Pregnant dog has parvo. She is recovering. What is the risk to the puppies? Can they be born with Parvo? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Female | unspayed | 96 lbs

Puppies can be born with parvo if their mother has parvo or was never vaccinated against the disease. Parvo can be passed to a puppy through the placenta of an infected mother. Unfortunately, the prognosis is not good when puppies are born with parvo. Should any of the puppies not suckle , have bloody diarrhea, and/or vomit and/or be lethargic, they need to be seen by your veterinarian right away.

Hi there. Your pregnant female should not be at risk for contracting parvo if she is fully vaccinated, but a bigger concern would be exposure to the puppies - parvo stays in the environment for years and is very resistant to most disinfectants. Because of this, I would recommend cleaning any areas in the house where your other dog may have defecated with bleach cleaning solution, and keeping him away from the pups until they leave for their new homes (or until they finish their vaccination series at 16 weeks of age). Dogs can continue to shed parvovirus in their feces for several weeks after recovering from the illness, so there's no way to say for sure when it would be safe for the pups to be around him.

Parvo is spread through fecal-oral contamination. So unless your dog was in contact with the dog’s feces, she should be perfectly fine. Most vet offices are very strict in their cleaning protocols when it comes to parvo because it is so easily spread. I’m sure the clinic you were at cleaned the area thoroughly so there was no chance of contamination. I hope this helps, and that this gives you some peace of mind. If you notice your puppy has any signs of inappetence, vomiting or diarrhea, take her in to be checked out right away. Best of luck. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!