Parvovirus or Canine Parvovirus can be a deadly viral disease if it is not caught in the early stages and treated. While it mostly is found in puppies and adolescent animals, it can be also found in older dogs. It is very important that owners to be aware of the dog parvo symptoms and get their pet to the vet if any of the symptoms are detected. Extreme cases of the disease can kill a puppy in as little as two or three days.
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Parvovirus or Canine Parvovirus can be a deadly viral disease if it is not caught in the early stages and treated. While it mostly is found in puppies and adolescent animals, it can be also found in older dogs. It is very important that owners to be aware of the dog parvo symptoms and get their pet to the vet if any of the symptoms are detected. Extreme cases of the disease can kill a puppy in as little as two or three days.
The first symptoms that are likely to be noticed, are a lack of energy and a loss of appetite. The reason for these symptoms is most likely caused by a fluid loss that the animal experiences. The virus will attack the gastrointestinal tract and damage the intestines. This damage will result in the animal's inability to absorb fluids or food. This is what will lead to the fluid loss and the subsequent lack of energy and loss of appetite. These are just the first of the signs that you should watch for. But of course, the sooner you catch the illness the better chance the animal has of getting through the illness with little damage.
As the intestines become more and more damaged, the animal will suffer from more symptoms such as vomiting. This vomiting coupled with the damage to the intestines will lead to more dehydration in the animal. Diarrhea is most likely to be present as well. In the beginning stages of the illness the puppy will have diarrhea that is very strong in smell. When the infection continues to do damage to the intestines the diarrhea will probably be mixed with blood. In the later phases of the disease the diarrhea will be mostly blood.
It is very important that the pet be brought to the vet immediately if these warning signs are noticed. The animal will likely need to be given fluids to replace what has been lost. That can only happen with the vet. Without treatment the animal could die from this disease. Even if the animal survives the disease there could be damage caused that is long term.
This disease is extremely contagious and can spread quickly among animals. Your puppy can be immunized against the parvovirus and be protected from ever suffering the symptoms and the long-term damage. As a pet owner, it is up to you to protect your pet from these diseases and get treatment for them whenever they exhibit the symptoms.
Article source: articlesbase.com
Author: Joshua Drew
About the author:
Joshua Drew is a canine enthusiasts. While he isn't playing around with his own labs, he can be seen at his local college taking English courses. Find more information on his website at Joshua Drew's website
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