My dog has parvo. Do I need to destroy all its bedding and clothes?

I am sorry for your loss. Everyone deals with this type of loss differently. Here are some articles that may be helpful: https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/pet-loss.aspx https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/coping-death-your-pet http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/7-ways-to-cope-with-the-loss-of-a-pet 1:32 dilute bleach will kill parvovirus, but it is unlikely that you will be able to disinfect everywhere that Chico was during the last couple of months (think couches, carpets, rugs, etc). Since it can stay infective in the environment for many months, I would recommend not getting a young puppy for at least 6 months. If you do decide to get another dog, an older one that has been previously vaccinated or a puppy that is older than 4 months old and has already had 3 rounds of vaccines should be safe. Distemper does not last long in the environment.

Parvovirus (CPV) is very hardy. It is capable of surviving for months in the environment, even through the winter. Infected dogs can shed huge amounts of the virus, making it difficult to disinfect an area once it has been exposed to an infected dog. If you have parvovirus on you or your clothes you can certainly transmit it to your car or other places. Disinfectant wipes are not likely to do the trick. CPV is resistant to most household cleaning products with the exception of bleach. Cleaning with a solution of one part bleach mixed with approximately 30 parts water is an acceptable method for disinfecting any indoor area (including bedding, food/water bowls, and all surfaces). Hope this helps.

No, it is not necessarily safe to go home and handle your animals if you were handling the one infected with Parvo. For instance, in a hospital setting, Parvo infected animals are kept completely isolated from the others and anyone that is handling them has to wear special bioprotective gear to prevent spread of disease. I would recommend that you change out of anything you were wearing that could have come in contact with the dog or the dog's belongings, and clean yourself off thoroughly with a bleach product. The Parvo virus will not be killed by regular antibacterial soap, which is the reason that bleach is the best thing to use in the absence of a veterinary cleaner which the average person does not possess in their home. Hope this helps!

First off, I'm so sorry you lost Tumi to parvovirus! That is horrible for you and him, please accept my condolences. The problem with parvo is that it can live for months in the environment and home, and it's very hard to kill. I would keep your dogs from any areas where Tumi had been, and I will give you a website that details how to disinfect the home and environment. Make sure your dogs are up to date on their parvo vaccines, getting them now if they are not up to date on them. Should they show any signs of parvo, get them into your vet immediately. I hope this helps, and I am sorry for your loss :-( https://www.cuteness.com/article/disinfect-home-after-parvo

There is less risk for an adult fully vaccinated dog to develop parvovirus, but it can be a very hardy virus and live for a long time on clothing or shoes. To be safe I would change clothes after coming in contact with the puppy and wash hands thoroughly. You can clean shoes in a mixture of bleach and water (1:32).

Hi there, No, keeping the house cold will not affect the virus. You do need to clean anything Mellow has defecated on with a bleach and water solution (1:10) but your house can stay at whatever temperature you normally have it at. I hope that helps and thanks for using Pet Coach!

Bleach diluted 1:9 with water is enough to kill the parvovirus. So I would mix up bleach and water yourself and then as an extra measure you follow up with the Chlorox afterwards. I would also keep all other pets away from Max if possible until he has hopefully recovered and 7-10 days after resolution of symptoms, especially not fully vaccinated pets. I do hope that your pup is able to make a full and speedy recovery soon! Best wishes and take care.