My puppy has parvo symptoms but tested negative. What should I do?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
My puppy has all the symptoms of parvo but was tested negative
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on November 24th, 2019
Occasionally a false negative parvo test does happen as dogs do not always shed the virus from their body during all stages of the disease. He should be treated as though he has parvo anyway especially if he does not have a good vaccination (or proper vaccination) history.
5Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on April 19th, 2019
Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Since your dog is 4 years old and up to date on all of his vaccines, including parvovirus, there is a very low risk of your dog becoming infected with this disease. You are correct that sometimes testing too early can create a "false negative" result, as the virus has a prepatent period in the body before causing clinical signs. I recommend monitoring your dog for the development of any clinical sign such as vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite or lethargy. If you see any of these signs, I recommend having your dog re-tested. Otherwise, I think there is a low risk of your dog developing disease. I hope this is helpful!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
My puppy is 4 months old. She vomited 6 days ago and has been throwing up and VERY watery diarrhea since. Was bloody at one point but isn't now. Got tested but came back negative. Was tested for parasites and a. GI blockage but both were also negativ
Even if the parvo test was negative, parvo is most likely. The test is not 100% accurate. She should hospitalized and treated as such. She cannot continue this way. I suggest you take her back to your vet for hospitalization and supportive care - intravenous fluids, antibiotics, anti-emetics, etc. If blood testing has not been done that should be done as well. If her white blood cell count is negative then it’s definitely parvo.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Good afternoon. My 4 years old dog that has all vaccines had a contact 2 days ago with a dog that turn out to have parvovirus. The vets tested my dog today and the test is negative but I am still concerned that the test was performed before symptoms
Hello and thank you for reaching out to Boop by Petco. Since your dog is 4 years old and up to date on all of his vaccines, including parvovirus, there is a very low risk of your dog becoming infected with this disease. You are correct that sometimes testing too early can create a "false negative" result, as the virus has a prepatent period in the body before causing clinical signs. I recommend monitoring your dog for the development of any clinical sign such as vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite or lethargy. If you see any of these signs, I recommend having your dog re-tested. Otherwise, I think there is a low risk of your dog developing disease. I hope this is helpful!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My puppy has been having parvo symptoms but took him to two vet clinics to get checked but test came back negative on both. He has been vomiting, very skinny, and bloody stool. Not sure what I should try?
Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites. Supportive care (IV or subcutaneous fluids, anti-emetics, anti-diarrheals and parenteral nutrition) may be indicated until a diagnosis is reached or until your pup recovers.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I found a 3month puppy 4 days ago and she was diagnosed with Parvo via stool test yesterday. She was found bone thin and dehydrated. Her lethargy and appetite comes and goes, she drinks water, doesnt have diarrhea, and has only vomited once (clear li
False positives are extremely rare with this test and I doubt this is the case based on what you are describing. It's difficult to know what stage of parvo she may have without evaluating her, but from what you are describing, it's likely that she is actively infected with parvo and may be recovering. The good news is that no matter the stage of the infection, she will likely get better with veterinary treatment. It all depends on how severely affected she was by this disease and other issues prior to you finding her. Your vet will be the best person to ask about prognosis with treatment, because they would have assessed her overall condition and other factors that can help predict the chances of recovery. I hope that helps and Lucky gets better soon.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
4 days ago I brought him to the vet as he'd bloody diarrhea & vomiting. The vet made a medical guess saying he had parvo virus. The following two days're him being healthy again without any blood excretions & vomiting. He played actively & eating wel
Parvo tests, just like many other medical tests, are not 100% accurate, There are certain strains of the Parvovirus that will show up as negative 100% of the time. You must rely on the veterinarian's clinical experience with the disease and the dog's presentation to determine if Parvo is an appropriate diagnosis. Sounds like Blue should get some radiographs and blood work to see what else might be going on. Hope this makes sense.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog tested positive for Parvo and was showing all the signs and she was taken to the vet and now they are saying all the symptoms are gone and she’s up and playing. Could being vaccinated on 1-24-2019 (round 2 vaccination) cause her to show sympto
Hi there. No, the parvo vaccine does not cause symptoms of parvo, and would also not cause a positive result on the test. It sounds like your pup may have had a fairly mild case of the disease, which is great! I'm glad she's feeling better.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Sorry for asking alot questions . My vet recommended my puppy for hospitalization because of parvo virus . i searched in google abou parvo virus . I noticed parvo virus symptoms are bloody diarrhea and vomit . My puppy has no blood in vomit and also
Even if the second bar appears slightly, it is an indication that the test is positive and your puppy probably has parvo. blood in the diarrhea doesn't always occur and in many cases it does not appear in the first few days of the disease.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Is it possible for a dog with a symptom of parvo to become energetic within the same day? In the morning she pooped but her poop was wet but still had shape, she also vomited and was lethargic. I got her meds from the vet and when i came home her poo
If Paris tested positive for parvovirus it is likely that she did have parvovirus since we do not typically see a false positive on the test. While many dogs get very sick from parvovirus there are some dogs who develop mild clinical signs and others can even be asymptomatic for the disease. If she did not have a parvovirus test performed than it certainly could have been another disease - there are many causes of vomiting and bloody diarrhea in puppies ranging from intestinal parasites to dietary indiscretion (eating non-food items). I'm glad she's feeling better!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
We have a 8 month Chorkie puppy and she was not vaccinated and she started acting lethargic and feverish last night but today she was up running around and eating but not drinking and we had to give her water manually and the neighbors puppy has parv
Not every pet will fit all the symptoms. I think that it is still possible your pet could behave parvovirus unfortunately. I would recommend taking her in to your vet for a Parvovirus test rigth away. You can try feeding her a bland diet of boiled plain chicken and rice or cottage cheese to provide some nutrition to her. Also offer her some non-flavored Pedialyte diluted 50:50 with water to help prevent dehydration. I hope your pet is able to make a full and speedy recovery. Best wishes at the vet, take care.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My pup is puking and having runny poo. Other than that he is acting normal. He is 7 weeks old. Could it be parvo or something environmental that he ate.
Parvovirus is likely and can be easily diagnosed by your veterinarian with a simple test. However, parasites or even an obstruction are also a possibility. I advise you to take him in for testing. Best case, he is negative and your veterinarian can treat him before he gets worse.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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