My puppy has parvo. Can I give subcutaneous fluids at home safely?

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. So sorry to hear that Nova has parvo but it sounds like you are doing a good job treating her. Just have water available for her to drink if she wants it. She may not be interested in drinking because you are giving the SQ fluids. The biggest thing that seems to help recovery in parvo cases is to get them eating as soon as possible. So, if you can try feeding her some canned puppy food that would be best. The chicken is OK but it does not have all the nutrients and vitamins needed to help her recover quickly. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

That shouldn't hurt anything at all - in fact, 400 mL is within the range that I would normally give to a 30 pound dog at one time if needed :) She should urinate out any excess fluid without a problem. Just check to make sure that it's all (or mostly) been absorbed before you give her next scheduled dose of fluids, since it can be uncomfortable for her to have large amounts of fluid just sitting under her skin for long periods of time - if you need to, you can delay it by a few hours until the "bubble" is mostly gone.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Parvovirus is a severe gastroenteritis that affect puppies more often. This is a viral infection so there is no direct treatment for the virus so the treatment per se is directed at treating secondary bacterial infections and mostly helping with the clinical symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea and inappetence. This warrants ideally hospitalization with some cases being able to be managed with outpatient care depending on its severity. I recommend that you follow up with a veterinarian who can institute therapy for Loki as soon as possible. The quicker this condition gets treated the better the outcome tends to be. Good luck! Hoping for a quick recovery!  

IV fluids are definitely recommended for a young puppy who is vomiting and is having diarrhea because it's the best way to keep them from getting dehydrated. Getting an IV catheter put in is not very painful at all, and once the needle is in the vein, giving the fluids is painless. This is the best option for keeping dehydration at bay. Dora could be subcutaneous fluids (fluids infected under the skin), but that involves a needle as well and it does not rehydrate the dog as quickly as IV fluids. I highly recommend letting the vet give her IV fluids.

I'm so sorry to hear that Roxanne is feeling so poorly. No, do not stop her from drinking water, but instead of leaving full bowls of water out, try offering her just a few tablespoons of water every hour. If she starts being able to keep this down, you can gradually increase the amount that you're offering. The fact that she's still so thirsty may indicate that she's still quite dehydrated, despite the fluids under the skin. If you're unable to hospitalize her for IV fluids, you may want to ask your vet if they think she should be receiving a larger volume of the subcutaneous fluids under the skin. I hope that she feels better soon!

All you can do is supportive care meaning trying to give her fluids (something like children's Pedialyte) and small amounts of food (like human baby food, meat flavors). Do tiny amounts every hour or two. Hopefully she will be able to keep it down. The reason they need to be in the hospital on IVs is because they vomit up everything you try to give them by mouth. Keep her warm and comfortable. I really don't think people understand the seriousness of this disease. This disease (that is absolutely preventable with proper vaccinations) kills their intestinal cells and then depletes their white blood cells so they cannot fight the virus (among other terrible things this virus does). She should really be hospitalized with intravenous fluids, intravenous antibiotics, anti-nausea medications, pain medications and trickle feeding. Often times a plasma transfusion is needed to replace all the lost white blood cells. If you want to give her the best chance at survival then you need to get her to a vet for hospitalization. If finances are a concern I would have tried to direct you to a low cost clinic but since you did not provide your correct zip code I am unable to do so. I suggest you do your own research on the internet. Sorry, but this disease is not easily treated at home. You can try the above but that is about all you can do from home. If you would like to post again with your proper location then maybe we can direct you to a clinic or organization that can help you.

You can offer the pedialyte in a bowl several times a day. If he is refusing to drink from the bowl then you can syringe 10-20mls every 2 hours or so into his mouth. Be sure to do it slowly so there is no risk of aspiration. You can offer him water at the same time as well. If he is significantly dehydrated however you will need to have fluids administered by your vet, either via IV or subcutaneously. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.