Because parvovirus is very contagious and hardy in its environment, proper disinfection is crucial. Dogs with parvovirus should be isolated during their treatment, and for up to 2 weeks after recovery. Most common household cleaners will not kill parvovirus.
How long are dogs with parvo contagious? Adult dogs with parvo will remain contagious for around 4-5 days and puppies can remain contagious for up to 10 days after a clinical recovery.
Puppies or dogs with parvovirus can continue to shed the virus for up to ten days after they have recovered. You should always keep your dog that has had or currently has parvo away from other pets.
Even in places that seem safe, viruses like Parvovirus can live in the soil for up to a year and are resistant to weather and temperature fluctuations. It just isn't worth it to take the chance – which is why vets recommend waiting the full week after vaccination before taking your pup out in public.
Since parvovirus is highly contagious, isolation of infected dogs is necessary to minimize spread of infection. Proper cleaning and disinfection of contaminated kennels and other areas where infected dogs are (or have been) housed is essential to control the spread of parvovirus.
Puppies who've survived parvo should be quarantined until they stop carrying the virus in their bodies. After that point, you should talk with your veterinarian and have your puppy vaccinated before allowing them to interact with other dogs.
You should contact your vet immediately if you suspect your puppy has parvo, and be sure to notify the vet's staff ahead of time of your suspicions and your puppy's symptoms, so that they can take the appropriate quarantine procedures to prevent your puppy from infecting other dogs.
There are several signs that can let you know your dog is recovering from Parvo. Mostly, look out if your dog stops vomiting, their eating habits return to normal, there's less to none blood in their feces, and their activity levels getting back to normal.
Unfortunately parvovirus infection can be fatal, despite all intervention. When they do recover, most dogs are able to go back to a completely normal life. After discharge from the hospital they may continue to shed the virus for 3-4 weeks.
The disease is so infectious that even a human that has unknowingly been in contact with an infected dog can spread the virus to puppies and other dogs just by touching them. Which means that an innocent pat on the head can become the beginning of a life-threatening condition.
How Do I Prevent My Dog from Getting it? Luckily, parvovirus is only contagious between dogs; humans and other species cannot be contaminated. However, anyone can transmit the virus if they come into contact with an infected pet or areas. Your dog's best line of defense is routine, up-to-date vaccination.
Once a dog has recovered from parvo, it is unlikely that they will contract the virus again. The immunity from the virus lasts for several years, protecting your dog from reinfection. It is theoretically possible for a dog to get parvo twice, but such chances are very slim.
Virus is shed in the feces of infected dogs within 4–5 days of exposure (often before clinical signs develop), throughout the period of illness, and for ~10 days after clinical recovery.
According to Utah Veterinary Clinics, parvo can live in the environment for six months to one year.
The best household cleaner to use to kill parvovirus is bleach (1 part bleach to 30 parts water). It should be used on hard surfaces including tiles, concrete, paving bottoms of shoes etc – leave the bleach on the surface at least 10-15 minutes. Anything that can be washed in bleach should be.
If possible, flush the yard with water and allow to dry. Then apply a disinfectant that is effective with organic material, such as AHP or potassium peroxymonosulfate. These can be used with a pesticide sprayer or hose-end sprayer at the proper dilution to saturate the outside area.
Washing hands thoroughly with soap and water will remove the virus. Specific disinfectants need to be used to remove parvovirus from the environment, including toys, clothing and cages.
Parvovirus is a scary disease that typically affects unvaccinated puppies. It is highly contagious, so if your dog is diagnosed with this virus, you'll want to thoroughly disinfect your home before it returns.
While dogs who survive Parvo generally go on to lead long and happy lives, cell death in the intestines and bone marrow of a puppy can stunt their growth, although it may be hard to tell if the eventual size is unknown, but it can also cause long-term kidney or liver damage and permanently weaken the immune system, ...
In addition to acute symptoms like bloody diarrhea and vomiting, parvo can cause long-term health effects, including chronic gastrointestinal and digestive issues. Parvo can also be deadly.
Getting infected with parvovirus more than once is rare. If this occurs then it is from a different strain or wild variant of the Canine parvovirus. Dogs that recover from CPV infection are usually considered immune to the disease and don't get reinfected for the rest of their life.
Humans cannot get parvovirus from their dogs, however they can pass parvo from one dog to another on their clothes, shoes or hands. Humans can contract a human version of parvovirus, but this is a different strain from the one that affects dogs. Humans cannot pass the human type of parvo to a dog either.
Parvo is easily transmitted from place-to-place by contaminated shoes or other objects. Even trace amounts of feces from an infected dog may harbor the virus and infect other dogs that come into the environment.
Parvo is a preventable disease, but even vaccinated dogs are not 100% protected from the virus.
Even if your puppy is vaccinated, and has created antibodies to fight off the infection, she can still become infected with the virus. If you live in a high-risk area or have met a Parvovirus-infected dog your puppy can pick up a large amount of virus material from this interaction.