No effective treatment is available for cardiac syndrome, and surviving puppies may have permanently damaged hearts. The rapid spread of illness in a group of dogs is another indication that CPV may be the culprit. A more definitive diagnosis of CPV can be made by testing feces for the virus, either at the veterinarian's office or through an outside laboratory. Hospitalization is necessary, except in relatively mild cases. Dogs must be kept warm.
Dehydration is treated by replacing electrolytes and fluids and controlling vomiting and diarrhea.
Antibiotics are used to prevent secondary infections. No drug is yet available that will kill the virus. The easiest way to prevent CPV in adult dogs has been through annual vaccinations, although increasingly, veterinarians are recommending that vaccinations be administered every three years. Puppies need a series of booster shots, because of uncertainty about when maternal immunity wanes and the time the vaccine can provide puppies with their own immunity. This may be as early as six weeks of age or as late as fourteen weeks of age.