The dog parvo is highly contagious disease among dogs. If your dog has contracted this disease, intravenous treatment is one treatment used to help your dog cope.
Any age and breed of dog can contract the parvovirus but it commonly afflicts puppies and can be fatal. The virus attacks the bone marrow, intestinal cells and causes extreme damage to the intestinal tract. Parvo treatment consists of mainly supportive care.
Here is what you'll typically find in your dog's intravenous treament:
Fluid Therapy
Dehydration is the predominant concern for the parvo puppy. During the hospital stay, your dog will be given intravenous fluids as a steady drip to replace fluid loss due to vomiting and diarrhea. Potassium and dextrose are normally added to the drip to maintain blood sugar and electrolyte balance.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics are given through the intravenous fluid bag to attack the secondary bacterial infections. Any number of antibiotics will be given including cefazolin, baytril, ampicillin, gentamicin, amikacin and trimethoprim-sulfa.
Anti-nausea
Medication to control nausea and vomiting is given intravenously. It's important to control vomiting to minimize your dog's discomfort, limit fluid loss, and prevent ulceration of the esophagus due to stomach acids. Popular anti-nausea medications include metoclopramide, chlorpromazine,ondansetron, dolasetron and maropitant.