Home Remedy for Parvo
Canine Parvovirus (“parvo”) attacks rapidly reproducing cells — such as those that line the gastrointestinal tract, bone marrow, lymph nodes and heart.
Parvo is highly contagious and is transmitted from dog to dog via contaminated droplets and feces. It can be carried on the dog’s hair and feet, as well as on contaminated cages, shoes and other objects. Dogs of all ages can be affected, but the highest rate of death occurs in puppies less than five months of age.
Dogs that develop parvo will show symptoms 3-10 days after being exposed. Symptoms include: vomiting, lethargy, diarrhea (usually bloody), and fever.
The biggest needs in parvo treatment are fluid and electrolyte replacement so the dog stays hydrated, and medication to control diarrhea and vomiting. Diarrhea and vomiting can quickly dehydrate a dog.
Top 10 facts of the Parvovirus:
1 – The Canine Parvovirus is world wide.
2 – Parvo is a highly contagious and deadly disease.
3 – Even fully-vaccinated puppies are susceptible to the infection.
4 – Parvo mostly affects dogs under 1 year of age but an average of 6 weeks old.
5 – Bleach is the only product to kill the Parvovirus in the environment (with the exception of clinically tested products used to clean kennels).
6 – The virus incubates in the glands of the puppy for 3 to 15 days before showing symptoms.
7 – Once the incubation period is over the Parvovirus will work its way into the intestinal tract.
8 – After the Canine Parvovirus is in the intestinal tract the Parvo will start eating away at the velli and lining of the intestinal walls. Therefore bloody stools will be apparent.
9 – The puppy will either pass away from a lack of hydration or low glucose levels (blood sugars).
10 – If treating with Sub-Q fluid, do not over hydrate after the puppy has pulled through the worst of the virus as it will put a strain on the heart, cause edema, and may develop an abscess.
Are Some Dog Breeds More Susceptible?
According to The Merck Veterinary Manual, 8th ed., it appears that some breeds, most notably the Rottweiler, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherds, Pit Bulls, and Labrador Retrievers are at an increased risk for this disease. Conversely, Toy Poodles and Cockers appear to be at a reduced risk for contracting this disease. It is important to remember, however, that any breed can get Parvovirus.
TWO MAIN SYNDROMES OF PARVO:
1. Diarrhea Syndrome (Enteritis)
After an incubation period of 7-14 days, the first signs of parvo are severe depression with loss of appetite, followed by vomiting. The dog will appear to be in extreme pain with a tucked-up abdomen. Within 24-hours, a high fever develops (up to 106 degrees F) and profuse diarrhea that is frequently bloody. Mouth inflammation can also occur. Almost no other canine disease exhibits these symptoms.
2. Cardiac Syndrome (Myocarditis)
This form of canine parvo affects the heart muscle, especially in puppies less than 3 months of age. Puppies with this form stop nursing, cry out and gasp for air. Death can occur suddenly or in a few days. Puppies that recover will sometimes develop a chronic form of congestive heart failure that leads to death in weeks or months.
The success of treatment for parvo depends on the form and the severity of the CPV (Canine Parvo Virus) infection as well as the age of the dog. In puppies that are between 6- and 20-weeks of age, there is a 1-4 week interval when they are most vulnerable despite being vaccinated. This is because the maternal antibodies they received through their mother’s milk are declining and therefore no longer protective but still interfere with the vaccine.
Dogs that recover from parvo are immune to the disease.
How is Parvo Treated?
There is no treatment specifically for the Parvovirus at this time. Treatment is supportive care, which includes any or all of the following:
- Oral electrolyte fluids (ex: Pedialyte) – if the case is mild and the animal isn’t vomiting
- Subcutaneous (SQ) or intravenous (IV) fluids to maintain hydration to counter the extreme fluid losses from vomiting and diarrhea that are so typical with this disease. Many vets will provide this so you can administer this at home. It hydrates by bypassing the stomach.
- Anti-vomiting/nausea medications – to prevent further damage from vomiting and to keep the patient comfortable as possible.
- Antibiotics – because the virus has potential to slough the intestinal tract, antibiotics help protect against secondary infection.
- Blood or Plasma transfusions – to replace protein loss, provide antibodies, help with anemia.
For some perspective: a healthy dog drinks about 1/2 to 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight per day. So a 10 lb dog would normally drink about 1 cup of water each day. If your pup has vomiting and diarrhea, the amount needed increases to make up for the loss.
Is There a Home Remedy?
To follow is a home remedy I stumbled on for treating canine parvo on the internet and wanted to reprint it in case anyone may need it. It addresses the biggest needs in a treatment: fluid and electrolyte replacement, and medication to control diarrhea and vomiting. Also read through the comments below this post. Many people have kindly shared what has worked for them.
This is an extremely hardy virus. It resists most household cleaners. The best disinfectant is Clorox (one part bleach to 30 parts water).. Here are some bleach alternatives.
My puppy had Parvo, he was only 8 weeks old, and just a few pounds. I took him to the vet and realized that it would be anywhere from 600-1500 dollars to cure him, even then he may not survive. So I looked up puppy parvo on Google.com for any alternatives, I found many things that people had tried, and they said it worked, so I chose the raw eggs, children’s Pedialite, and children’s pepto method. What you will need is the following;
* Eggs (enough to last several days)
* Children’s Pepto
* Instant rice
* Hamburger
* Children’s Pedialite (or Gatorade will work also)
* A Syringe for feeding
* You might also want to get puppy training pads or newspaperDirections
First take your dog and place him in a sterile dog cage, with the puppy pad or newspaper covering the bottom because there will be lots of throw up and lots of diarrhea. Then sterilize your whole home. I used a spray found in the pet area of WalMart, its called “Odo Ban.” It also smells really good. Then used bleach [1 part bleach to 30 parts water] on all hard floors and dog cage. After everything is clean, DO NOT let your puppy out of his/her cage until he is completely healed.Then I took a raw egg and blended it with a fork and put it in the Syringe and force fed him. I gave him 2 tablespoons of egg and 1 tablespoon of Pedialite every 4 hours for 3 days. I also gave him the children’s pill form of Pepto 3 times a day. I cut the pill in half and put it at the back of his throat. The serving size for your puppy may be greater depending on his size. I did this for about 3 days and until he was a lot more playful, and until his diarrhea was gone. (I also changed his pad every time he went potty and sterilized his cage every time to keep the parvo contained.)
After the 3 days was up I boiled instant rice and ground up hamburger and fed him 1/4 of a cup every four hours. (try this one time and wait to see if he can hold down the solid food. If its thrown back up, go back to eggs and pedielite for 2 more days. Then try it again.) After the first day of giving them the rice (and the puppy kept it down), try soft dog food the next day. If they keep that down, then you’re good to go, give them a sterile bath and they are now free to run around and play.
Why this works
This method works because puppy’s die from being dehydrated, not from the sickness itself, the key is keeping them from throwing up and healthy while the sickness goes away. They need lots of electrolytes. The Raw eggs for Nutrition, and pepto to keep there tummy’s calm. It worked for my little boy, and I hope it works for you. He is now the happiest little thing. Don’t forget to follow up with another vet visit to make sure all is well. Keep them in the house and off the outside ground for at least a week more just so you wont spread the sickness to any other dogs. Good luck i hope this helps you 🙂 Jessica F.P.S. My puppy is about 3 pounds, so there might me a slight change in feeding, Be sure not to over feed, were not trying to make them full, just enough to keep them alive.
Tip Source: Thrifty Fun website.
TAMIFLU FOR PARVO
A reader sent a tip suggesting that Tamiflu can be used to treat Parvo. From what I read, she is correct. Here’s more info about using Tamiflu to treat Parvo.
TESTIMONIAL FOR NEW PRODUCT
If you read through the comments below, you will see a testimonial from Angelica about a product she bought and used on her chihuahua/dachshund mix. And it worked for her! It’s called Parv-gone. I am not familiar with this product. If you are, let us know how it worked for you.
OTHER PRODUCTS
The following products have been suggested by readers.
PetAlive Parvo-K for Dogs for Canine Parvo Virus
- Immunizes your dog against parvovirus and helps protect against it
- Reduces symptoms of Parvo including fever and diarrhea and vomiting
- Is a 100 percent natural blend of herbal and homeopathic ingredients/li>
Amber Technology Paxxin Digestive & Immune Support for Dogs
- Soothe and heal the digestive system
- Stimulate appetite
- Calms the nervous system
- Lubricates, soothes, and protects internal mucous membranes
- More info on Parvaid
Companion™ Disinfectant Wipes effectively kills 99% of bacteria, virus, fungi including parvovirus, feline calicivirus, rotavirus, adenovirus type 2, hepatitis B virus and more.
- Clean and disinfect in one step
- Kills 99% of germs
- Effective against parvovirus
- Controls odors
- Ready to use
Note: Also read through the comments below. Many people have kindly shared what has worked for them.
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My dog is a year old she was diagnosed with parvo on Monday. I live on a fixed income because I am a senior. I did not have 4500.00 to have the vet to keep her and treat her. I have been using ginger, oatmeal peppermint tea, camamiletea and karo syrup
I am now adding raw egg and will get Pedialyte tomorrow and Pepto bismal. Praying she makes it. Thank you for your great site.
I am so sorry for your diagnosis.
Hydration is the most important thing. You might check to see if the vet will set you up with IV fluids. They are administered under the skin, so they bypass the stomach, keep the organs hydrated, and are not lost through diarrhea or vomiting. A healthy dog should drink between ½ and 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight each day. More when there are diarrhea and vomiting present.
Set yourself up with a schedule of feeding and liquids and still to it no matter what. She may look worse before she looks better, but don’t give up on her. The virus can take a week or so to run its course. Just be diligent and consistent.
We’ll be thinking of you and your pup.
We just got home a golden retriver puppy 12 weeks old on 10/1(Sunday) and we happen to find on friday that he has parvo virus….
It actually started on Tuesday Night where he started puking but Vet did not diagnose untill Friday morning. From Friday morning, he is been on fuilds and right now we had him join at emergency 24* 7 to make sure we give our best shot. He still hasnt recovered and we are praying for his recovering.
He is battling for 3 days for now with severe vomiting and Diarrhea. He is still trying hard. Vet says it is a regular process of having continuous episodes of severe vomiting and Diarrhea. But our hopes keep going up and down based on his condition. We are running out of funds as well. We might opt for home treatment after a day or two. DO you think he really have a chance after fighting it hard for 3 days.
Parvo is so hard on the young dogs because they have not built up an immunity to the disease yet. Keeping him hydrated is the #1 goal. A healthy dog should drink between ½ and 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight each day. With diarrhea and vomiting that amount goes up. IV fluids bypass the general route water takes in the body and delivers the hydration right to the organs where it is most needed.
See if you vet will send your boy home with iv fluids. Vets generally will also send you home with other meds as well — anti-nausea drugs and antibiotics. Then get a schedule of feeding started and, whether he throws it up or expels it via diarrhea, keep with the schedule. He may look worse before he looks better — puppies can look pretty thin quickly — but if he is hydrated and he is still fighting, he has a good chance. Bring him home and set him up in a quiet space that is rather confined so he can relax. Maybe a place near the family as he has recently been removed from the family he knew.
I have a 3 month old schnauzer that has come down with this illness. Started Sunday and mistook it for upset stomach until Monday night when the vomiting got worse (at this point he was lethargic but still standing, walking around, and somewhat playing) I brought him to the vet Tuesday morning, was told he does in fact have parvo so the decision was made to keep him at the vet for treatment. Wednesday the vet said he was doing much better and would be able to come home Thursday…. so Wednesday evening they force fed him. Thursday morning came and the vet called that he got significantly worse over night. And here we are Friday and the vet said there hasn’t been any improvement, pretty much the same as yesterday. They continue to hint towards me putting him to sleep, but he’s fought this long and I’d think that definitely says something. But it seems as tho the vet is almost out of options they are willing to do. My question is could the force feeding have made him worse? He was no where near as bad when I brought him in, seems like he had his downfall after the force feeding. So wanted to know if it was a possibility that doing that made him worse? And my 2nd question is would it be worth trying home treatment different from the vet (obviously keeping him on fluids, nausea meds, and antibiotics) but begin other treatments such as menuka honey, colostrum (however it’s spelled), etc.? I would think by him being home and with me around the clock it may help continue his fight and know I’m still here, because the section they have him in now obviously isn’t ideal and there’s a dog right next to him that apparently keeps him awake by barking. ANY HELP/SUGGESTIONS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!!!!! I am unable to have kids so my pets are MY CHILDREN, and I want to give him every chance possible before I even consider putting him to sleep.
Ask your vet to send him home with iv fluids that you can administer. The fluids are administered just under the skin so they bypass the stomach yet hydrate the organs. Hydration is very important. Therefore they are less likely to be lost by vomiting and diarhhea. Bring him home, set up a schedule for feeding and hydrating him and stick to it no matter what.
Often a vet will also send a dog home with anti-nausea drugs and an antibiotic.
Because he is so young, he hasn’t much of an immunity to the virus and it’s a tough virus. It generally lasts at least a week, so if he is still fighting, maybe he can pull this off. And having you around could help because you will be there around the clock with him.
I don’t think the force feeding caused the change. It’s just the nature of this virus. When you feed him, you could try Gerber’s #2 chicken and gravy (it’s just chicken and water; NO onions or spice).
Best to you both!
Hello, my dog Kimchi is experiencing the same thing. My other dog, Mocha, died last Friday from the same symptoms and now Kimchi is affected. It started Saturday with diarrhea so we isolated her in a cage and started giving her omeprazole and smp. Yesterday, she was doing fine and had even started eating again but we didn’t let her out of the cage just in case. Now, she’s gotten worse and is salivating like crazy as well as vomitting. She’s only pooped twice today and it was wet.
We’re trying this method now but I have a question, did your dog have bloody diarrhea? Kimchi hasn’t yet but I’m afraid that’s where it’s headed. And what if she just throws up after I give her the raw eggs?
I am so sorry for your loss of Mocha and your problems with Kimchi.
With parvo, the diarrhea is generally bloody and smells really bad. Did Mocha have bloody diarrhea?
How old is Kimchi? Parvo generally strikes puppies and seniors where their immune systems aren’t strong, but it can affect any dog under the right circumstances. Have they been anywhere where they may have contracted it or has anyone brought a dog over that was infected with parvo? The virus can even be brought in on your shoes.
Excessive salivation often accompanies vomitting. It can also contribute to dehydration. Omeprazole is not recommended when there is nausea, vomiting, or stomach pain. You mentioned smp, but I don’t know what that is. Maybe try Pepto Bismol. The recommended dosage for Pepto Bismol is 1 teaspoon for every 10 pounds. It can be offered to Kimchi every 6-to-8 hours.
Did Mocha have the excessive salivation?
Eggs are a good source of protein, but some dogs don’t tolerate them well. It’s hard to know if Kimchi is not tolerating the eggs or if she is nauseous. Make a schedule for giving her food and water via an oral syringe and stick to it. Hydration is most important. So maybe give her liquids, then two hours later give her food, then two hours later give her liquids, etc. By doing it every couple hours, you are giving her smaller quantities and hopefully some stays down.
A healthy dog drinks about 1/2 to 1 ounce of water — or in this case, even pedialyte, per pound of body weight per day. You’ll need to increase the amount due to vomitting and diarrhea. Foodwise, find something she likes that will fit in an oral syringe. If you have a blender, you can blend things like canned food in the blender so they become more liquid and work in the oral syringe.
Please help me! My two puppies name Seohyun and Jonaxx are suffering this kind of disease. I am very nervous because they can’t move and can’t eat. They keep on vomiting and I don’t know what to do. I don’t have enough money to bring them to the vet so I’m trying my best to buy some medicines and keep searching for home remedies. Please I really badly need your help. My puppies are 5months old and they are aspins.
I am so sorry. Hydration is the most important part of getting them through this. Make sure they are getting plenty of liquids. A healthy dog drinks about 1/2 to 1 ounce of water — or in this case, pedialyte per pound of body weight per day. If your puppies have vomiting and diarrhea, the amount increases to make up for the loss. Get on a schedule with them and stick to it no matter how good or bad they look. For example, give them liquids one hour and some food the next hour, then liquids, then food. They may well look a lot worse before they look better, however maybe you have caught it early. I hope so. Just don’t give up on them.
A vet could provide you with fluids to administer under the skin. This avoids them throwing it up, however, if you don’t go that route, you must keep them hydrated. This is very important.
Try some Pepto-Bismol for their stomach. The recommended dosage for Pepto Bismol is 1 teaspoon for every 10 pounds. It can be offered to the pups every 6-to-8 hours.
There are other tips for parvo that people have added in the comments, so look through those as well. And don’t give up.
I had a three year old min pin mix that i know who had his shots and i still lost him to parvo like symptoms …and now my four and a half year old. St.Bernard pit bull mix is showing sighns i gave him a b12 pill and a b1 pill along with Gatorade water mixture every hour. But i cant get him to eat ive been giving him plain yogurt …i cant find a vet that will help me get him tested
I am so sorry for your loss.
If they are both current on their shots, I think it would be good to have your ST. Bernard/Pit tested by a vet in case there is something else going on. Could they have eaten something they shouldn’t have? You did not describe the specific symptoms you are seeing.
With parvo, hydration is the most important part of getting him through this. Make sure he is getting plenty of liquids. A healthy dog drinks about 1/2 to 1 ounce of water — or in this case, pedialyte/gatorade per pound of body weight per day. If your pup has vomiting and diarrhea, the amount increases to make up for the loss. Get on a schedule with his for food and water and stick to it no matter how good or bad he looks even if he just throws it back up. He could look a lot worse before he looks better.
ALso read through the comments on this post. People have offered ideas that have worked for him.
I took my puppy to the vet today and she tested positive for parvovirus. I have started her a schedule with the eggs and Pedialyte but she can’t keep it down she vomits maybe 10 mins after I give her the eggs and pedialyte. What should I do?
Vomiting/stomach upset is not uncommon with parvo. You can try other foods to see if she will tolerate something else better, but eventually, you will have to force feed her.
Hydration is the most important part of getting her through this. Make sure she is getting plenty of liquids. A healthy dog drinks about 1/2 to 1 ounce of water — or in this case, pedialyte per pound of body weight per day. If your pup has vomiting and diarrhea, the amount increases to make up for the loss. Get on a schedule with her for food and water and stick to it no matter how good or bad she looks even if she just throws it back up. She could look a lot worse before she looks better.
Maybe your vet will set you up with sub-q fluids. This allows you to hydrate her and bypass her stomach because you are administering liquids under her skin via an iv.
There are other tips for parvo that people have added in the comments, so look through those as well. And don’t give up.
I am so happy to have come across this and I have a few questions and things to perhaps share.
I live with two disabled women who have basically adopted me. Their greatest loves in their lives are their dogs. However, with a fix income and no animal services in this rural area, their dogs do not have optimal healthcare and most don’t have vaccines.
They recently adopted two puppies from the same litter, and the other day one passed after a fever, phlegmy vomit, and diarrhea. We believe it to be parvo, especially since the other puppy is now showing the same signs.
I have been giving her liquid Pepto and water via syringe and normal saline subq (we’re paramedics and have access to all the supplies needed)
The medic I live with has basically given up on this puppy after losing the last one.
I’m going to try raw egg via syringe. Even if she is a lost cause, maybe I can see what treatments work since I’m sure the other dogs we have will start showing symptoms soon.
Create a routine and stick with it not matter how the puppy looks. Hydration is the most important part. They can last longer without food than hydration so she may look worse before she looks better. Sadly, that’s when people give up — when the pup looks really bad. But don’t give up on her. You are her best bet. Keep her separated from the other dogs and clean the house for the sake of the other dogs.
The best hydration option is the sub-q fluids which allows you to hydrate her and bypass her stomach.
The virus is so hard on puppies because they have not developed their immune systems yet. The older dogs may fare better because they how developed their immune systems, but exposure to the virus still puts them at risk, so treat them as though they have it — watch their eating and drinking habits for any changes.
How fortunate that they are among paramedics! Best to you.
My puupy is doing alot better! Its a wonderful thing I found this article. Thank you so much! The first three dayswere hard. On Wednesday night and Thursday morning things seem to get worse. She was constanly throwing up and had really bad diarrhea. She was hardly moving. I was so scared she wasnt gonna make it. But Friday she woke up and was wagging her tail! I was so happy!! She still isn’t eating normally. She hasnt has diarrhea since Thursday. She did throw up this morning but it was because she ate too much soft cat food way too fast. Can we let her out of her kennel during the day yet if we keep her in the house where I have bleached everything? Also how long do you think we should wait to let her outside? We were going to plan to take her to the vet after she is all better and get her up to date on her vaccinated. Also I was gonna deworm her when she gets better. I appreciate your feedback.
So glad to hear she is feeling better. They do look a lot worse before they get better in most cases.
You can let her out of her kennel, but don’t let her be too active yet so she can conserve her strength. As for the yard, if it has not been treated/cleaned, I would not let her out there until she has been feeling better for at least a week so she doesn’t get overwhelmed and relapse. But look into treating the yard because the virus can live in the environment for quite some time.
I have an 11mo female gas, she began vomiting two night ago but she had stolen an entire plate of sautéed green beans and I assumed it was from the grease. She vomited maybe 2-3 times that evening. Yesterday there was no vomiting and normal stool. I just woke up to reddish brown foul smelling diarrhea all over her area, she’s refusing her food bowl and generally just way calmer than normal. We had thought she might be pregnant but now I’m not so sure?? Could this be parvo?? 🙁
Has she been anywhere where she may have contracted parvo? It can even be brought in on your shoes if you have been anywhere where the virus is. If not, it may be the beans.
If she has an upset stomach, she will likely not want to eat and sometimes not want to drink. You can try some Pepto-Bismol to soothe her stomach. The recommended dosage for Pepto Bismol is 1 teaspoon for every 10 pounds. It can be offered to the dog every 6-to-8 hours. You can give her plain canned pumpkin to firm up her bowels and plain yogurt to put good bacteria into her gut.
If there isn’t a change within a day’s time, it may be parvo.
I have a Rottweiler, 2 mos.old.i brought him to the vet because he had a loose loose vet gave him cotrimxazole,Liv 52 and oral rehydration salt.so when we go home I gave him the medicine.but loose stool became bloody and mucoid.he did’nt want to eat but he drinks water with rehydration salt little by little.until now he is not eating.i wanted to bring him to the hospital but it is cost too much.maybe I should try the raw egg.
Call the vet to tell them about the bloody stool to see if they have any recommendations. Then start him on a schedule of food and hydration. Stick to the schedule no matter what. If it is parvo, he may look worse before he looks better, but stick with it. Hydration is the most important thing. You may be able to get sub-q liquids from the vet that you can administer under his skin. This hydrates his organs, but bypasses his stomach so he will retain the liquids.
A healthy dog drinks about 1/2 to 1 ounce of water — or in this case Pedialyte, per pound of body weight per day. If your pup has vomiting and diarrhea, the amount increases to make up for the loss.
So I’ve had my pup in the Kennel since yesterday morning when I found this article. But she hasn’t gone potty or poo in the kennel. She did have diarrhea before hand but she hasn’t gone. Is that pretty normal? Or should I be worried? She hasn’t ate though since Sunday but I’m gonna try to feed her baby food and I’ve been giving her everything else you recommend plus I have been giving her chicken broth too. But I have to use a syringe to get anything down her.
At this point, just focus on developing a schedule and sticking to it. Maybe give her liquids one hour and some food the next hour, then liquids, then food. Stomach upset will make her not want to eat on her own, so you will have to force feed her via an oral syringe. That’s where many small feedings comes in. There will be less chance of her throwing it up when there is less going in. Be sure the chicken broth does not contain onions. If there is nothing in her system, there isn’t much for her to pee or poo.
Do you know how to check her for dehydration? Here’s a good article about it.
Our puppy is 6 months old. We took her to the vet yesterday and they diagnosed her with Parvovirus. We can’t afford to hospitalize her or do the outpatient care, both being really expensive. This morning I happened upon your article. We have been giving her the raw eggs and gatorade. She seems to be doing better. She hasn’t thrown up since this morning. My husband went shopping for pedialite and the pepto. But instead of buying the children’s pill form of it he bought the liquid adult form of pepto. Can we still use that still? How much would you recommend us giving her? Also she has worms too. We were gonna go to Petco and buy some deworming medicine. Do you recommend us giving it to her now while we do this treatment or should we wait until after the treatment? One more question what deworming medicine do you recommend?
Hydration is the most important part of getting her through this. Make sure she is getting plenty of liquids. A healthy dog drinks about 1/2 to 1 ounce of water — or in this case, pedialyte per pound of body weight per day. If your pup has vomiting and diarrhea, the amount increases to make up for the loss. Get on a schedule with her and stick to it no matter how good or bad she looks. She could look a lot worse before she looks better, however maybe you have caught it early. I hope so.
The recommended dosage for Pepto Bismol is 1 teaspoon for every 10 pounds. It can be offered to the dog every 6-to-8 hours.
I would hold off on the de-worming for now. They make several general de-wormers. It helps to know what kind of worms she has because not all de-wormers handle all kinds of worms.
There are other tips for parvo that people have added in the comments, so look through those as well. And don’t give up.
My daughter has a 5 month old rotty x st Bernard xmix and she has parvo and I have been reading people giving their dog raw eggs and I would like to know why raw eggs not cooked can’t they get saminila? Also I have cats and kittens do I need to worry about them getting parvo??? Please I really need these answers thanks
Wow, she’s going to be a big dog.
A raw egg has more then 40 different components which are helpful in supporting a dog with parvo. These components include water, proteins, vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates etc. If a dog has a mild parvovirus infection and if oral administration of any remedies do not cause the dog to vomit, then this is an effective approach. Moreover, egg white contains components such as Ovalbumin (54%) and Ovomucoids (11%). These components reduce the activity of digestive enzymes, restores the physiology of digestion and as a result an affected dog becomes able to initially tolerate fluids and a liquid diet and after quite some time, regular food. Lightly cooked eggs can also be used, but cooking reduces so of the effectiveness.
Dogs rarely get Salmonella or E. coli. Even if your dog ate an infected egg the chances of him contracting E. coli or Salmonella is rare. Dogs have a very short digestive tract combined with a very acidic stomach. This means their short digestion tract does not give time for bacteria to build up – unlike with humans.
Further, the acidic stomach is strong enough to kill all bacteria as well as break down whole raw bones. This is why dogs can eat wild animals and digest them with little problem.
Can your cat get Parvovirus? According to Kathryn R. Krueger, DVM, the answer is yes, but it’s very unlikely. Cats are vaccinated with the FVRCP vaccine to prevent this disease in cats. You don’t hear of a cat having parvovirus because it is called something different in cats. It’s called the panleukopenia virus. Unvaccinated cats can contract the virus from dogs, but only under very extreme circumstances. However, keep everything clean and separate your cats from yoour puppy for now.
My puppy is nine weeks. He has parvo. He can’t keep anything down, even after 3 days back and forth to the vet. He is still throwing up and having diarrhea. The meds from the vet don’t seem to be working. He is so skinny I can see his bones. It has been 5 days since he started having the diarrhea and vomiting, how long does it normally take to get the parvo out of his system?
Parvo is very hard on puppies because they have no immunity to the virus yet. It can take 7-10 days for him to recover and during that time, a puppy can look terrible from the effects of diarrhea and not eating. Hospitalization is typically about 5 days, sometimes longer. Surviving the first three days is usually a good sign for long-term survival.
So don’t give up on him. It sounds like he is doing his part. Good luck to you both.
My 5 year old black lab, blue healer, border collie, has recently passed from parvo wish i would have known abbout the home remidies before i had taken him to the vet, they sound very successful cost me over $1500 to do what i could and eventually euthanize him very sad few weeks for me and my girlfriend. Stay vigilant with this virus.
I am so sorry for your loss. Your boy sounds like he was a wonderful mix of things.
If you are thinking of bringing another dog into your home in the future, please be sure you thoroughly clean the house and yard as the virus can survive for quite a long time in the environment.
Thank you so much!, my puppy is about 7-9 weeks old and I noticed he more fatigued and she struggle to move and and the look on her face was a dead give away that she was in pain. I went to go check up on her around 4am and Saw that she has diarrhea and that it was with blood and started to look to home treatments for parvo and found this article and quickly went to a Walmart and bought all the things that were listed and now I just gave her her secound dosage and she still looks ill but now she looks better she moves around more and even gets on two legs she doing well. But I just want to know where can I get IV fluids for her?
You have to get the IV fluids from a vet. That’s the only place I know to get them.
Good luck. It sounds like you caught it early and are making progress. It can take a week, so be patient and consistent with your treatment.
How long does parvo typically Last? I know it varys depending on dog and situation. My puppy is day 6 and is a complete different pup eating and drinking and playing like before, also gained weight back he lost. Just need to know if I should continue pepto and Pedialyte or if too much pepto could be damaging? He is a 8 week old boxer.
(I didn’t start the pepto til about 3 days ago because thats when I found it could be helpful)
Can he get parvo again? Even in like a 2 week period I’m paranoid I will of got him through this only for him to suffer again?
Also does anyone know if paxxin is okay to take with pepto? Ive looked online and at comments and didnt find anything but I want to be sure.
Congrats on the great progress. Parvo typically last 1-2 weeks. Caught early, one week. If your pup is eating and drinking — and has gained back his weight — I think you can stop the pepto bismol. Same for the pedialyte — if he is drinking as normal then he doesn’t need the pedialyte anymore. I don’t think I would mix paxxin and pepto bismol.
You can give him some plain yogurt to put good bacteria back into his stomach, too.
In general, parvo is so hard on puppies because they haven’t built up any immunities to it yet. So getting parvo is baptism by fire. These babies either develop an immunity or sadly, they can die trying. It’s generally believed that once they fully overcome it, they will be immune for life.
In your case, I would exercise caution for a couple more weeks — don’t take him to parks or other places where there are dogs (like the pet store) or where there have been dogs, don’t allow unvaccinated dogs around him, clean the house, his toys and his bedding really well, clean the yard as parvo can live in the soil for a long time. According to Utah Veterinary Clinics, parvo can live in the environment for six months to one year. The time frame seems to depend on several factors. When no decontamination steps are taken, in shaded areas, the virus is expected to live for about 7 months; whereas, in areas with full sun exposure, it shouldn’t live more than 5 months. Yet, its better to be safe than sorry, and consider that according to the American Veterinary Medical Association , parvo can live in the environment for one year or more. The good news though is that indoors, the virus has a shorter lifespan. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, at room temperature and indoors, the virus may be infectious for at least 2 months.
Remember, too, that you can bring parvo in on your shoes if you walk in an infected area. Am I helping that paranoia? Sorry.
Hello. I have 3 month old German Shepherd, T.Rex, he started with vomiting on Tuesday, lack of appetite Wednesday, and Thursday diagnosed with parvovirus. I couldn’t afford inpatient hospitalization but was able to afford some home treatment. I have been giving him 150ml of subcutaneous fluids twice a day and antibiotics twice a day. He has one more dose of fluids before I finish the 1L bag, only receiving fluids for 3 days. I’m afraid that it might be too soon but that’s all the vet gave me. I have been giving him 10ml of pedialyte every 3-4hrs. For the past two days he’s had 1 diarrhea (brown foul odor) and 1 vomiting. He was not able to tolerate 10ml of raw egg he threw up a little minutes after, but was able to tolerate 5ml of chicken broth. He’s walking and playing with the kids but I try to reserve his energy. Today he seems to be smelling more of his surroundings and food but won’t take any. He’s drinking water from his bowl once in a while. Good stream when he urinates. But how much longer until we are out of the danger zone? Should I ask for more fluid? It’s his 4th day after onset and 3rd day of treatment. He weights 27lbs.
It sounds like you caught this early. Congrats!
I generally suggest that you continue a working treatment for 3-4 days after a dog seems completely fine — eating and drinking as normal.
You might try adding some boiled rice to his chicken broth. Also a little plain yogurt to put good bacteria back into his stomach and some plain canned pumpkin which tends to draw up moisture to help firm his stool.
Check with your vet about more fluids, however if T.Rex is drinking on his own, that may not be necessary. A good general guideline is that a healthy dog should drink between ½ and 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight each day. If he is drinking some but not quite this much, you might reduce the amount you are giving via sub-q and se if that increases his own drinking.
Good luck and I’m so happy to hear T.Rex is getting better.
ps… some dogs don’t like raw eggs. And some dogs go crazy for Friskies Turkey and Giblets cat food when all else fails.
I have a full blooded white boxer pup he is 9 weeks old.He was given his first set of six week shots. And I was due to get his follow up shot this past Monday (5 days ago) but on Tuesday he threw up that night at about 9 pm.the next morning I woke up to him laying in my closet and that’s unusual . he also had a soft stool. I instantly knew what was happening. I desperately googled help. And came across a lot of things. Helpless I think gave him a big gulp of PEPTO because I had that. And then I started giving him water via syringe in his mouth. Only a about a teaspoon. Every hour he slept a lot that day and then had one runny stool. That evening I bought him some chicken broth and Pedialyte unflavored and some pepto tabs. I gave him have a tab. And about 2 tablespoons of broth. He kept the broth down for the most part. He did vomit for a few hours. I kept this up all night but I omitted the broth for now because I think it was upsetting his stomach more. So he was Just given Pedialyte that night and the next morning. I went and got needle and syringe and got some penicillin and gave him a dose of that he has only had 3 stools in 3 days today is day 4 he had a bloody puddle today but last night drank water all on his own this was approx … 4 hours after he had some antibiotics. He has been getting the pedi… Every 2 hrs. He woke up this morning I didn’t see any vomit piles . so I’m assuming he didn’t vomit from midnight -8 a.m. but at about 9 am he had that bloody puddle. But he is up and walking he’s not super lethargic .. What’s your advice ? Its noon he just dry heaved a bit. Should I try some food? Egg? Thank for your help!
There is probably not much in his system to make stools with so three in three days may be about right.
You can introduce food slowly to see if he will take it. The best bet would be some boiled chicken and rice. It’s bland, it has needed protein and the rice is good to bulking up his stools. Add some plain yogurt or other probiotic to put good bacteria back into his stomach. You can also add a small amount about 1 1/2 tsp of plain canned pumpkin (no spices) to it for the fiber. This tends to draw excess liquid into the stool and generally evens out stools whether they are too firm or too loose.
Good luck! Sounds like you caught this quickly. But stay diligent. Don’t stop what you are doing until several days after he seems back to normal.
Hi my german shepherd had a litter of seven puppies. Everything went well until about when they turned 7 weeks. They sometimes started to throw up and have diarrhea but since there wasn’t any other signs like fever or being lethargic we gave them a brake of food and didn’t feed them at night and in the morning they woke up like nothing and so they had their breakfast and stool was good, and no vomiting. So i just maybe thought i was feeding them to much. This went on and off until they turned 8 weeks and then still nobody had showed signs like fever or lethargicness so i thought it was something they ate or stress because we put them on crates when i clean the house. The day before they left everyone was good. On the 12 a little girl left and i got a text saying everything went great. On the 13 someone took a little boy and also said he went really good. Later on that day a men took three of them home. And an hour later i was told that they are throwing up everywhere. I thought it could of been because they have gotten carsick since the guy lives 2 hours away. Then on the fourteenth i went with family from 5 to very late and when i came home i saw the text messages saying that the three puppies were taken to vet for shots and that vet said they had parvo. Is it possible that the puppies had parvo when they were with me? Never taken outside, mom and the two other dogs are at least a year old and all up to date on shots. And if it was how could of the puppies still be alive? Everyone had a very good appetite no one ever stopped eating. I just don’t get it
I am so sorry to hear your news. And so sorry for the puppies.
Parvo is a very tough virus. It can live in the environment for a long time and can be transported on shoes and feet that come in from outside. Maybe from your yard or maybe even from someone else’s yard that is contaminated. It’s very hard on the young because they have not had time to build an immunity to the virus. And it’s hard on the older dogs because their immune system may not be as strong as it was. The normal incubation period (time from exposure to the virus to the time when signs of disease appear) is from 7-14 days. After onset of the virus, they can go downhill quickly without immediate help.
You should thoroughly clean your house and your yard as a precaution.
May God bless you, thank you for your advice, you helped my family and I save 3 puppies
We could not afford to hospitalize them and the vet we went to over charged us
We truly appreciate your advice and we hope you continue to help other like you helped us
You have saved Enoch, Talula, and Esmeralda and they say thank you
We are so glad we could help. This is great news! Hugs to everyone!
My 12 week old English mastiff/St.Bernard puppy puked last night and this morning. He hasn’t eaten all day and refuses more than a couple drops of water. He’s also been very lethargic. Help please.
Wow, he’s going to be a big guy!
Given his young age, he could have eaten something when no one was watching that upset his stomach and with an upset stomach, he will not want to eat. Also at that age, they tend to sleep a lot interrupted with bursts of activity. However, an upset stomach will slow him down.
So keep an eye on him. If he doesn’t start to perk up tomorrow, then maybe there is something else going on.
Has he had any bowel movements? An upset stomach will eventually find it’s way through to his stools. So you want to check his stool for clues about what’s going on. With parvo, there is generally blood in the stool.
Has be been de-wormed? It’s not uncommon for puppies to have worms and that can cause stomach upset.
Well started the home remedies but guess started to late had been 48 hour my 12 week boy didn’t make it thru the night
I am so sorry. At 12 weeks, he had only started developing his immune system and parvo is a very rough virus, especially on the young ones.
Be sure to thoroughly clean your house and your yard if you plan to bring another puppy home as the virus can live in the environment for a while.
I am so sorry for your loss.
I have a 10 day old puppy with Parvo..any suggestions for a puppy this young? I’m giving puppy formula and liquid pepto. He weighs 4 ounces. Seems to be working. His stool is less watery. Is he to young for the eggs?
I am so sorry. 10 DAYS??? Wow.
No, he is not too young for the egg, but at that age and weight #2 Gerber chicken and gravy might be easier. The #2 is just chicken and water and the consistency is great for either licking or administering via an oral syringe. Maybe mix it into his formula. Whatever you do, create a routine and stick to it no matter what or how he looks or acts.
All wrong how do I get my dog to swallow pill
If he will eat, you can put it in something he will eat like some cheese or lunch meat. If he won’t eat, you can crush the pill with the back of a spoon or open the capsule if that’s what you have. Stir in something like sour cream, put it in an oral syringe and dispense that carefully into the back corner of his/her mouth. They generally like sour cream. Or even #2 Gerber’s baby food.
tiring the home remedies how do I get the protocol pill down having hard time
Hi ! just yesterday i think morning or afternoon,Our 8 months old shitzu showed some symptoms of the parvo virus.Like vomiting,Loss of appetite and fever.His sister died because of that virus day after we confine her just last week. So thinking that he also catch that virus from his sister and not putting our trust on the veterinarian anymore,I search for some home remedies on how to cure parvo virus and luckily I found this site or blog of yours,we apply all of the procedures to our dog but in just half of the day doing the procedures.He is now lively again and full of energy.Thank you very much.
That’s great news. I’m so sorry to hear that he lost his sister. Keep a close eye on him. The normal incubation period (time from exposure to the virus to the time when signs of disease appear) is from 7-14 days. So he may still be at risk. Hopefully not, but just watch him.
Thank you so very much for caring enough to post this! My baby, Chico, and I are fighting Parvo now. At the very first sign, I started Pedialytel and it really works. I am going to give him the egg mixture in a little while. Please keep us in your prayers. Again, Thank You and God bless.
Don’t give up! Things may look worse before they look better, but create a schedule and stick to it. This can take a while, but Chico deserves the best chance you can give him. Read through the comments, too. People have offered some great tips. You two are in our prayers.
I have a 9 month old lab/boxer mix who has the sings of parvo. My wife is freaking out and what can i do to get rid of the parvo cause we cant afford the vet. Please help me.
Read through the comments as well as the post. People have offered ideas that have worked for them. The biggest deal is to keep the dog hydrated and quiet. Then figure out a plan and stick with it, even if it looks like it isn’t working. Schedule liquids and food in small quantities throughout the day and night. If this is parvo, there is a good chance this will take a week to 10 days to see improvement. Maybe you caught it early and his immune system is pretty strong and you will see improvement sooner. So don’t give up; just stick with your plan. And continue it for several days after he begins to feel better.
For liquids: a healthy dog drinks about 1/2 to 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight per day. If your pup has vomiting and diarrhea, the amount increases to make up for the loss. For food: often they do not want to eat, so whatever you can get in them. You may need an oral syringe. If there is something like a feed store near you, they sell syringes for larger animals. These work better than the small ones for both liquids and food.
Good luck and don’t give up.
I am so thankful for your site! My little 7 week old baby started with the diarrhea and no appetite. I don’t think he weighs a pound yet. I tried all the methods you posted plus I added nutria-vet. It is a high calorie dietary supplement. He really perked up after that! He finally drank chicken broth on his own. I could not believe the difference! He was barking and wanting to play. I plan on keeping this schedule for another day and slowly add the rice with hamburger.
Thank you so much! I didn’t take him to the vet because of his size. I really wasn’t sure if he would make it and a vet would not make any difference. Thankfully your suggestions worked!
Sounds like you caught things early. Congrats! What a wee one — not even a pound? Best to you both.
And you are right to continue what you are doing for a while longer.
I have a older dog, he haven’t been vaccinated in two years because of my income. He is showing the signs of parvo. Can anyone help me with a home remedies?
There are a lot of great tips in the comments section of this post from people who have shared their stories as well as in the post itself. What are the signs you are seeing? Has he been somewhere where he was exposed to parvo? Or is it possible it may be something else?
Hydration is the most important thing. If he develops vomiting and diarrhea and will not drink, you may need to force liquids into him. Same for food. Develop a routine and stick with it no matter what. Consistency is also key.
Can you tell us what symptoms you are seeing?
Hi, my 9 week old puppy has had loose stool with blood for the past 4 days, I can’t afford taking her to the vet until next week. My brother says that it looks like she has parvo but she’s is eating well and still has energy to play around. She was drinking a lot of water on her own but today she doesn’t want to drink? What can I do?! How long will this last?
Are you seeing a lot of blood throughout the stool or spots of blood? Have you seen any worms in her stools? Given her young age, it could be a severe case of worms. The most common are the roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms. Of these four only two are commonly seen in the stool with the unaided eye: roundworms and tapeworms.
If there is a lot of blood, it would be a good idea to see a vet as soon as possible due to the blood loss. If it is parvo, it could easily take at least a week after the symptoms start for her to begin to feel better. The sooner you start treatment, the better. Your vet can get you started with anti-nausea meds and iv liquids. The treatment requires putting her on a schedule of hydration (giving her liquids via an oral syringe and via iv which your vet can set up for you) as well as force feeding her if she will not eat on her own. Parvo is a tough virus, but if you remain diligent and stick to your schedule no matter what and no matter how she seems, she has a good chance of getting through it. Because she is so young, she does not developed her own immunity to the virus, so what you will see is her body trying to fight off the virus. Your job is to help her fight this virus by keeping her hydrated and fed to the best of your ability 24/7 until she gets better.
As for hydration, a healthy dog should drink between ½ and 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight each day. If your puppy is vomiting and has diarrhea, the amount of liquids needed increases because of this abnormal loss. Liquids are critical to the function of her organs.
If you read the next comment below from Jeanie, she explains what she just did to save her pup.
This site is great! Thank you! Our 11 week female husky great peryniasee mix Layla was diagnosis with Parvo day after her shots. She was presenting low energy levels, throwing up and not wanting to eat with some loose stools. In a few hours she was not drinking water either. Took her back to the vet that day and she was admitted with IV fluids and antibiotics injections when she was postive for Parvo. The next day brought her home with Cerena tablets and 2 antibiotics. We were also giving injections of Lacted Ringer fluids subcutaneous 200ml ×2. That day i gave her water and clear pedialite, 5ml every 2 hours unless she was resting. She never stop throwing up even with the nausea medicin. we tried pepto, did not work either. That evening 5 ml of baby rice and chicken baby food with pedialite in 5ml syringe. We had to force the fluid and food. Best thing is to give fluid water and pedialite and leave them alone. She was in her kennel in a quiet place but even if she heard me walk in, she would throw up. She did get worse before she got better. 3rd night i thought she might not make it, but just kept the same rountine with fluid, 5ml every 2 to 3 hrs. And baby food and rice 2x 5ml syringe and subcutaneous injections. Later that night she wanted the water and pedialite in the syringe. than the next morning she licked the baby food off the baby spoon. Slowly that day her energy was coming back and eating baby food with her puppy food all smooshed up. It has been 2 days since that day and she is completely back to herself. Eating her regular puppy food and drinking water. DON’T GIVE UP! Keep a good routine and if you bring them home it will be round the clock care to help them. Good luck with anyone else going through this horrible disease. We beat Parvo!
CONGRATS to you both! What a great story and great tips. Thank you for sharing it!
My 8 month old Yogi who is a Lab and Airedale mix unforyunalty has parvo, we found out Thursday May 11th and the line on his test was very faint so we caught it right before he even had signs. Yesterday was the first day he started showing signs which is the loss of appetite and super super low on energy. The day we found out he had parvo we started doing the at home treatment which was the IV with fluids every 12 hours and we were giving him 2 shots a day another shot every 12 hours for four days, today was the last day with the shots we are now giving him Proviable which is a probiotic to help with his insides and to firm his poop. He has not vomited once and he does have diarrhea but there is no sign of blood it’s not even really a dark color at all. I guess what I wanna know is if we caught it very early is there a high chance of him beating this what is the average recovery time with parvo? and also is it good to let him sleep? He is sleeping all the time.
Yes, I think your baby has a great chance of beating the parvo. Kudos that you caught it early and have a schedule for treating him. It can take a week or more to get past the worse of it, then another week or two to rebuild strength and stamina. Much like when you have the flu and don’t feel very energetic as your body fights the virus, your pup doesn’t feel very energetic. It is good that he rest right now and save his energy. It is often recommended that a dog with parvo be kept quiet while their body rebuilds. Parvo is a tough virus. Best to you both!
My puppy has parvo. She started off all of a sudden not wanting to eat or drink anything. I have a boxer and her name is Lady and she is 5 months old. I took her to the vet and they sent me home with an IV and 3 shots of antibiotics. That cost me a fortune but I knew I needed it because I have dealt with parvo years before and other dogs have died from it. So I was super scared, I couldn’t lose my puppy. After the third day she was so weak didn’t even care that we were poking her with a big needle. 🙁 I did a bunch of research online and started giving her Pepto and Pedialyte, which is what I believe helped her to live! I had to force it down her throat with a syringe but it was worth it. The next day she was licking my face which was a sign that she was feeling better. The key is to keep your dog hydrated! Every hour I was giving her some pedialyte and pepto. The day after that I went and got her #2 baby food, chicken noodle. I gave her about a tablespoon and waited a few hours to make sure she didn’t throw it back up and she didn’t. So I was in the clear and gave her a little more. I am so happy we made it through this. I love her so much. Yesterday I boiled some lean hamburger meat and she chowed. I am going to slowly introduce her dog food back to her I just know that I am not in the clear yet so I want to be super cautious. I also disinfected the whole house with CLOROX and I threw all her chew toys away. So far so good no throw up and her diarrhea is gone. I do think I caught it super early as well because she was not bleeding when she had a runny bowel. I told my self I would write a review if we made it through this so I can maybe give other people some hope. My advice please keep your dog hydrated!
Thanks for sharing your story. I am so happy for you both!
My puppy is fighting Parvo I’m so devastated .hope she makes it been taking her to the vet for treatment she’s still going but don’t see much change . Worried would love to try the raw eggs too
Parvo is hard on the young ones because they don’t have a strong immune system yet. It’s kind of like when you get the flu or a cold, but it’s worse. It takes time to get through it. So just keep at it. Hopefully at any minute she will turn the corner and start to feel better. Keep her hydrated. Good luck!
I can actually say he’s doing better today. It’s no over, but he’s getting there. He wanted to eat regular puppy food, but I think I’m try some raw egg, and the some baby food. And see if he holds it down. Fingers crossed.
I certainly have my fingers crossed for you both!
No they would not give us the stuff to do it at home. I took it upon myself to this by myself with a syringe. I don’t have the saline, but I am giving him the pedialyte. Every hour about a tsp. I tried chicken broth but no go. I tried a raw egg also no go. So I’ll keep trying the pedialyte for now.
Just keep trying and don’t get discouraged. You might try Gerber Step 2 baby food in his syringe with a little pedialyte for the protein.
Hello, I have a 9 week old German Shepard/ husky mix and he was diagnosed to parvo about 3 days ago, he was getting the bag under the skin and shots at the vet, but it got too expensive for me. So I have been trying the Peptobismo and pet alive part-k along with pedialyte. But he keeps vomiting. He also has round worms.
Did the vet send you home with the bag of liquids so you could do it yourself? See the next comment below from Kristen who has just come through this with two dogs. This is what she did:
The benefit of the liquids under the skin is that you are able to keep your puppy hydrated by bypassing his stomach. You are administering liquids straight to his organs which, without liquid, can go into failure. It’s fairly simple to do at home and should cost about $35-45. Otherwise you need to administer liquids orally. A good general guideline is that a healthy dog should drink between ½ and 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight each day. If your puppy is vomiting and has diarrhea, the amount of liquids increases because of the loss. It’s worth the $$ to administer the liquids under the skin.
I would wait until he is stabilized more before de-worming him. His system needs to handle one thing at a time. This virus will take some time to get through and your puppy may look terrible and thin, but don’t give up on him. You are his best chance to pull through this.
Just a quick update: it seems both Oscar and Toby are through it! They’ve started eating normally again, and I’ve been supplementing their usual food with some high fat/protein food to re-gain any weight loss.
For those saying the vet gave you a 50% change, please remember they have to give you worst-case scenario. Oscar was given 50% and it seemed bad for several days, but he started picking up. Just, whatever you do, stick with the hydration and medication!
Our vet told us 100ml of saline every 12 hours, plus pedialyte every couple of hours. We also gave him a teaspoon (in a baby syringe) of pepto every 12 hours because we were given pills for nausea and diarrhea and NOTHING we tried would get them down his throat. Along with the meds and hydration, we mixed meat baby food (turkey and chicken) with water and chicken broth and fed that to him with the baby syringe as well.
The next thing to remember, for the next 6 months to a year, you can’t take your dog to any place where a puppy or immune compromised dog may be (dog park, beach, etc…) and the vet may also ask you to keep them out of the office. Spray the part of the yard where you walk them with bleach water, and make sure to mop your hard surfaces with bleach water and use lysol on fabrics. There’s an amazing product we’ve used forever for cleaning called Odo-ban (you can buy on Amazon or at the Home Depot in a gallon bottle) that you can put in your laundry and it won’t harm your cloths. I’ve added it in with any towels we used during their illness as well as any clothes we wore while taking care of them.
Great news! And thanks much for your tips! Hugs to Oscar and Toby!
Hi. I have a mini poodle that i got from a breeder last april 28. He was very depressed, looking so dehydrated and very malnourished (i can feel all his bones in his body). He was still able to drink and eat a little bit but day after, he started vomiting and got more lethargic. He had the usual symptoms : foamy mouth, sticky vomit, diarrhea, and lethargy. We decided to bring him to the vet after he vomited coffee ground color (i’m a nurse so I was assuming this is blood). And he got positive with parvo. We can’t afford hospital treatment so we decided to take home our baby with the kit they gave us. We got normosol IV bag – direction was to give every 24 hours 20ml SQ. However i am giving it every 12 hours just because I think it’s not enough and I don’t think it’s aggressive enough. I got metronidazole antibiotic and cerenia for nausea. So far he only had 3-4 vomiting the whole day and I was supplementing it with pedialite +water+ activated charcoal combo. He isn’t making any improvements but I’m staying positive. I tried to give him some food but he refuses everything. I’m trying to maintain his Fluid according to his weight (he is only 2.15 lbs) and Although the vet said he has less than 50% chance of survival i’m still keeping my hopes up. I’m just worried because he’s skin and bones and he’s not eating. However I’ve been keeping my goal to keep hydration first. This page is very helpful as every pet is different and I am glad hearing different people’s way of managing parvo.
50% chance is better than 25%. Go for it! The thought that a breeder is selling puppies infected with parvo is a nightmare. Imagine all the puppies that will suffer and the hearts that will be broken.
I think the sub-q liquids every 12 hours is a better route. You are reducing the amount to 10ml then? Because you are giving sub-q liquids perhaps you could exchange the pedialite and even much of the water in your pedialite + water + activated charcoal combo with Gerber #2 chicken baby food. It would provide him with some protein and is runny enough to be administered via oral syringe.
Parvo is a tough virus and obviously this breeder does not vaccinate against the virus, so your puppy has no immunity to it. He will likely look worse before he looks better and you may not see improvement for several days or a week, but don’t give up. His stomach feels awful, so he doesn’t want to eat. The sub-q liquids are hydrating his organs. All you can do right now is maintain the schedule for care you have him on and keep hoping. Keep us posted. We’re rooting for you both!
Well, Oscar, the puppy, is now eating and drinking. I feel we’ve turned the corner with him and now we just need to get him to gain his weight back.
I’m curious, as I can’t find a solid answer on Google, can a healthy, adult dog get a mild case of parvo? My 3 year old had one diarrhea case, and has vomited a couple of times, but is still drinking water and staying hydrated. We started him on an antibiotic and pepto. I’ve also been feeding him baby food mixed with chicken broth and pedialyte.
Also, I spent the $35 and got Paxxin from Amber Technology. I don’t know if it’s the miracle that everyone claims, but I feel it’s one of the few things they both kept down.
Congrats to Oscar! Truly wonderful news!
As for the results you had with your 3 year old, it could have been a combination of things, but don’t let your guard down just yet. The normal incubation period (time from exposure to the virus to the time when signs of disease appear) is from 7-14 days.
Given that you were already treating Oscar for the virus by cleaning the house and bedding, that may have been a contributing factor. Also, the 3 year old also has a more developed/experienced immune system and, if he had his vaccinations as a puppy, they should have included vaccine for parvo. Further, because you have been through this once, you are hyper vigilant and are able to spot a problem sooner than later.
Thanks for the update and your input on the Paxxin.
My dog had largo.but I had no cash at the time .so I got to doing a lot of research and what I did I got some amoxicillin and and have him one a day followed by 2tablespoons of pepto and a cup of Pedialyte every two hours and it was magic
Well, we couldn’t get Oscar (lab/chow I wrote about last night) to really ingest the eggs, so I went and bought some meat paste baby foods today (chicken, beef, and turkey). He actually took in 3 teaspoons of turkey baby food and I was excited… and then he threw up an hour later. I don’t think the anti-nausea meds the vet gave are helping. I gave him a small dose of pepto and will be trying again once it has time to take effect.
I was also told by a friend who works and fosters with a rescue to try cream cheese. Some dogs will eat that when they won’t eat anything else.
The baby food is great. I always keep some on hand — usually for a finicky cat. I use Gerber #2 because it contains no onions. Just meat and water. Cream cheese is a new one to me. Thanks for the tip.
Something that almost always works for me is Friskies Turkey & Giblets cat food. Don’t know why, but they love it. I have used it on occasion, too.
The pepto bismol should work faster than the pills, so can get a hold before he might throw it up.
My puppy was also diagnosed with Parvovirus on Friday. I also went the at home route, and have given her raw egg via mouth syringe, but I it seems she is worse. She has not had much vomit and only 2 loose stools but not diarrhea. She currently has a foamy mouth and the shakes. Please, what can I do?
A dog diagnosed with parvo will often look worse before they get better. It’s a tough virus on puppies because they often had no had the time to develop their immune system. The foamy mouth in this case could be a result of the illness, an upset stomach or even the stress of the virus. The best thing to do is to create a schedule for her care and stick to it. If you decide to feed her something every two hours, feed every two hours — not in a half hour because she looks hungry. Be consistent. I say this because often a puppy will look worse — and sometimes a lot worse — before they look better and, in panic, owners will start to overreact. It’s natural, but having a schedule helps you stay focused.
You can also check any symptoms you are seeing with your vet. Call them. Did they send you home with meds to help?
Our lab/chow puppy was diagnosed with parvo yesterday. Our vet gave us saline to do sub-q every 12 hours, plus anti diarrhea and anti nausea tabs. I’m curious if anyone has followed the above (pepto, eggs, pedialyte) along with vet protocol, or instead of. I’m not sure if I should overload him with pepto and the other meds. Help?
I’m so sorry to hear your news.
I would hold off on the pepto bismol to see if the anti-nausea drugs the vet gave you will work. And the sub-q saline replaces the pedialyte. It’s certainly the best option for keeping your pup hydrated because it bypasses his upset stomach and delivers the liquid straight to his organs. There should be a lot less loss of liquids that way. The eggs are a suggestion for getting nutrition into your pup because they can be administered via an oral syringe if he won’t eat on his own. They are a good source of protein. Some dogs like them, some don’t.
This virus will take several days to pass. Your pup may look absolutely miserable and may lose some weight, but don’t give up. Create a schedule for his meds, liquid and food and keep at it. You may need to make food changes and he may refuse food if his stomach is upset, but just stick with it.
Keep us posted and let us know what works for you. Good luck.
UPDATE: My pup lost the fight. Thank you for this page.
I am so sorry. It’s incredible how much it hurts to lose someone who has never spoken a word to us and only ever had unconditional love for us.
Be sure to clean everything in your house. If this was parvo, it can live in the environment for six months to one year according to Utah Veterinary Clinics. So it could still be there if you bring a new puppy home.
Hugs to you.
hi. my 2mos old + goberian suddenly stopped eating. He has also vomited saliva and has white foamy stuff. Recently he has bloody watery stool. Im trying the home remedy posted here. Wish me luck.
Goberian — that’s a new one to me. I had to look it up. Good looking dog!
Definitely sending you both best wishes. Read through the comments as some people have offered ideas that they have tried. Make sure he stays hydrated. A healthy dog should drink between ½ and 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight each day. More if he is vomiting and has diarrhea. Figure out how much he should have based on his weight, then divide it up and give it to him throughout the day.
However, the watery part of the stool has me wondering if it might not be parvo, but maybe something like colitis. The link goes into the symptoms and causes of colitis and tells you when you need to see a vet for it. Good luck and let us know how things work out.
UPDATE: So his shot was just the first of 4 for parvo no other vaccines besides his deworm treatment. he is now done with his deworm treatment. Still showing signs of parvo vomit is clear and getting foamy bowel movements are very runny and clear with bits of white no bad sour smell but does have a wired smell to it. we have been forcing 3mls pepto and 3mls of raw egg every 4 hrs and 6mls of pediolite every hour. his ribs spine and hip bones are showing. yesterday morning he woke up very chipper and was wagging his tail and playing with our yr old german sheperd(she has be vaccinated and shows no signs what so ever) but afternoon and today back to these haunting signs that we are possibly going to lose him. is there more we can do before i put myself in a little debt and rush him to a vet.
Because the vaccine is a modified “live” virus, he may be feeling down because of the way his system is reacting to it. His vomit might be foamy if he is drinking water too quickly or ate something that disagreed with him, such as grass or an inedible substance. Or maybe it’s the egg and pedialyte. How long after he eats does he vomit?
The bits of white in his bowel movements could be dead worms or it could be something he ate. Did you check them out? Some canned food contains hard white bits.
It would not surprise me that his ribs and spine are showing if he is not eating. Egg and pedialyte is hardly much for putting on weight and puppies can lose weight quickly. Will he not eat on his own? Have you tried canned cat food?