Dear Dr. Bammel and Andie,

I have a new puppy and have heard horrible stories about the disease parvo. What is parvo and how do I prevent my puppy from getting it?

– Jenny and Cupcake

Dear Jenny and Cupcake,

Parvo is a terrible disease in young dogs, but it is nearly 100 percent preventable.

Parvo is a virus that aggressively attacks the lining of the intestines and causes the lining to die and rot. This process causes the most common symptoms of bloody diarrhea and vomiting, but the puppy is also typically quiet, not playful, and uninterested in food or water.

When a puppy has parvo, it is important to get a veterinarian involved in the treatment as soon as possible. Parvo typically kills puppies by dehydration, secondary bacterial infections in the blood, low blood sugar that causes seizures, and low blood protein levels that cause water accumulation in the organs which keeps them from working properly. If water accumulates in the lungs, a puppy can drown.

Parvo is also painful. Imagine the worst stomach virus that you ever had and multiply that cramping, nausea, and discomfort a thousand-fold. When puppies feel this much pain, they often seem to lose the will to live.

Treating parvo is costly and labor-intensive. Because parvo puppies are usually vomiting, we cannot give them medications by mouth because they will vomit everything back up. We have to provide everything the puppy needs through an intravenous tube. We give a special fluid that contains electrolytes through the IV to treat and prevent dehydration caused from vomiting and diarrhea. We also give antibiotics in the IV to fight secondary bacterial infections that can occur when the lining of the intestine rots and bacteria from the feces getting into the blood.

There is also a special sugar-like substance in the IV to keep blood levels from getting too low and causing seizures. We can give plasma or a synthetic blood protein to keep a patient from getting water accumulation in organs and in tissues of the arms and legs.

We provide strong pain medications so that the puppies won’t give up on their will to live, and we work endlessly to keep them clean from their own vomit and bloody diarrhea.

Even with treatment, about 20 to 30 percent of puppies die.

The good news is this disease is preventable by vaccinating your puppy. Talk to your vet about a vaccination schedule that will protect your puppy.

Most puppies should receive at least three vaccinations in a series, and then periodic boosters. The cost of a single vaccination is usually under $60 and does not compare to the $500 to $2,000 it could cost to treat your puppy. Vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate!

Dr. Bammel and Andie

Got a question for the vet? Then send an e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or a letter to “Ask The Vet” c/o North San Antonio Times, 17400 Judson Road, San Antonio, TX 78247. Dr.