Has anyone had success with alternative treatments for parvo?

Question

I am just looking for anything more I can do, on top of what the vet has given to help my dog...

Answer 1

I can't personally attest to the reliability of this,but some people have claimed success using Parvaid *in conjunction with* traditional vet care.

Answer 2

Try a little sugar water, chicken broth, beef broth, pedialyte or jello. He shouldn't eat for at LEAST the first 5 days after the start of vomiting. I know you feel compelled to feed them once the vomiting stops but this is a bad idea. Parvo effects the GI-Tract; by feeding your dog too soon you're kinda holding the virus in there longer.

My puppy Zoie is a survivor of Parvo as of 1month ago. She was only 11-12wks old when she contracted it. It was the weekend so we had to take her to the Emergency Vet Clinic. We couldn't afford all the methods they suggested be done. We spent over $300 and she was given electrolyte bubbles under the skin, anti-nausea and antibiotic shots. They also sent us home with antibiotics and anti-nausea meds. They did NOT however tell us anything that we could do at home. They basically told us that if we didn't take her to our regular vet the following morning, she was going to die.

The next day she seemed to have improved a good bit. She was no longer vomiting (thanks to the ant-nausea meds)and was even wagging her tail and wanting her belly rubbed. We felt the vet couldn't do any more than we already were so we didn't take her back. Parvo itself does not kill your dog! Dehydration and bacterial infections is what kills Parvo infected dogs. We had enough anti-nausea meds for 4 days and antibiotics for 7. Besides... the vet can't spend hours talking to, petting and comforting your dog. Anyone or anything is gonna put up a better fight when they have others rooting for and pushing them.

I was worried she wasn't drinking enough water. I imagine for the same reason we don't feel like drinking water when we're starving. It makes our stomachs rumble and we get even more hungry. We tried a little sugar water which got her to drink a little more. Then jello, only mildly interesting to her. Then we tried Pedialyte which she wouldn't drink. Humans can NOT get Parvo from infected dogs! We dipped our faces in the pedialyte n let her l**k us. We got a lot of pedialyte in her that way. Make sure to dilute it with water though, it can upset his tummy if you don't. I found the best method of rehydrating her was broth with a little water added. We were worried that if she did survive Parvo, she may die of malnutrition. We only added the water to the broth rehydrate her faster, not to dilute the broth. Be careful he doesn't drink too much at once or he'll get a tummy ache and vomit. We let her have a few licks every 15 minutes and gradually increased the amount. No more than a 1/4 cup at a time.

A couple days passed and Zoie improved immensely. She seemed to be starving but everything we read and every one we talked to said it was too soon. Your dogs stomach is going to be weak and can't digest the food properly. I put only a few pieces of dry food in her water. Since she was soo hungry this was a good way to get more water in her. The dry food floats and is hard for the dog to l**k up out of the water. This really increased her water intake.

When I felt it was time for her to start eating again I gradually added dry food to the chicken broth. Zoie just couldn't get enough of the broth/dry food mix. I really think the broth is what saved her from dehydration.

We did call the vet before giving her anything we weren't sure about, like the Jello, broth and Pedialyte. If you're not sure CALL YOUR VET FIRST!!!!!

It has been a month since she contracted Parvo. Zoie has put back on the weight that she lost and then some. She's seems back to her old self, except more affectionate. It's as if she knows she was near death and we saved her.

It's completely up to your dog if they survive Parvo. There is no way of knowing which dog will survive. The breed of dog and severity of the virus means nothing when it comes to their survival rate. It's all up to them as far as their immune system and will. Just be there for your dog to give them strength. Give him constant love and attention, I really believe that plays a BIG part in the survival of ANY sick animals.

I hope I was of some help to you and your pup. GOOD LUCK! Keep us updated if you can.      

Answer 3

I am not sure there is anything that you can do for the new strain of parvo, ask your vet if it is in your area.

Answer 4

It's not an "alternative treatment", just a tip: I've heard of people giving their puppy plain unflavored Pedialyte (you can find it in the baby section at a grocery store or Walmart) to help combat dehydration while the puppy is recovering.

.