My Puppy Has Parvo… Now What?

By Krysta L. Beers, CSAN

It’s the single greatest fear of every new puppy owner… the dreaded PARVO.

This article will allay some of the fear and empower you to holistically support your puppy if it does become symptomatic.

WHAT IS PARVO

Briefly, Canine Parvo is a set of symptoms that dogs under one year of age (and sometimes young adults or health-compromised older dogs) can develop.

While commonly referred to as a ‘virus’, to date, no specific virus has been properly identified. Of note, no specific ‘strains’ have been clearly identified either.

I believe that since a puppy's gut is not fully developed yet, they are vulnerable to bacteria that lead to this condition. In addition, the major stress of leaving their canine family for a new home can cause the body to become imbalanced. It is also known that extreme environmental stressors can play a role.

It is the duty of every ethical breeder and new owner to proactively support the health of their puppies through species-appropriate whole food nutrition and no exposure to chemicals - environmental, oral, topical, or injected.

THE SYMPTOMS

The symptoms of Parvo can vary from individual to individual, both in number and severity. Even within the same litter, puppies can have slightly different symptoms.

The most common symptoms are: nausea and vomiting, drooling, tan-colored foul-smelling diarrhea containing mucous and, at times, blood, refusal to eat, refusal to drink, weakness, sometimes a fever, and inability to hold down liquids.

Please understand that dehydration is the main killer when dealing with Parvo.

Decades of collected data from Wolf Creek Sanctuary showed that puppies that had been vaccinated and given chemical de-wormers experienced more severe symptoms, a longer recovery, and a lower survival rate than puppies who had never been vaccinated.

Dr. Todd Cooney, DVM, CVH, studied the prevalence of Parvo and vaccine status in his practice. It showed that 46% of the Parvo positive cases had been vaccinated at least once, and had the highest death rate of 76%. Puppies that had received only nosodes had the highest survival rate of 100%.

WHAT TO DO

Be prepared in advance! As a new puppy owner, it is imperative to have certain items on hand because when you need them, you need them NOW. There is no time to wait for shipping or searching for them locally.

Holistically, what works best is keeping the therapy simple. Of primary importance is that the puppy is hydrated and out of pain/shock/stress. 

The holistic protocol outlined here works exceptionally well. It was developed by Natural Rearing dog breeders along with input from holistic and/or homeopathic veterinarians and animal naturopath practitioners.

·         Paxxin- an herbal tincture blend by Amber Naturalz; follow label directions. It contains colloidal silver to prevent secondary infection.

·         Oral hydration- use homemade electrolytes or plain/unflavored/non-colored Pedialyte or generic equivalent.

·         Stress/shock/fever- homeopathic remedies: one dose of Arsenicum album 30c immediately; one dose of Aconite 30c each time puppy vomits or excretes stool; one dose of Nux vomica 30c as needed for nausea.  Also, the Bach flower essence combo called Rescue Remedy - one drop on the nose every hour.

·         Detox- small doses of liquid Bentonite Clay every 3 to 4 hours or so.

·         Warmth- keep puppy comfortably warm. Most do not have a fever.

·         Enema hydration- for puppies who cannot keep fluids down or who fight it too much to handle.

Other supplies:

·         Needle-less syringes (or a turkey baster).

·         Optional: Lactated Ringer's solution, lines, and sharps for subcutaneous fluids.

GIVING FOOD

While sick, the puppy’s digestive system needs to rest.

Watch for signs of possible low blood sugar. The Pedialyte usually helps reduce this issue, though. If needed, rub a little raw honey or molasses on the gums.

You may offer food, but 99% of the time, they will refuse it. When the puppy is ready to eat again, it will… and how!

Good quality bone broth is well-tolerated, along with being soothing as well as beneficial for gut health.

Once the puppy starts eating again, give powdered slippery elm herb and a canine-specific soil-based organism (SBO) probiotic every day to further support healing.

HYDRATION IS CRITICAL

If your puppy is suffering from severe diarrhea and/or vomiting, you need to make sure it is getting lots of liquids. 

Give access to fresh water, even if it may not want to drink.  Some puppies will eat ice even though they are not drinking water. 

Giving Pedialyte orally is very helpful.  Use a needle-less syringe or a turkey baster and squirt it into their mouth, taking care that it goes down the throat, not into the lungs.  Give 2 tablespoons (30 ml) per 10 pounds of body weight, every hour. 

Subcutaneous hydration may be necessary.  It is fairly simple, and a sick puppy is quite compliant. There are, of course, YouTube videos that show how to do it. Or you can see your veterinarian to have it administered and then show you how, sending Lactated Ringer's solution, lines, and sharps home with you for those who feel confident enough to do it.

Here is a recipe to make your own simple electrolyte solution:

            2 Tbs. raw honey

            ¼ tsp. sea salt (Celtic or Himalayan Pink)

            ¼ teaspoon chemical-free baking soda (use ½ tsp. of baking soda if you don’t have           sea salt)

§  Mix together in 1 liter (1 qt.) filtered water (non-chlorinated or fluoridated).

§  Keep refrigerated. Use within two days.

CASE EXAMPLES

I have personally used this holistic protocol with eleven unvaccinated puppies ranging in age from 9 weeks old to 6 months old, and experienced a 100% survival rate, all recovering within 24 to 48 hours to normal stool, full appetite, and energy.

Two puppies (one 9 weeks old, the other 6 months old) visited a veterinarian for subcutaneous fluids, as even enema hydration throughout the night was not keeping them sufficiently hydrated. They were markedly improved within 20 minutes of receiving fluids.

Copyright © 2026 Krystal L. Beers. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the Author/Publisher.

PHOTO ATTRIBUTION: Krystal L. Beers. Copyright 2018.

About the Author: Krystal L. Beers, CSAN, is a board Certified Small Animal Naturopath consulting on animal nutrition and wellness and co-founder of the nonprofit Natural Rearing Breeder Connection (NRBC). With decades of experience in holistic animal care, Krystal is a blogger, writer, and presenter on natural pet care as well as the published author of three animal care books, including Rabbit Care… Naturally, Give Your Dog a Species Appropriate Raw Food Diet, and The Eight Laws of Health in Animal Naturopathy. Her articles have been featured in various publications in both print and online. Visit her Website: https://twohunnyz.wixsite.com/rawnaturopathy. Krystal and her husband are Natural Rearing dog breeders of English Shepherds and Havanese.

DISCLAIMER: All information contained here is intended for educational purposes. It is not provided to diagnose, prevent, or treat any disease, illness, or injured condition of the body or pets, and the author, publisher, and contributors accept no responsibility for such use. The decision to use, or not use, any information is the sole responsibility of the reader. Anyone or their pets suffering from any disease, illness, or injury should consult with their health care provider. The statements herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Natural Rearing Breeder Connection (NRBC) does not assume any legal responsibility for misuse of the products discussed.