Austin Pets Alive:

Parvo Ward

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Required items for a parvo ward Before you start your parvo ward and save your first puppy there are a few essential items you will need to get started, including: cleaning supplies to help contain the parvo virus to your designated “parvo ward” area and also to help prevent the spread of other diseases between patients, general dog care supplies to take care of the dogs while they are fighting the parvo virus, and then medical supplies to treat the dog patients with. All these supplies should be restricted to the parvo ward to help prevent the spread of the parvo virus to other areas.

General supplies General supplies you need for the parvo ward.

Clothes You should get a couple sets of scrubs & old shoes that can be used in the parvo ward. Instead of scrubs you could use old shirts and pajama pants.

Toilet paper Used to pick-up poop from the dogs and then flush down the toilet.

Mini-fridge Some medications need to be stored cold, so you will need something to keep them in.

Cleaning Supplies This is a list of cleaning supplies you will want to get for the parvo ward. These are important to ensure you don’t spread the parvo virus outside the ward and that you don’t spread other diseases between dogs if you are taking care of multiple patients.

Parvocidal Cleaner Disinfectant that kills multiple bacteria and viruses (including the parvovirus). Roccal-D or Oxivir are both great as they kill parvo and other bacteria . This is used to disinfect yourself between dogs and before leaving the parvo ward, along with cleaning up rooms after the dogs.

Bleach A general household cleaner that can kill the parvovirus. It is used when washing the laundry in the parvo ward. It can also be used in a spray bottle, diluted with water (1 part bleach, 32 parts water) to clean rooms after the dogs.

Laundry Detergent Any type of detergent is fine, you just need something to be able to clean the laundry used in the parvo ward.

Hand soap You will want an anti-bacterial hand soap so you can wash your hands between dogs to prevent spreading other germs and diseases.

Dish soap Any type of dish soap so you can wash the dishes the dogs use for water & food.

General supplies for dog care While you probably have a lot of this already, these will be used solely for the parvo ward. It’s best not to take items out of the parvo ward once they have been used to prevent the spread of the virus to other areas of your shelter.

Bedding (towels, sheets) Old sheets and towlels work great for dog bedding. You can normally find some inexpensive items at Goodwill or any other thrift store.

Bowls To give water & food to the dogs.

Food (dry & wet) You will want a few different types of food so that you can try out a variety of foods when trying to get the dog to eat. The reason you want a few different varieties, is that if a dog is eating and still vomiting with a certain type of food we have noticed they are less prone to continue eating if we keep giving them the same type of food since they are associating the sickness to that food smell/taste.

Toys Things to keep the dogs occupied when they are feeling better but not quite free of the parvo virus yet.

Dog Shampoo Needed for cleaning the dog after they are parvo free.

Nail Clipper Needed for clipping their nails after they are parvo free

ToothBrush Used to scrub their nails and paws after they are parvo free to remove any dirt, fecal matter, etc.

Warmth A lot of the dogs will need things to provide extra warmth. Sweaters for smaller dogs are a good thing to have on hand since smaller dogs tend to need the extra warmth the most. Heating pads are also a good thing (always make sure you put a towel on top of the pad so it doesn’t get too hot for the dog). Also fleece blankets are another good thing to have on hand to wrap up the dogs with if they are cool.

Medical supplies

Thermometer To take the dogs temperatures.

Lubricant To make taking the dogs temperature & doing the parvo tests less uncomfortable for them.

SNAP parvo testing kits Testing kits used for checking dogs for the parvo virus when they are showing symptoms at your shelter, and also when you think they are cured from your ward’s treatment. These are stored cold.

Syringes 1cc, 3cc, and 10cc syringes.

18 Gauge needles Used for giving subcutaneous (SQ) injections of Lactated Ringers.

Plain Lactated Ringer bags Solutions used for giving dogs fluids: Plain Lactated Ringer Solutions (LRS) or .9% Sodium Chloride Solution.

IV Lines Lines used to connect to the Lactated Ringer bags.

DHLPP vaccines Used to provide in-take vaccinations to the puppies. A series of vaccinations to protect against Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parvo, and Parainfluenza.

Frontline A medication used on in-take to fight fleas and ticks. You can choose another flea/tick medication for this if you choose.

Bordatella A vaccination used on in-take to fight against Kennel cough.

Sterile Water Used to reconstitute dry-filled medication vials such as Polyflex and Ampicilin.

Baytril An antibiotic that is clear (somewhat yellow) in color. It is one of the main medications used during treatment.

Polyflex An antibiotic that is white, viscous, and opaque. It needs to be stored cold. It is another one of the main medications used during treatment

Metoclopromide (Reglan) A anti-emetic (reduces vomiting) that is clear in color. It is one of the main medications used for our parvo treatment.

Strongid A de-wormer that is yellow, viscous, and opaque.

Metronidazole An anti-infective that comes in pill form 250mg and 500mg.

Where and how to purchase medical supplies

Online purchases MWI Veterinary Supply: https://www.mwivet.com

Through a vet office You can go to a local Veterinarian to order medical supplies as well.

Building a dedicated parvo ward

Clean room When building out a parvo ward, the clean room is a very important part so that you can properly disinfect before leave the ward and avoid spreading the virus to other parts of your shelter. Our clean room has a door to the outside and a curtain to the ward so that people can change out of their street clothes and into the parvo scrubs in privacy. We also have a sink to wash our hands before changing back into our street clothes. And also have a foot wash tub that we put a parvocidal cleaner into, and step into the tub before leaving the ward. The clean room also has a spray bottle of parvocidal cleaner to spray off your feet, hands, etc so you can be extra careful. Another crucial part of the clean room is having a designated “street clothes” area and a designated “parvo area. We have a line of tape on the floor that we never let parvo clothes, shoes, etc cross.

Washer & Dryer Having a washer and dryer inside of the ward helps immensely with doing laundry regularly and not having to bring laundry outside of your parvo ward.

Separate rooms Having separate rooms with glass doors or at least windows on the doors is another good thing to consider. Windows or glass doors allow you to do a quick patient check without having to go into each room. The separate rooms also allow you to prevent the spread of other various diseases between the dogs.

Sink & Toilet A sink with a garbage disposal is nice when washing dishes and will help prevent the sink from getting clogged by food, not to mention a sink also lets you wash your hands between each patient using anti-bacterial soap. A toilet is good to dispose of toilet paper that you use to pick up feces with to prevent spreading the virus outside of the ward area.

New Parvo Pup Intake Protocol

If has paperwork from shelter/ owner:

Verify a positive test was done – BEFORE ENTERING PARVO WARD

WITH DOG

o if no document, call shelter/source to get id #, positive test

result, and all other medical data (vaccines, etc.)

o If not sure where dog came from, ask med techs before

entering ward

o If not tested then will need to test to be sure the dog is positive (if a litter, test sickest

one) before entering ward

Fill out parvo intake form BEFORE ENTERING WARD

o Place completed parvo intake form in bin by parvo door for data entry

o This is very important so we know who these pets are

o If no name, name them, and enter on parvo intake paperwork to again keep

consistent in system

No renaming later- all intake names must stay the same

Enter ward and start treating!

Don’t forget intake vaccines if not previously vaccinated.

Parvo Intake Paperwork (please use one

sheet per puppy)

Intake Date:________________

Source (circle one: shelter name, owner surrender and name, or already in APA)

Which shelter if from shelter:______________________

Owner surrenderer name if from owner:___________________

Pet’s Name:________________________________

Is this a new name or did it come with this name?_______________

Pet’s id# if available:_______________________

Dog color:____________________________________

Size:______________________________________

Sex:_______________________________________

Part of a litter?________________

Previous Vaccines (circle and enter date given if known): Dhlpp______

Bordetella_________ Frontline__________

Any previous treatments for parvo: (ex: at home, at TLAC, at vet clinic)_______________

What drugs used and when was last

treatment?______________________________________________________________

entrance-exit protocols

Entering patient rooms:

Wash hands with soap for about 20 seconds

Apply anti-bacterial foam to hands

Roccal scrubs

Step firmly in bleach tub located outside patient room with both feet

Enter room and put on designated gown (each dog must have their own gown) and begin

treatment

**Follow exact protocol every time you enter room

Exiting patient rooms:

Remove designated gown and hang in patient room (do NOT remove gown from room until

patient is discharged)

Step firmly in bleach tub located outside of patient room

Apply anti-bacterial foam to hands

Roccal scrubs

**Follow exact protocol each time you exit room

NOTE: Each used gown must be placed in a separate bin from dirty laundry when a puppy is

discharged. The gowns must be washed with bleach before being used for a different patient.

Commonly used Parvo Treatment Medications:

Medication Appearance Type of

drug/indication Routes for volunteers Storage

Administration of

drug Special Notes

Baytril Clear, somewhat

yellow; has distinct

odor

Antibiotic: gets rid of

infectious agents

SQ only! Medication cabinet,

in large brown vial

ALWAYS give Baytril

SQ, with at least 10-

20cc of LRS fluid,

REMEMBER to give

Baytril in a different

site that all the other

medications

Baytril is very potent,

so watch for any

adverse reactions the

dog may have to the

medication

Polyflex White, viscous,

opaque, cold

Antibiotic: gets rid of

infectious agents

SQ only! Refrigerator, in large

clear vial

ALWAYS give

Polyflex SQ (it is too

viscous to go

through IV, which is

why there is

ampicillin IV). THIS

WILL KILL IF

GIVEN IV

Keep refrigerated.

Metoclopromide

(Reglan)

Clear Anti-emetic: reduces

vomiting

SQ or IV Medication cabinet Reglan can be

administered IV or

SQ (note the route

on the dog’s chart

for preferred route)

Some clear drugs

may be harder to

differentiate in a

syringe; use labels!

Ampicillin Clear, thicker than

Reglan, cold

Antibiotic: gets rid of

infectious agents

IV only! Refrigerator, in

small clear vial

(Ampicillin vials that

have not been

reconstituted are in

the medication

cabinet)

Given IV only; push

ampicillin in slowly.

To reconstitute more

Ampicillin, take a

powder vial from the

medication cabinet

and add 4cc of

diluent for every 1

gram of Ampicillin

(noted on the front

of the vial). Then,

write the date on it.

Some clear drugs

may be harder to

differentiate in a

syringe; use labels!

Keep refrigerated.

Note, there are also

2gram vials so be

sure you note the

difference!

Anzemet Clear Anti-emetic: reduces

vomiting, stronger

than Reglan

SQ or IV Medication cabinet,

in a vial in a small

box labeled

“Anzemet”

Anzement can be

administered IV or SQ

(note the route on

the dog’s chart for

preferred route).

Anzemet doses are

usually much smaller

compared to other

meds

Some clear drugs

may be harder to

differentiate in a

syringe; use labels!

Zantac Clear, yellowish H2 blocker: helps

ease gastric acid

upset

SQ or IV Medication cabinet,

in a short but

slightly larger vial,

Zantac can be

administered IV or

SQ (note the route

Since Zantac is

yellowish, you would

want to label Zantac

sometimes in a box

labeled “Ranitidine”

on the dog’s chart

for preferred route)

to avoid confusing

with Baytril

Strongid Yellow, viscous,

opaque

Dewormer: gets rid

of worms

PO only! Medication cabinet,

in a large white

bottle

Draw up Strongid in

a syringe and

administer PO

slowly, allowing the

dog to swallow

periodically

Hetastarch Clear Plasma volume

expander: increases

blood volume for

circulation

IV only! In a smaller fluid

bag, usually in the

medication cabinet

Given IV; push

slowly.

DRS ORDERS

ONLY

Heparin (flush) Clear Antiplatelet: helps

break down clots;

used to flush IV sites

IV only! The flush is usually

around the dog’s

room, but the

heparin for the flush

is in the medication

cabinet

Use before giving IV

medication to

ensure that the IV

site is patent. To

make a new Hep

flush, draw up a

small amount of Hep

into a 3cc syringe,

PUSH IT ALL BACK

into the vial, and

draw up diluent over

the sink to fill the

syringe

Some clear drugs

may be harder to

differentiate in a

syringe; use labels!

NEVER USE WITHOUT

DILUTING THIS

SMALL AMOUNT

WITH STERILE

WATER.

Tramadol White Pill Analgesic: provides

pain relief

PO only! Found in the pill

drawer (small

drawer to the left of

the sink) in a plastic

bag

Give by mouth;

usually covering it

with food or sticking

the pill deep into the

throat and following

it with a syringe of

water will help

Metronidazole White pill Antiinfective: gets rid

of infectious agents

PO only! In a small white

bottle in the

medication cabinet

Give by mouth;

usually covering it

with food or sticking

the pill deep into the

throat and following

it with a syringe of

water will help

Note dosages (there

are different

Metronidazole

bottles of various

doses of Metro; note

the chart)

Nutrical Brown, viscous,

opaque

High-calorie dietary

supplement

PO only! In tubes in a plastic

bag in the cabinet

above the

microwave

Squeeze Nutrical

into a syringe and

administer PO

slowly, allowing the

dog to swallow

periodically

Parvo Dog Treatment Sheet

On Call Person/Vet Name and Number: ________________________

Dog name: ___________________________________________________

Dog description: ______________________________________________

Age: _____________ Weight: ___________

Physical Exam

Date __________

9am

8pm

Date __________

9am

8pm

Date __________

9am

8pm

Attitude (note: BAR, lethargic,

semicomatose)*call vet if semicomatose

Gum Color (note: pink, gray, white)*call

vet if gray or white

Temperature of feet (note: hot, cold,

warm) *call vet if cold, take temperature if

hot

Medications Date __________ Date __________ Date __________

9am 8pm 9am 8pm 9am 8pm

Baytril (Dose/Route: _________)

Polyflex (Dose/Route: _________)

Metocloprimide (Dose/Route: _________)

Lactated Ringers (Dose/Route:_________)

Other: _________________ Dose: ______

Other: _________________ Dose: ______

Other: _________________ Dose: ______

Intake and Output Date __________ Date __________ Date __________

9am 8pm 9am 8pm 9am 8pm

Type of food to be offered (please note

wet/dry/both/none):

Food eaten (please note some/all/none):

Water offered PO (Circle if drank: mixed

w/ food [MIXED], separate bowl [BOWL],

or none)

Water drank (circle one): y/n y/n y/n y/n y/n y/n

Feces noted (please note

runny/solid/other/none)

Vomit noted (circle one, if ‘yes’, note

abnormalities in progress notes) :

y/n y/n y/n y/n y/n y/n

Notes:_______________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________