Cleaning Up After Parvo in Dogs
It's imperative that you properly clean up after experiencing a case of Parvo in Dogs, as it is necessary to properly disinfect the area in order to protect other dogs or puppies from contracting the virus. This is especially important if you have more than one dog, or plan to bring another puppy into your home in the future.
However, it's important to remove the virus even if you do not plan to add a dog, and do not have multiple dogs. This is because the dogs of future tenants or owners could be at risk if you do not properly clean the area. Canine Parvo can live for many years outdoors, and many months on indoor hard surfaces.
Unfortunately, one of the reasons why Parvo in dogs is so rampant, is due to the fact that it is a very hardy virus that is difficult to destroy. In fact, most household cleaners are unable to kill the virus, despite making an area appear clean. The only things that are known to truly kill the virus are bleach and veterinary-grade disinfectants that specifically mention they kill canine Parvo virus.
When using bleach to kill the virus, a solution of 1 parts bleach to 30 parts water should be used. You will want to use this on all areas the dog has been in contact with. Any fabrics that a bleach solution can not be used on should be steam cleaned. The yard will also need to be disinfected - If the yard is large, you'll want to focus it on the areas where the dog has eliminated. Of course, you will want to first pick up any stools from the yard, as these will contain large amounts of the virus. Also any dogs that are not fully vaccinated should not be brought into the yard, as Parvovirus can live outdoors for up to seven years.
