My son purcsaed a puppy beagle. He was given his first vaccination on the day he bought him home from the breeders by her vet. The puppy was happy, lively and full of bounce, however he seemed to be drinking lots and lots of water and was eating his own poo (which I know pups can do).Has seen by my vet after 5 days and was chipped and examined - no problems found. I have an adult dog and this is the only dog he had mixed with and in my garden. After 10 days,on the Wednesday, the pup became lethargic and started vomiting and had diarrhoea, he was taken to the vets and kept in for assessment, but he became worse and died on the Sunday - diagnosed with PARVO, We are all beside ourselves especially as I lost a much loved westie to lymphoma in may and wondered if he could have got the parvo from my house or could he have had it when he was purchased ? Can anyone shed any light on this problem for me please

There's no way to know where he got it in such a short time span(breeder, vet, your home and yard), although it's usually from contact with other dogs. But it is a virus that can live in the soil for years, and a pup should not be outside without supervision until he's had all his shots, especially eating his own feces, where the virus may have started. I'm so sorry.

I have searched and searched for a link to refer you that may answer your questions about Parvo and didn't contain all the technical information that you may not want to filter through.
I didn't realize it would be so difficult.
Keep in mind that this link is geared to parvovirus in a shelter situation, other than that it contains some good concise answers to your questions about how, where and why.
http://www.aspcapro.org/canine-parvovirus.php

The basics are
1-Puppies under 4 months of age are affected more so than others.
2-Parvovirus is very hardy and can survive in the soil for more than a year. (climate would have a large part in the survivability of the virus).
3-The length of time between exposure and onset of symptoms is about a week.
4-Until puppies have had their full set of vaccines, including an additional Parvo booster, they should be kept away from grooming facilities, dog parks, etc, etc.
5-Parvovirus could be most anywhere you are, your yard, your neighbors yard, the trail he may have walked on, and yes, the breeders facility.
6-You will need to clean with a bleach/water solution before you introduce another pup.

Lastly, I am sorry you and your son had to go through this, it is an unpredicdable disease with no guarantees. It's tough to lose a pet this way.
I hope some of this answers your questions.

LadySam forgot to mention... you may have tracked it in on your clothes or, more, shoes... it is that virulent a virus. Even though we are careful not to step into an obvious dog pile, we aren't so eagle-eyed as to see a small piece on the walk. Also, like the human hospital, the vet's office is a good place to catch something...

Unlike what we have come to 'believe', a vaccination takes a couple weeks to get 'up to speed', especially the first one. The first one is like placing an order at the immunity factory... the body has to 'tool up' for production. The second vaccination is like the actual order.. the factory goes right to work, dumping loads of antibodies into the blood stream almost immediately, or within a day or two.

Indeed I did, Thanks for the addition.

This nasty virus is spread threw dogs feces so be sure not to step In it. We had lost 4 chihuahuas to this virus back in October and there dearly missed. Unfortunately my baby girl I had for almost 2 years suffered the longest threw it for almost 3 weeks by the time I saw her I was in tears cause she didn't even look like she was alive. Then I come home and check on her and she was finally gone. I'm just gad she didn't suffer any longer. We had 2 saviours and luckily they are not still carriers but that is one thing you need to find out before any kind of breeding accurs. Parvo carriers may not be sick they just carry the virus and if a dog that is not amune comes across the feces of the carrier the dog/pup will prob get the virus. I'm sorry your sons pup didn't make.

Yes you are going to want to do a throughout clean of the house and yard, including the car if the pup was transported by that way. Bleach is the best product to use. Make sure to clean all excrement from the yard, and use bleach where the poop was, I would throw out the food dishes and buy new, all bedding and toys should be washed or thrown out. Carpets steam cleaned as well as any furniture the pup was on.

Parvo is a virus, and just like the common flu, even if vaccinated it's not 100%. There are many variations of viruses and parvo is no different.

Certain dogs are not carriers of the virus in the sense that Autmn has mentioned above. Adult or vaccinated dogs can come into contact with the virus, and transport it with them on their feet. But they do not actually have the virus. Because of the strong immunity that follows infection, carrier dogs do not exist. And that was out of the mouth from the vet that I work for.

It usually takes one to two weeks for the infected pups to start showing symptoms. Remember it's not just dogs who can transmit the parvo virus, rodents, rabbits, and birds can also transmit this disease. Ducks are one of the highest carriers. They travel to many different watering holes and can infect an entire pond in one visit.


I too am very sorry for your loss.

this nasty virus is spread threw dogs feces so be sure not to step In it. we had lost 4 chihuahuas to this virus back in october and there dearly missed. unfortunately my baby girl I had for almost 2 years suffered the longest threw it for almost 3 weeks by the time I saw her I was in tears cause she didn't even look like she was alive. then I come home and check on her and she was finally gone. I'm just gad she didn't suffer any longer. we had 2 saviours and luckily they r not still carriers but that is one thing u need to find out before any kind of breeding accurs. parvo carriers may not be sick they just carry the virus and if a dog that is not amune comes across the feces of the carrier the dog/pup will prob get the virus. I'm sorry ur sons pup didn't make.



Why didn't you take your pups to the vet for treatment?

We did but for some it was too late. We kept them hydrated with the water bags and treated them all but only the two survived

I don't usually choose to engage in these types of posts, but this once I must.
When it comes to the health and well-being of pets, owners are the first line of responsibility. When those owners come here to seek an answer they deserve the satisfaction of getting the most factual answer we can possibly give them, not only from our experience but also from training, research, and continued learning. The facts posted by members in this thread are just that, facts, and can be backed by research and written material.
Carrier implies that the animal harbors the virus itself, that is simply not true with Parvo. The fact that the virus may be "carried" from one place to another on feet, clothes, beddings, shoes, you name it, is something totally different.
Here is a good site that explains a lot about Parvo.
Canine Parvovirus (http://marvistavet.com/html/canine_parvovirus.html)
Check it out, and try not to be offended, we only want to offer up accurate information.

Have to spread the rep, but great info and great link.