Can a dog with parvo be saved?
There is no cure for parvo. Your vet will offer your puppy supportive care over the course of the illness, treating symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration, and making sure that your puppy gets adequate nutrition.
Will A Dog With Parvo Drink Water?
No, dogs with parvo tend to turn down water. This infection can cause your dog’s thirst to decrease. It also damages the epithelial cells in their intestine making them incapable of absorbing and holding down water. This condition can lead to severe dehydration if left untreated.
And in fact, dehydration is the leading cause of death in dogs infected with this parvo.
Just because your parvo-infected pet refuses to drink water doesn’t mean you should do nothing about it. Dogs with parvo are placed on fluid therapy to reverse the effects of dehydration, without which the condition can become fatal.
About 40ml/kg of fluids must be administered subcutaneously once every 8 hours to maintain their fluid balance. However, absorption from beneath the skin can become difficult in severe cases of infection due to poor circulation. In such cases, you must take the dog to a vet and have fluids administered intravenously. Veterinarians mostly recommend isotonic crystalloids during fluid therapy.
Once vomiting stops for 6-12 hours, you can introduce fluids orally through a catheter syringe at a frequency of 2-4 ml/pound every hour. This, however, does not give you a green signal to make them drink a lot of water. Their system is still weak, so drinking too much water can make them sick again.
What can I give my dog for parvo?
Medications: Most dogs with parvo are treated with fluid therapy, anti-nausea medications, and antibiotics. In severe cases, other medications may be necessary (see below). Diet: Dogs are best able to keep down a bland, highly digestible diet as they are recovering from parvo.