I not only have always lived with a dog in my house hold my whole life , i also have worked in a professional Dog day care center in New York City, for 3 years. While working in this in environment , my task included, Dog supervision , Dog cleanup and maintenance, Dog feeding, Customer service, Dog exercise, Day and overnight shifts. I also have a dog that unfortunately was diagnosed with PARVO ( contagious viral disease that can produce a life threatening illness). Dogs lose their appetite and do not drink or eat, so they die from dehydration . The survival rate is is typical 50% chance. To ensure his survival i had to force feed/ hydrate him every 3 hours. I also administered a IV every 5 hours.