Are you wondering, “How do I know if my puppy will survive parvo?”
It’s an unfortunate situation to be in as a dog owner, especially with a puppy. This can lead to significant concern about the dog’s long-term health and how they’re going to recover from the underlying infection.
To help answer the question, it’s important to understand what parvo is in dogs, how to treat parvo in dogs, and what to look for to see whether or not your puppy will survive.
This guide on parvo in dogs is going to look at the main underlying factors associated with the condition and key signs to keep note of as a dog owner.
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Use this as a viable treatment and watch as your dog’s quality of life improves.
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What is Parvo?
Parvo is short for “Canine Parvovirus” (CPV) and is noted for being a contagious illness in dogs. It’s often found in a dog’s intestines and can lead to several unwanted symptoms including diarrhea, weight loss, vomiting, and/or lack of appetite.
In rare cases, the parvovirus can spread to the cardiovascular system leading to heart-related symptoms. This form is commonly more fatal.
It’s important to note, parvo is usually noticed in young dogs (puppies) between the ages of 6 weeks-6 months. To prevent the infection, it’s recommended to sign up for booster shots at a young age.
The parvovirus has a devestating impact on the young dog’s body due to its capacity to dehydrate. Since the body begins to lose fluids and nutrients through vomiting and diarrhea, it starts to shut down after a while.
How Do I Know If My Puppy Will Survive Parvo?
Time of Treatment
The time of your treatment is going to play a substantial role in whether or not a puppy survives.
In general, it’s recommended for a puppy to be diagnosed and begin treatment within the first 24-72 hours of showing symptoms.
This means delaying going to the vet is never recommended with parvo. When you delay the process, your puppy’s condition is going to rapidly deteriorate until their body gives out.
As a result, it’s important for you to understand and take the time to focus on your young dog with parvo. Try to act as quickly as possible and make sure to get them to a trusted vet right away.
If that’s what you have done then it’s an immediate checkmark.
Unfortunately, a lot of dog owners ask “How do I know if my puppy will survive parvo?” when they were already too late in taking their dog to the vet. Of course, taking your dog a few days late may not ruin their chances of survival but it’s still something to keep a note of.
Type of Treatment Used
There are subtle differences in what treatment is used to treat parvo in dogs.
The vet has to go with a specific set of medications to alleviate the dog’s symptoms and help provide relief. These medications are also going to help stabilize the immune system and make sure it’s doing everything to fight off the infection.
Using an inferior treatment and/or ignoring the condition can lead to the point of no return. This is why it’s important to use a multi-faceted treatment plan in coordination with your vet.
When the wrong type of treatment is used, a dog’s chances of healing from parvo decline rapidly. This happens due to the puppy’s inability to handle the shock of an infection and what it does to the body.
As a dog owner, you should also take the time to consult with the vet about at-home treatments for parvo in dogs.
This can include potential DIY techniques to alleviate symptoms, the temperature your home is set at, and other relevant factors that are often ignored or forgotten.
This can become vital information as you look to answer the question, “How do I know if my puppy will survive parvo?”
Dietary Intake
What is your dog eating during the treatment phase?
There is nothing worse than feeding your dog unnatural or unhealthy foods because it will take away from their recovery process. In fact, a lot of dogs start to see an increase in severity when it comes to their symptoms due to the lack of quality dog food.
What type of food should a dog be eating when it is time to treat parvo?
It’s highly recommended to go with nutrient-dense food that is going to be organic. An option such as Hill’s Science Diet Dog Food is a good one.
Take the time to eliminate any type of junk food and/or treats that were in your dog’s diet before. These foods are going to do more harm than good.
You should also take the time to make sure your dog is as hydrated as possible. If they are not getting enough fluids throughout the day, they will end up coughing up blood. This is something you have to prevent as it will only worsen their condition!
Focus on increasing the water intake as much as you can while paying attention to your dog’s condition.
Severity of the Symptoms
As you figure out the answer to “How do I know if my puppy will survive parvo?” sometimes it comes down to what you are seeing in front of you.
Is the dog showing an increase in symptoms or are they starting to go away? Was day 1-2 the worst or is it worse now?
Each question is going to make it easier to determine where your dog falls on the spectrum.
In general, a dog that is starting to throw up and/or continuously dealing with diarrhea is going to be heading in the wrong direction.
This is when you have to coordinate with your vet to make sure your dog’s quality of life is improving. Otherwise, these symptoms are going to become the reason their body can’t handle parvo.
The severity of symptoms isn’t always the only way to determine survival in young dogs but it can become a good way to make an educated guess. However, even with deteriorating symptoms, it’s still important to follow the listed directions from your vet.
This is the best way to make sure the puppy does survive from parvo and leads a healthy life for years to come.
Intestinal Parvo vs. Cardiac Parvo
There are two types of parvo in dogs – intestinal parvo and cardiac parvo.
This can determine whether or not your dog’s chances of survival are high or not.
With intestinal parvo (most common type), you are going to see a lot of younger dogs improve and get rid of their symptoms. In this case, the goal becomes to strengthen the immune system and cleanse the digestive tract using organic treatments and medication.
On the other hand, cardiac parvo (rare) can have a devastating impact on a puppy’s heart and that can lead to a long list of cardiovascular symptoms.
Underlying Health Issues
This is often ignored when it comes to younger dogs because most of them are born healthy.
However, this doesn’t mean you haven’t missed something along the way. It’s always recommended to speak to your vet and get a complete check-up done on the dog.
If they have an underlying health condition or two, this can lead to a further decline in their survival. These conditions are worsened when parvo is wreaking havoc on the immune system, which means the symptoms worsen rapidly.
It’s best to keep these details in mind and then see how it correlates with parvo in the dog’s body.
There are times when the dog’s body is going to start giving up because of the other underlying conditions alongside parvo.
Final Thoughts
“How do I know if my puppy will survive parvo?”
It’s a question you don’t want to ask but it’s something millions of dog owners deal with. As a result, you have to be diligent, patient, and take the time to help treat your dog’s infection.
Using a potent organic treatment for parvo is a good starting point.
In general, your puppy is going to be fine as long as you take care of them and make sure to follow the vet’s directions. However, using a high-quality treatment for parvo is a smart option and will improve the dog’s condition moving forward.
To learn more about taking care of your puppy please read through the following guides – how to take care of a dog’s coat, how to clean a dog outside, finding the right playpen for puppies, and buying a good car seat for dogs.