I got an adult dog from the shelter about 2 years ago and was told that she did have all her shots up to date. I asked this question because I have in the distant past treated puppies with this virus. Well I got her home and a month after I got her she contracted parvo I knew the symptoms of the virus and one by one they appeared in her... I took her to the vet and got 3 bags of lactated ringers just in case she began to get dehydrated. She was not given any antibiotics as the vet felt it was not needed. Well after about 5 days or so of not eating and 2 days of not drinking she began to recover and after about 10 days she was her usual self again. I was asked to take in a puppy the other day that was showing signs of the virus and being the fool I am I said yes and as soon as I got her home I began the subcutaneous fluid injections and got some antibiotics from the vet and some anti nausea medication after the second day on fluids and antibiotics she seems to be perking up again not eating or drinking yet but she is looking much better than when I got her. Having said that my question is two fold 1 assuming she does recover "and it looks good so far" can I carry the virus to other households and if so for how long. Yo see I go to lots of houses with dogs as I am a trainer and the last thing I would want is to have my presence on someone's home be the cause of their dog getting sick. Second when tis pup recovers can I then get her vaccinated to prevent her from contracting the virus again.

Unfortunately yes, you can transfer Parvo to other dogs through your clothes or shoes.
The virus lasts for around 6 months without treating everything, and you can never be sure you have treated every inch of your house and yard, which is why after having Parvo in your home getting a new dog or puppy is out of the question for 6 months.

I would hold off on the training job for now (if you can)
If you can't then it's going to be a long process of disinfecting all of your clothes, shoes and hands before leaving the house.

Yes you can spread it to other dogs, and bring it into their homes.
Parvo is highly contagious to unprotected dogs. The virus is extremely hardy, most disinfectants cannot kill the virus, however chlorine bleach is the most effective and inexpensive agent that works, and is commonly used by veterinarians.

It is excreted in the feces of infected dogs, and if someone -- human, dog, bird, etc. -- steps in (or otherwise comes in contact with) the excrement, the possibility for contamination is great. If you have come in contact with parvovirus, a strong solution of bleach and water does kill the virus, so you can wash your shoes and clothes, even your hands with it, to reduce the risk of infecting other dogs.

The virus is extremely hardy and has been found to survive in feces and other organic material such as soil for over a year. It survives extremely cold and hot temperatures.

Neighbours and family members with dogs should be notified of infected animals so that they can ensure that their dogs are vaccinated or tested for immunity. Vaccine will take up to 2 weeks to reach effective levels of immunity, the contagious individual should remain in quarantine until other animals are protected.

Here is a great article you check out on the virus. Hope this helps!

Veterinary Q & A: Parvovirus (a.k.a Parvo) Infection in Dogs (http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/dognz/a/parvodog.htm)

Yup Shaz, most recent study showing virus lives for up to a year in infected soil, as long as temperatures are favourable. Most common is 5-7 months, but has been shown longer.


Looking for the article...

Thanks for the responses everyone they have been helpful to confirm my fears. I have 2 other dogs in my home both adults and one has had all her shots and the other has had boosters since she recovered from the virus herself. What I still am not sure of is if the one that had parvo can still get it even with the yearly boosters.

Ive heard from many people the parvo virus stays contagious in soil for up to 7 years. It becomes dormant at times, but even after 1 year, soil has come up pos. for Parvo.

If your worried about transmitting the disease... I would definitely hold off on going to peoples houses.. Why not hold classes in the park? You can always buy an extra pair of shoes/shirts/pants that you can wear JUST FOR TRAINING.

Just recently our kennels had an outbreak of Canine Influenza with two litters on the ground, one litter still infants... To prevent the virus from getting to them, we sprayed Nolvasan. It is proven to kill the virus that we had here at the kennels, but is also good at killing the parvo virus. You may want to look into it to spray your shoes before you leave your house... Nolvasan Solution Gallon (http://www.revivalanimal.com/store/p/3171-Nolvasan-Solution-Gallon.aspx)

FYI -- You can purchase a smaller bottle at BigR or any other large animal feed store.

Yes your other dog can contract it even with bossters. Just like the flu shot, it protects but doesn't eliminate. Parvo also has the ability to morph when it lays dormat or in a contained area with no disturbances.

Well, I'm confused then. My Rotten/Lab had parvo at 18 months old. She was saved after a very large vet bill. Our doc said that the risks of her getting it again were very low because now she has the antibodies in her blood that will fight it off.

Yes her chances are very low, but it's not impossible. But getting the vaccine doesn't completely elliminate the chances of getting parvo for the first time or second.

(chances are extremely low for a second time around).

"Dogs who have survived parvo can get it again. In the case of some puppies, a puppy testing negative for Parvo one day could succumb to the virus within a matter of days. It strikes fast and without mercy. Dr. Cathy Priddle has warned that sulfa drugs have been known to cause dehydration in dogs, suggesting that animals infected with parvovirus should not be given sulfa drugs."

That is quoted from
Parvo FAQs (http://www.workingdogs.com/parvofaq.htm)

"During the past few months many veterinarians have noticed an increase in the incidence of this disease in Calgary. This could be explained by the fact that fewer animals receive their regular booster vaccinations due to tough economic times that we are going through, or that the virus itself may have changed in type or severity resulting in less effective vaccines."

That was quoted from:

St. John's SPCA - Parvo in Dogs (http://www.spcastjohns.org/index.php?page=parvo-in-dogs)

There are different strains of Parvo, just like the flu, so if your dog has already had Parvo in the past it is unlikely it will get it again, but not impossible.

I just had a big chat to my mom about Parvo, apparently it's going around my area, and some tweedle-dum thought it would be a good idea to take 10 week old puppies who have only had one booster shot to a dog show.
Guess what, they all died of Parvo and now she wants to sue the kennel club for not sending out warning letters that the virus was around... I mean come on... seriously?

Shaz that is awful!! Didn't SHE know that her dogs were at a higher risk? It's only common sense... I know some people just lack...


There was a huge out break here a few weeks ago, one of the dogs at the shelter had it, he was really aggressive so he was in a separate living area and it didn't get spread like it could have. We have had vets coming in from different office giving workshops and lectures on the virus. I just don't understand some pet owners.

Aurora_Bell agrees: Rotten Lab? Hehe is he that bad? :P

Actually she's half Rotty and half Lab, Hence Rotten Lab. She's not rotten at all. Truthfully, I've never heard her bark and she smiles all the time. Her nickname is Ferdinand!

LOL aww that is so cute! My old bosses last name was Ferdinand. I was just being silly.
I love doggy smiles, they are so genuine. :)