My puppy just died on the 10th of February, it died from parvo. How can I prevent this from happening again?

Question

The vet that saw my dog said to clean everything in my house and yard with bleach but I do not know to what extent. Should I wash everything that my dog touched with bleach? Even clothes?

Terra · Accepted Answer

Spray all clothes with a parvo disinfectant. http://www.entirelypets.com/ should carry one. Bleach floors((Hard wood or tile) and your yard specificly in the areas the puppy pooped. plick up the poop and take it to the garbage. Every food bowl and toy should be washed or just to be safe replaced.

Keep your pup inside until at least the 1st 3 shots have been given. Beware of visitors coming over they may have parvo on their clothes from being outside or other places they have been you can spray them with a parvo disinfectant before entering your house. Entirely Pets carries a Parvo Disinfectant called Tomlyn Trifectant Disinfectant that provides control of the canine parvovirus. Also beware of other dogs make sure the strange dog is not sick when meeting your pup. 
Parvo can be brought home on your shoes, clothes, hands, car tires. Parvo is infact not an airborne disease it is excreted in the feces of infected dogs, and if someone whether it be human, dog, cat, or bird, etc. steps in it or comes in contact with it, possible contaminating is high. Say for instance a bird picks around in an infected dog feces (which they do) and then flies over into your yard and decides to take a drink out of you dogs water bowl or picks at your dogs food bowl then your dog is at a high risk of that bird leaving the parvovirus in your dogs food bowl. Flies can also carry pravo so getting fly traps is a good idea I recommend a fly trap used for horse stalls.  If you suspect you have come in contact with it be sure to use a bleach solution (bleach is about the only cleaner and the cheapest that can kill parvo other than disinfectants that are specific to killing parvo) that is chlorine bleach diluted 1 ounce per quart of water. Parvo can be carried in on your shoes, clothes, hands,& car tires. Any areas thought to be contaminated with parvo should be disinfected.

Christina · Answer

When I first got my dog 2 years ago, he was a puppy, and I had him for 3 days before he started throwing up every 5 min, I took him to the vet, and he told me he had parvo and it was a 50/50 shot. He was at the vet for 4 days, and every day I would go visit him and stick my finger in the water and let him lick it off, and also did that with the food. He survived! Thank god! He is very healthy now, but is a rather picky eater that I assume is from that ordeal. My puppy had his first shots, including the parvo one, and still got it. I have never had a dog before, so it wasnt from another dog. I think he had it when I bought him.

My vet told me not to bring another puppy into the house for 2 years. Parvo can live through basically everything, and can survive freezing temps, and sometimes can stay in the soil outside for over 2 years. He did tell me to bleach whatever could be bleached, and get all of the carpets cleaned if I wanted another puppy, but didnt recommend me getting one.

If you are going to get one, I would get maybe an older puppy (3 months or so), who has had at least 2 parvo vaccines.

East Dallas · Answer

Dogs get Parvovirus from contact with other dogs.  

Unfortunately, Parvo vaccines are not very effective in puppies.

If you decide to get another puppy you should discuss with your vet the best options for vaccination.  Some vets recommend you start at 6 weeks of age and vaccinate every 3 to 4 weeks until they are 20 weeks.  

Make sure you clean all of the old poop out of your yard and keep the new puppy away from other dog's poop.

Adult dogs can be carriers without exhibiting any symptoms.  Think about the dogs your dead puppy had contact with and keep your new puppy away from those dogs.

Lastly, Parvo is treatable, so if you see the signs of Parvo in your new puppy get them to the vet ASAP.

gypsy no more · Answer

If you can wash them with bleach, if its colored clothes just regular laundry detergent should be fine.  But your dogs bedding, toys , food bowls, etc. get rid of.  The parvo virus can be extremely contagious and can hang around for a long time, so it is important to clean everything that you can not get rid of and I would seriously wait before bringing any other pets into your home for awhile especially puppies.  Older dogs can be vaccinated against parvo and will be less likely to be infected.  My sincere sympathy, it can be very hard to lose a puppy, when it happened to me, I waited six months before allowing another dog in my yard and after that I never had any more touble.  Of course, I never got a puppy from that breeder again either.

Jan Lee · Answer

Yes. Parvo is a virus and people can  be infected. You can use a pesticide tank and spray the yard and use bleach in mop water to clean the uncarpeted floors. Bleach kills germs and most bakeries and meat departments use it on everything. The clothes can be wash in a non chlorine bleach or use a 'with bleach' brand. Use carpet cleaner and a strong disinfectant for the carpets and furniture. I am sorry about your puppy. I recently lost a dog to the Walmart dog food contamination--I had him for 13 years.

Aussies Kita A-BOB! · Answer

Just throw everything away that the dog touched.  (better yet, burn it!)  I certainly wouldn't risk infecting another pup.  Diluted bleach won't kill your grass, so have at it.  Bleach everywhere you pup touched including floors, couches, clothing, etc.

The next step is not allowing an unvaccinated dog/puppy into your home for 6 months.  If the dog has its full round of vaccinations, there should be no problems.

I understand how you feel, I lost an aussie pup this spring to parvo, and that was even with vet care.

Jen · Answer

Parvo virus can only be destroyed with bleach.  And .. unfortunately, you can't bleach everything your dog might have infected.  It's a rule of thumb not to bring another puppy into a house that had parvo for at least 6 months.  I wouldn't do it for at least a year.  And depending on where you live, maybe longer.  

Now a vaccinated, adult dog .. different story.  But, please, don't bring a new pup into that environment too soon.  Even vaccinated, puppies can catch parvo very easily.

Clarice · Answer

Everything your puppy came in contact with must be washed with bleach. Including your grass.
The parvo virus lives up to 6 months in the home/ yard. 
I think in addition to bleaching as much as you can, wait at least 6 months before getting another dog. 
Puppies are much more likely to get it than adults.
When you get a new puppy, do not let him/her come in contact with other dogs until fully vaccinated. Do not take him to a pet store, dog park, friends house, etc., until fully vaccinated.

Barefoottrimmer · Answer

You should clean everything as well as possible because it is so highly contagious.  If the things he touched could be cleaned with bleach, that would be good ie furniture, floors, toys, dog beds, etc.  You could just wash your clothes normally and dry them in a dryer and that should suffice.  I am so very very sorry about the loss of your precious puppy.  When you get a new puppy, you just have to be diligent about this as puppies can be so prone to get parvo.  It is up to you to get them checked out immediately and protect them in a preventative manner.  Get a new puppy to fill the void and heal your heart.   Best wishes to you in your time of loss.  Bless you.

lwill115 · Answer

You don't need to go overboard  just make sure that any toys, food/water bowls, crate or anything like that should be cleaned.  If you plan on getting another puppy anytime soon make sure that all poop from the puppy infected with parvo has been cleaned from the yard.  This virus can be transmitted though the yard.

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My puppy just died on the 10th of February, it died from parvo. How can I prevent this from happening again?

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