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My dog has parvo. How long for full recovery if eating but tarry poop?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Golden Labrador | Male | 5 years and 9 months old | 100 lbs

My vet said my dog has parvovirus , it's been 2days now that his fever has been controlled . His appetite has also increased . I would also like to tell you that he was not suffering from diarrhea or vomitting .. but his poop is tarry .. though it's consistency has become better .. please tell me how many days will it take to fully recover and wat things should I keep in mind while tracking the progress .. also I am attaching his poop pics (one is of 2days back and one is of today's-(the solid 1

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1 Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on October 22nd, 2017

I'm very sorry that Rio has parvo, but it's good news that his appetite has increased and the consistence of his poop has increased. The tarry consistence does indicate bleeding in the upper GI tract, so he's not out of the woods yet. It does take some time for a dog to fully recover from parvo, and it can be weeks before a dog is back to normal. The acute phase is between 7-14 days. A sign of how well a dog is doing is how well he is eating. If he is eating and there is no vomiting and diarrhea, then the prognosis is good. Make sure he does stay hydrated because dehydration is the number one cause of death in these dogs. Offer Rio small amounts of Pediasure using a syringe or small turkey baster. Give any medications prescribed by the vet, and if he starts vomiting, his stool gets very bloody, he stops eating, or he becomes extremely lethargic, rush him back into a vet immediately. Good luck, and I hope he fully recovers from this!

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