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My puppy sniffed poop. Should I worry about parvo? When to see vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Beagle | Male | unneutered | 3 months old | 8 lbs

i have a 13 week old beagle puppy, he haad his 2nd immunisation on 17 June but we thought we were ok to take him outside. This was on 3rd July. He isn't showing any symptoms at this time, but i am concerned he may have been exposed to parvovirus as he did make contact (sniffed) some faeces on the sidewalk. Should i take him to the Vet asap for checkup or wait and see for symptoms? cost is not an issue.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr Stafford, BVetMed, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on July 6th, 2017

Luckily the parvoviris part of the vaccinations works well from the first dose. I know you are really worried but I think little Charlie will be absoloutely fine. Keep a close eye on him and if you notice any loose faeces go to the vet at this point. Parvo thankfully is quite rare nowadays because so many pets are vaccinated.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 2nd, 2017

    Poor Charlie seems quite ill at the moment! It is concerning that he is back to having vomiting and diarrhea, as well as being lethargic. I'm also concerned about the red color of his diarrhea, which can indicate blood in it. I'm not sure if Charlie is fully vaccinated, but if he's not, his symptoms could be due parvovirus. This is a life threatening infection of young unvaccinated puppies. If he is fully vaccinated, he could be suffering from a severe GI illness, may have eaten something rotten or toxic, or could have a foreign body. Given that he is still getting sick and it's possible he had blood in his feces, it's time to see a vet now. The vet can diagnose what is causing his symptoms, can test him for parvo, and can treat him. Unfortunately there is no cure for parvo, only supportive treatment. Please take him into a vet now.

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