Canine parvovirus (or “parvo” for short) is one of the most serious health threats your young dachshund puppy will ever face. Discovered in 1967, parvo quickly became a deadly and easily transmittable disease. However, it is also an easily preventable disease.

To keep your dog safe and healthy, read over our guide on the parvo virus:

What is Parvo?

Parvo is a highly contagious gastrointestinal virus. It mainly affects puppies six weeks to six months of age, and it can be spread easily through direct contact or feces. Even worse, a puppy can be contagious for an extended period of time, starting from 4-5 days after exposure and ending up to 10 days after recovery.

Below are some of the most common symptoms of canine parvovirus:

Fever
Vomiting
Severe, bloody diarrhea
Weight loss
Fatigue
Weakness
Depression
Dehydration
Anorexia

Treating Parvo

Parvo is an extremely deadly virus with a fatality rate of up to 80%. As such, if your dog has contracted parvo, it needs veterinarian attention right away. They’ll be hospitalized and taken to an isolation ward. From there, vets will prescribe a series of medications and antibiotics to fight the virus and any other secondary infections that may arise.

Preventing Parvo

Once contracted, parvo can pose a serious threat to your pup. Thankfully, it’s easy to prevent. The parvo vaccine is extremely effective at protecting dogs from the virus. It is typically administered in four shots, one at 6 weeks, the second at 9 weeks, the third at 12 weeks, and the fourth at 15 weeks. Dogs will then be given a booster shot at one year of age in order to be fully vaccinated against the virus.

At Patti’s Dachshund Farm, we take extra steps to keep our dachshund puppies safe from parvo. We vaccinate all of our pups for parvo. We also keep them off the ground (where parvo can originate) until they are fully vaccinated. To learn more, contact us today!