The Canine Parvovirus is a very serious illness for dogs. A dog can contract this disease no
matter the breed or age, although, it is more common in puppies. That is due to both having a weaker
immune system than their older kin and the terms of vaccination that prohibits pups that are too
young from receiving it. There are different strains of the virus, but the most common ones are
strongly prevented by the vaccination shots.
If a dog is to be an "outside" dog, it should definitely be vaccinated for Parvo. The virus can
stay alive in dirt and grass indefinitely until it is washed away or covered with a new thick layer
of dirt. Even then, the virus is still not dead. It is just moved out of reach of potential carriers.
Viruses have no certain lifespan.
They can live for thousands of years or until they find a host to reproduce. Canine Parvovirus is
transmitted from dog to dog by direct contact, such as sniffing or licking, and through ingesting
or touching infected fecal matter or simply sniffing it. There is ongoing research to find out if
it is also transmitted by air. This is unlikely, though, because there is a significant difference
in the amount of "inside" and "outside" dogs that contract the disease. It would also have a much
higher rate of infection if it could be transmitted through the air.
If contracted, the dog can die within two to three days, depending on how severe the case is, and
whether it is treated or not. Black and tan breeds of dogs seem to be more vulnerable to the virus.
The virus has two forms which are the intestinal form and the cardiac form. The cardiac form is
the less common form and affects puppies in the womb by weakening heart muscles. The intestinal
form attacks the lymphatic system, bone marrow, and the intestines. This causes dogs to vomit and
have dysentery. Even if the dog is able to eat and digest food, the food may move too fast through
the intestines for the body to absorb the nutrients because of the irritated bowels. Home care for
these dogs is nearly impossible, as they need high doses of antibiotics and quite often an IV.
In the end with the intestinal form, untreated dogs can die from either blood poisoning when the
virus enters the blood stream, malnutrition and dehydration from vomiting and dysentery, or blood
loss because of dysentery.