If there’s one common theme that we can see in many of the 850+ customers we’ve worked with over the past two years, it’s this: people don’t seem to comprehend just how aggressive and fast-acting the Parvo virus is.
One night, you might go to bed, knowing that your dog is happy and healthy, and by morning, when you get up, that same dog is incredibly sick and maybe even near death’s door - and, yes, the smell of Parvo is unmistakable, as the diarrhea, which is frequently one of the first symptoms to appear with the latest 2c strain of this virus, is absolutely disgusting and unlike anything else you may have experienced before.
We had one customer, in the Pacific Northwest, whose dog first showed symptoms of Parvo on a Sunday morning, and by later that afternoon, it was already dead.
Although not every dog dies this quickly, it can happen, but the point is, too many dog owners sit around for day after day, with their dog clearly not well, and doing absolutely nothing about it, because they suffer from the mistaken belief that they have time.
But nothing could be further from the truth!
If you know dogs at all, then you know that 99.9% or more of them love their food, so if your dog stopped eating, for as little as one day, wouldn’t you be concerned that something might be gravely wrong?
All of our dogs are, thank goodness, healthy (although we do live in the worst state for Parvo), but even on those rare occasions when one of them does throw up, they are ready to eat again just minutes later, so a dog that’s off his food for even a few hours (which is often the first sign you’ll see that your dog has Parvo, provided you’re observant, of course) should be a big, red warning sign.
Unfortunately, there is such a lot of misinformation about Parvo that many dog owners are understandably but ill-advisedly complacent.
These dog owners think they’re secure because:
- Their dog has had all of its vaccinations (including boosters). Here’s the reality: Parvo vaccines are ineffective against the 2c strain (which is why we are seeing more and more customers with fully-vaccinated adult dogs still getting Parvo and, if they’re not treated, dying), and your dog may even develop full-blown Parvo symptoms (particularly if your dog is given his shot after he was infected, which is just about the worst thing you can do).
- They have an adult dog, and everybody knows that Parvo only affects puppies. Sorry, wrong again! Parvo may still primarily be a puppy illness, but more and more adult dogs are getting it now as well. If this sounds like a broken record, then we’re not making any apologies, but vaccinations don’t work like they used to - the 2c strain is simply too virulent and most vaccines on the market today are only effective against the older 2a and 2b strains (and that’s not to mention the long-term health problems with all vaccinations, which most vets won’t tell you about).
- They take their dog to the vet’s to have it tested, and the test comes back negative, so they do nothing. Time for another reality check: the 2c strain of Parvo often generates a false-negative result, and this particularly applies to the stool sample-based tests that most vets conduct in their clinics nowadays. This means that although you are told your dog does not have Parvo, he actually does, and that leads to more days of inaction while your dog is getting sicker and sicker.
- They never take their dog outside, which means it won’t get infected by the Parvo virus. Sorry to burst this balloon as well, but one of the most common reasons why indoor dogs get Parvo is because it is their owners (or breeders) who give it to them! It’s true, you can walk this virus into your house without even knowing it (or transmit it via your hands or clothes). That’s why we always recommend that people (including visitors) change their shoes whenever they go indoors.
So, with so many myths floating around, not to mention bad advice, where can you go to get up-to-date and reliable information that you can use, safe in the knowledge that it will help your dog, and not make matters worse?
Because another problem we see all the time is that people have never even heard of Parvo - until their dog gets it, of course - and, somewhat amazingly, we even come across people who breed dogs commercially who don’t know what Parvo is. It seems to us that this is basic information and knowledge that you must have if you’re going to work in the doggie business!
Well, you’ll be glad to know that we have put together a 100+ page ebook all about Parvo, called Parvo Treatment 101, that you can download to your computer in minutes - and the best part is that it’s 100% free.
This book contains more or less everything you need to know about Parvo (e.g. the symptoms, including the different types of stool to look out for, treatment options), which makes it a great place to start.
If your dog is already sick, however, and by that, we mean that a vet has confirmed that your dog does have Parvo, or he shows one or more of the standard Parvo symptoms, or even if you believe or know that he was exposed to the virus within the last two or three days, then you should delay reading this book, because you need to administer Parvo treatment right away, because there’s one thing you don’t have with this virus, and that is time. You can always read our free book later, once your dog is stabilized, or better.
Well, we hope you have found this article useful - it may even save your precious dog’s life - but we have a load more Parvo treatment information available for you, over and above what’s in our free book.
If nothing else, we hope we’ve inspired you to find out more about this devastating virus, and about the various treatment options (because contrary to popular opinion, you don’t need to take your dog to the vet and spend anywhere from $500 USD to over $10,000 USD, with a mere 50% success rate, because inexpensive, safe, effective home Parvo remedies are available), so please, if you know anybody with a dog, then do forward this article, and/or our free book, on to them - you just never know when they might might need it, and there’s nothing better than knowing that you’ve helped to save somebody’s beloved pet from the excruciatingly painful death that the Canine Parvovirus often brings.
