Health
A flat puppy who turns down his food and vomits. With parvovirus the hours matter: treatment started early saves most puppies.
Caution. A puppy who has not finished his vaccinations and is flat, off his food, vomiting or has diarrhoea must be seen today, not tomorrow. Ring the practice first and say you suspect parvovirus, so he can be brought in away from other dogs.
Do not look for the answer in a Facebook group, on TikTok or on a forum. Look for someone trained for this: your dog's own veterinarian, the only person who can examine, investigate and treat them.
Use this page to know what to observe, what to note and what to ask at the appointment, not to treat at home. If you still have doubts after a consultation, ask another vet or a specialist (dermatologist, internist) for a second opinion, not a group. And if you do not have a regular vet yet, find one now, while your dog is healthy: how to choose a veterinary clinic.
Your puppy is nine weeks old and has been with you for ten days. Yesterday he was quieter than usual. Last night he left half his bowl, this morning he was sick twice, and now he has passed a loose stool with a smell you have never come across before. Someone said "it might be parvo" and you have ended up here on your phone. If that sounds like your puppy, read the first section, ring your vet, and only then read the rest. Parvovirus can be treated. The sooner he gets to the practice, the better his chances.
With parvovirus there is no "let's see how he is tomorrow". Call today, straight away, if your puppy shows any of the signs below, especially if he has not finished his vaccinations:
Often the first sign is just tiredness, along with a poor appetite. Vomiting and diarrhoea follow a few hours or a day later. A puppy who has lost a lot of fluid can collapse within hours. Go at the first signs, not when you see blood.
On the phone, give his age, which vaccinations he has had and when (take a photo of the vaccination card), how long the signs have been going on, and whether in the last two weeks he has been to parks, other dogs, a pet shop or the vet. The practice needs to know in advance that a suspected parvo puppy is coming. Many will bring you in through a different door or straight into a separate room so dogs in the waiting room do not catch it.
Parvovirus attacks the gut and the bone marrow, which is where the white blood cells that defend the body are made. So the puppy gets severe diarrhoea and is left with no defence against the bacteria in his own gut at the same time. The virus spreads through faeces, and dogs do not need to meet for it to pass between them. You carry it on your shoes, on pushchair wheels, on your hands, on bowls, and grass holds it too. It survives in the environment for months, even a year, in cold and in heat.
Puppies between six weeks and six months are most at risk. Early on, antibodies from their mother protect them. These fade gradually, and there is a window when they no longer protect enough but still get in the way of the vaccine. That is why puppies have a course of vaccinations running to 16 weeks or later.
To help your vet work quickly, jot these down on your phone, even in a rush:
The timeline. When you noticed the first sign, every vomit, every stool. "Sick four times since 7 this morning" tells the vet far more than "he's been sick today".
What goes in and what comes out. Has he drunk? Has he weed? How much food did he leave?
The stool. A photo, so the colour shows. If the vet wants a sample, pick up a little with a glove into a clean bag or pot.
Where he came from. Breeder, rescue, online advert. Then the vaccination card, worming, other dogs in the house and where you have walked in the last two weeks.
Diarrhoea in puppies has plenty of causes. The table shows you what the vet will be looking for; the diagnosis is theirs. Any puppy who has not completed his vaccinations and has vomiting with diarrhoea is treated as a suspected case until the test says otherwise.
| Cause | What it usually looks like | What sets it apart |
|---|---|---|
| Parvovirus | Lethargy, off food, vomiting, then watery diarrhoea with blood and a heavy smell | Unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated pup; gets worse by the hour |
| Intestinal worms | Pot belly, loose stools, sometimes worms in the stool | Puppy is usually bright and eating |
| Giardia | Soft, greasy stools that come and go | Rarely makes him seriously flat |
| New food, stress | Loose stools for a day or two after coming home | Playing, eating, drinking |
| Something swallowed | Repeated vomiting, maybe no diarrhoea | Chews everything; sore belly |
| Poisoning | Depends on the substance | Got into something specific |
So you know what to expect at the practice, a visit for suspected parvo usually goes like this:
Treated in time, most puppies pull through. Untreated, many die. That gap is the reason to hurry.
Ordinary cleaning products do not kill the virus. Your vet will tell you which disinfectant to use; ordinary household bleach, diluted as they tell you, is often used on washable surfaces. Wash fabrics at the highest temperature they will take and throw away anything that cannot be washed. The garden and the lawn are hard to disinfect, so an unvaccinated dog should stay off them for months.
Adult dogs in the household who are properly vaccinated are usually protected. Show your vet their vaccination cards. People do not catch canine parvovirus, but they carry it on clothes and shoes. After handling the puppy, wash your hands and change.
The vaccine is what really protects him. Your vet sets the schedule. It usually starts at 6–8 weeks and continues every 2–4 weeks until at least 16 weeks, with a booster later on. Until the last jab in the course, he stays out of parks full of dogs and off the grass every dog in the area uses as a toilet.
The catch is that this is exactly when he needs to see the world. Carry him around town in your arms or a pushchair, visit friends with healthy, vaccinated adult dogs, take him in the car, sit with him outside a café. Our page on puppy socialisation explains how to do it safely. A puppy kept indoors until four months old dodges a virus but ends up frightened of the world.
What dog owners search for most often on the internet about this problem, with the short answer. The answers are a guide only: the decision belongs to your dog's own vet, after an examination.
Usually unusual tiredness and loss of appetite, sometimes a fever. Within hours or a day the vomiting starts, then diarrhoea, often watery, bloody and with a heavy smell you will recognise once you have met it. In a puppy who has not finished his vaccinations, being flat and refusing food is already a reason to ring the vet.
Yes, most puppies treated in time recover. Treatment usually means a few days in hospital with a drip, medication for vomiting and pain, protection against infection and food as early as possible. Without treatment, many puppies die. The first three or four days are the hardest; a puppy who starts eating on his own is a good sign.
For months, sometimes a year, in cold and in heat. On washable surfaces use the disinfectant your vet recommends, often diluted bleach, because ordinary cleaning products do not kill it. The garden and lawn are hard to clean, so after a case of parvo keep unvaccinated puppies away for many months.
People do not catch canine parvovirus, but they carry it on shoes, clothes and hands. Adult dogs who are properly vaccinated are usually protected. Unvaccinated dogs and those with incomplete vaccinations are at risk. Show your vet the vaccination cards of every dog in the house and keep the sick puppy away from them.
Into parks and onto grass used by lots of dogs, after the last vaccination in the course, usually at 16 weeks or later, as your vet decides. Until then, carry him around town in your arms or a pushchair and visit friends with healthy, vaccinated dogs. Socialisation does not wait until four months.
The information on this page is educational and does not replace an examination. For full details and a diagnosis, consult your dog's own veterinarian.
They often come together: the same causes, plans that complement each other.
A puddle on the carpet at five in the morning, or three days of soft stool with mucus. Two different problems, and neither one gets solved from your medicine cabinet.
White foam on the floor, yellow bile on an empty stomach, or four bouts overnight and a chin on the floor. Not equally serious, and none is treated from the cupboard.
A stamp with no date on the record card, a seven-week-old puppy, a rescue dog with no paperwork. The schedule is simple once you know what was done and when.
Nine weeks old, vaccinations not finished and a whole world to meet. What he needs is a few good meetings you choose for him, not a crowd all at once.
We work with your dog's behaviour, not its health. For any sign described here, book an appointment with your own vet; the related services page explains how to choose a clinic.