Can my puppy have parvo even though she has been inoculated

by Nancy Taylor
(Manchester)

My puppy has very runny poo and vomiting . My dog old died last week with parvo at the age of 14.

I can't understand why my pup would catch the parvo if she had all her injections a few weeks before I got her. She is still responding and eating and drinking but it doesn't stay in her.

Any idea what could be wrong.



Hi Nancy
I'm sorry to hear about what happened to your older dog, and that your puppy is sick.

Parvo is a very nasty and aggressive disease but it usually doesn't strike adult dogs. However, there is a newer strain which has been shown to affect older, vaccinated dogs as well as puppies.

Also, a pup needs to have had all 3 sets of puppy shots before she will have protection against disease, and even then there are no guarantees I'm afraid. Especially in breeds such as Rottweilers, Pit Bull Terriers, Doberman Pinschers' etc. who are especially vulnerable to Canine Parvovirus.

If your older dog did catch the newer strain of Parvo then even if your pup has her she could still get it I'm afraid. As she is showing symptoms of illness I'd strongly recommend that you take her to your vet. She may have some degree of resistance due to being vaccinated and with prompt treatment could possibly survive this disease.

I wish you the best of luck and hope that your pup is doing much better soon.