Pet owners around the world always have to be wary about their pet’s health. There is a huge list of ailments that your pets can suffer from. For all those pet owners who aren’t aware, parvo is a virus that your dog can encounter due to exposure to the feces of infected animals. It can affect dogs of all age, sex and breed. It’s a fairly recent ailment. This virus first came into picture in the year 1978. Since there were no remedies that existed during that period for this ailment, it claimed life of many dogs, especially puppies. In most cases, the virus attacks the heart muscles, ultimately killing the dog.

For pet owners, there are several indicators through which they can gauge this situation in their dogs. Diarrhea, vomiting, fever and dehydration are the most common symptoms at display. These symptoms are usually visible within 3 to 10 days of contact with the feces of the infected animal.

Puppies are at more risk with this ailment. The chances of survival are 50% for them. The first 4 days of medication are extremely critical, and this will determine the chances of survival of the puppies. If your puppy surpasses this stage then most likely it will survive this ordeal successfully. The alarming thing is that the secondary infection can potentially kill the dog rather than the virus itself.

Although it’s very dangerous, it can be prevented. Timely vaccination is a must to prevent the dogs from this disease. If vaccination has not been taken in the past, and if your dog has already been infected by this ailment, then one needs to consult a vet immediately for treatment. The chances of survival largely depend upon how quickly the disease is diagnosed and treated.

Your dog might need to get hospitalized with IV fluids for controlling all the symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting etc. Homeopathic treatments also work wonders with this ailment. There are also many home remedies out there to deal with this condition.

Herbs such as Zingiber offinale (Ginger) and Agrimonia eupatoria helps to soothe the ailment. Likewise, homeopathic ingredients like Arsen alb and Verat alb maintain the body temperature. It’s pivotal to resort to any kind of medication or antibiotics only after the vet’s advice and diagnosis.

Antibiotics like ampicillin, gentamicin, amikacin are often prescribed by the vet after diagnosing the condition. These antibiotics kill the bacteria responsible for the cause of parvo.

Parvo is the most unwanted virus affecting your pet. One would never want their dogs getting killed by this ailment. It can take lives within a span of few days to a few hours. Its ability to kill the dog can leave most pet owners in a troublesome mood, when they experience such an ailment with their pet. One would be surprised to know that this virus can pass from human beings and other animals to dogs, but the vice versa is not possible. It’s important to keep your dogs away from the all areas where it can possibly get infected by this ailment.

Jason Ladock

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