly viral disease if it is not caught in the early stages and treated. While it mostly is found in young dogs, puppies and adolescent animals, it can be found in an older dog. It is very important that a dog owner be aware of the dog parvo symptoms and get the dog to the vet if any of the symptoms are detected. Extreme cases of the disease can kill a dog in as little as two or three days.

The first dog parvo symptoms that are likely to be noticed by the dog owner are a lack of energy and a loss of appetite. The reason for these symptoms is most likely caused by a fluid loss that the dog experiences. The virus will attack the gastrointestinal tract and damage the intestines. This damage will result in the dog's inability to absorb fluids or food. This is what will lead to the fluid loss and the subsequent lack of energy and loss of appetite. These are just the first of the dog parvo symptoms that you should watch for. But of course the sooner you catch the illness the better chance the dog has of getting through the illness with little damage.

As the intestines become more and more damaged, the dog will suffer from more dog parvo symptoms such as vomiting. This vomiting coupled with the damage to the intestines will lead to more dehydration in the animal. Diarrhea is most likely to be present as well. In the beginning stages of the illness the dog will have diarrhea that is very strong in smell. When the infection continues to do damage to the intestines the diarrhea will probably be mixed with blood. In the later phases of the disease the diarrhea will be mostly blood.

It is very important that the dog be brought to the vet immediately if these dog parvo symptoms are noticed. The dog will likely need to be given fluids to replace what has been lost. That can only happen with the vet. Without treatment the dog could die from this disease. Even if the animal survives the disease there could be damage caused that is long term.

This disease is extremely contagious and can spread quickly among animals. Your dog can be immunized against dog parvo and be protected from ever suffering the dog parvo symptoms and the long-term damage. As a pet owner, it is up to you to protect your dog from these diseases and get treatment for them whenever they exhibit the symptoms.