“What is Parvo?”

When a dog contracts parvo, they become very ill and experience significant abdominal pain. The virus damages the intestinal lining, causing it to slough.
Most puppies infected with parvo are unable to eat and rapidly become dehydrated. This results in a significant loss of electrolytes, which causes them to become very weak. Often dehydration is the official cause of death in dogs with parvo.
Most dogs that contract the parvo virus are in danger of dying from dehydration and malnutrition, not the parvo virus itself. Parvo most often affects puppies because their immune systems are not as mature as older dogs.
Symptoms may include:
high fever
lethargy
depression
loss of appetite
gastrointestinal distress such as vomiting and bloody, smelly diarrhea
If your dog is experiencing any of these symptoms, it is important that you get help, as parvo spreads quicky.

"What Causes Parvo?"

Parvo is a highly contagious virus. Dogs usually catch the virus through contact with infected feces, either by touching it directly, or through secondary contact (e.g., on other dogs, shoes, dirt, flies, toys etc)

Once a puppy is infected, parvo can spread quickly, depending on how strong his immune system is. Many dogs will die within 72 hours of showing symptoms.