Recently, my husband Brian and I
were able to get away to Columbus for a veterinary conference, and enjoy some
cable TV (a luxury we don’t have at home).
Brian told me about an episode of “Yukon Men” he saw, in which sled dog
pups in Alaska were being treated for Parvo virus by their owners, due to the
scarcity of veterinary care in the region.
I was very disturbed by the method of treatment – adding dilute chlorine
bleach water to the puppy food, in hopes that ingestion of the bleach would
kill the virus!
Parvo virus treatment is a
difficult topic in veterinary medicine, due to the poor prognosis without
treatment, and the cost of treatment at a veterinary clinic. The disease is easily preventable with a
series of vaccinations; however, many times when there are financial concerns,
vaccinations are not completed. Parvo, a
highly contagious virus, is passed through the stool of infected dogs and
causes vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, and can attack the immune system. The likelihood of survival increases greatly
with treatment, including fluids, antibiotics, antinausea medications.
There are many places on the
internet (much to my horror!) to find “at home” Parvo remedies… including how to mix chlorine bleach
with water to give to your dog orally.
Chlorine bleach is NOT a Parvo treatment or prevention, and it may cause great harm or
death to a dog or puppy. True, bleach
kills Parvo virus on surfaces, but those surfaces must be cleaned before the
bleach is used. Contact with organic
material (i.e. a puddle of feces, or a bowl of dog food) makes the bleach less
active. Bleach is a strong base and is
very caustic to mucous membranes in the mouth, esophagus, and stomach.
If you are concerned about a sick
puppy, call your veterinarian to discuss examination and treatment options, and
financial concerns if applicable. We
would not want anyone to harm a beloved pet! Visit our clinic website to learn more about parvovirus, or visit www.veterinarypartner.com to search for reliable information about pet diseases.
Author: Dr. Sara Smith
So I quess you have never heard of using bleach to de-contaminate drinking water?
ReplyDeleteGood point, Ben! Yes, we have heard of disinfecting drinking water with bleach. Many city water supplies are treated with chlorine to reduce possible spread of bacterial disease. The system operators are required to maintain a detectable level of chlorine in the piping systems. Generally, the recommendation is to not drink water with more than 4 ppm chlorine. Ingesting amounts of chlorine greater than 4 ppm may cause throat and stomach irritation, nausea and vomiting. In a debilitated animal (or human for that matter), the effects would be much more significant. Bleach is a caustic material, and as such, ingestion can result in mucosal burns and certainly increase the capacity of the virus to ulcerate the esophagus, stomach, and intestines of the infected animal. The use of bleach to disinfect the environment of an infected pet is common and appropriate. The environment should be treated with a mixture of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water. The best and safest solution for the safety and welfare of a beloved pet would be to take your pet to the veterinarian.
DeleteI agree 100 percent...Taking a dog that is showing signs of parvo to the Vet is the best thing to do..We recently bought a German Shepard puppy from a breeder..She was 10 weeks old and had 2 sets of the parvo vaccine. Two weeks after we had her she began showing signs of parvo..vomiting, no energy..etc..we took her to our vet at the first sign.She tested positive for parvo.They kept her for 4 days($1800).She came home and was doing better ,drinking on her own,but we had to hand feed her another 2 days before she would eat small amounts on her own,also she just wasn't herself for about a week after she came home.The Vet will give you antibiotics to give her when she comes home.She made it but it was a horrible and expensive thing.But with proper vet and home care they can make.Catching it early is key,don't wait 2,3, or 4 days to get them to vet.Thank you for a better explanation for not giving it bleach.My only concern about it is this=what if I wouldn't have had the money to let the vet keep it,as really I didn't, they let me put 500 down and financed the rest.I have done a lot of reading on parvo and had I not had the money, I probably would have tried it along with many other home remedies I have read about..To be honest I would have done anything to SAVE HER LIFE....Can you give alternatives here..so people can see this...for people who simply don't have the money for the vet..
DeleteThank you for your advice and professional opinion as this may help many other dog owners.
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DeleteBen, please accept our apologies for not responding sooner. Our doctors and staff were attending the Midwest Veterinary Conference this weekend to further our education and stay up-to-date on new medical advances to better treat our clients and their pets. We take great pride in caring for animals and we have devoted our lives to this. Ben, the reality is veterinary care does cost money, just like human medicine. Parvovirus is a deadly disease that regrettably affects many puppies and dogs worldwide. Our best weapon against this disease is proper vaccination (full series as administered by a veterinarian) as well as keeping unvaccinated or partially vaccinated puppies away from other dogs or environments where other unvaccinated or exposed dogs may frequent. Parvovirus is nearly ubiquitous in many environments. Even with our best efforts, some vaccinated dogs do contract the disease. Early detection of the clinical signs such as lethargy, bloody diarrhea, vomiting, anorexia, and fever is our best prognostic indicator for survival. The odds of survival of a truly parvo positive dog treated at home are significantly less than ones treated by veterinarians in the hospital. We would be happy to discuss this further with you! Ultimately we have a common goal of keeping pets healthy and disease-free. Feel free to call us if you have any further questions or concerns.
DeleteThank you I apologize and retract my previous comment..thank you very much..
ReplyDeleteI have been rescuing animals for the last 4 years and have never encounter the parvo until recently. I had got 3 puppies. Gave the first puppy to my brother , 2nd to a lady south of me and I still had the 3rd. My brother brought his puppy by to visit. In doing so him and his puppy picked up parvo from somewhere and brought it to my home. {Now let me recap I tend to pick the immunity deformed animals that wouldn't have gotten homes.} Out of my 3 dogs only one has never seen a vet before. So my brothers puppy had parvo, the 3rd puppy got parvo and of course one of my dogs got parvo. Just so happened she was sick on the weekend. Vets around here do not fiance. I had a little bit of money and took her to the vet on Sunday (she was puking but it was yellow & foamy, she had loud stomach noises. The day before she puked up grass and rocks, so i assumed it was an upset tummy but i was suspicious of the parvo.) She had no diarrhea and was acting normal. She tested positive for parvo. She seemed fine until i left the vet and they gave her a anti vomit shot. I took her home put her in a pen with about a gallon of water and a cup of pedialyte. Tired to force feed her some rice and antibiotics. Later that evening i brought her in a gave her a nice warm bath. As i was washing her she was cold to the touch. Her feet and face and lips were freezing. I continued to run warm water on her to help bring up her temperature. I then dried her off and put her in her crate. She seemed to be breathing kind of funny. I checked on her at 2 am and she was napping. I got up early the next morning to take her to the vet again and she was stiff as a board and her tongue was purple/ almost blue. I swear i could hear her breathing. What are your comments on this, i feel almost sure the vet killed my dog! >.< I would have tried anything to save her. She was a 4 year old wennie/basset hound weighing 34 pounds solid muscle. She even looked healthy when she passed. Since then i have bleached my home and yard and burned infected items. I do not have the money to take anyone else to the vet. My home is silenced and i am in shock. I can believe she is gone. I thought for sure she was going to make it through the night.
ReplyDeleteR.I.P Little Chevy
[IMG]http://i57.tinypic.com/fa8rhu.jpg[/IMG]
I want answers.
aliboo418@live.com
DeleteWe are very sorry for your loss, Alicia.
DeleteParvovirus is a fast-acting, devastating, deadly disease. Without having examined Little Chevy, it is impossible to say what caused her ultimate demise and difficult to comment on the prognosis as well as the course of treatment that you were prescribed. Keeping our pets vaccinated against Parvovirus and other diseases is the best way to protect them and build their immunity.
Again, we share your sorrow for the loss of Little Chevy.
Sorry u are wrong i have saved over 20dogs using a cap full of bleach mixed with 2 caps of water it works everytime!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is AMAZING and wonderful to visit your site. You are helping others to grow their knowledge by sharing such a valuable information. doorstep salon services | salon home service bangalore
ReplyDeleteNot to upset anyone but i lost 6 out of 8 of my Shepard puppies to Parvo, the 2 that lived were given diluted bleach water to drink. The remedy was from a 69 year old kennel owner who has used it for years. Two days turned both pups around if I would have used it sooner I could have saved the rest. I believe in it.
ReplyDeleteHi, may i know how many part of bleach to water to feed??..i scare of bleach overdose.. Urgent..tq
DeleteWhat is the ratio of the bleach and water in their drinking water?
DeleteI'm just agree with this very much I had six parvo victims I rescue animals and I encounter parvo all the time I did use bleach diluted with water one syringe one time and they all survived they were positively diagnosed with parvo honest and True by bleach in diluted water it doesn't matter what anyone says because when push comes to shove and you're at that breaking point of you don't know what to do and that puppy is about to die you'll do anyting you'll do that this was with puppies and adults and some of them were far into parvo and some of them are just entering the parvo call me crazy but yes it does work and there were no side effects I swearI swear this upon my son's head
ReplyDeleteMeant to say I very much disagree with all of this
ReplyDeleteAmazing. My grandkids pup was on her last leg with Parvo. Last ditch resort they gave her diluted bleach. She is recovering nicely. But she would not be here of they hadn't given it a try. She is not totally herself yet but darn close.
ReplyDelete