Coronavirus (its not a typo... it's one word)
***THE GOOD NEWS!!!*** your puppy/dog should not die from this....
it is a virus (duh) it's name derived from it's crown-like shape.. this is the second most severe cause of diarrhea in dogs.. (the first being parvovirus *which may cause death*)
it is caused by eating infected dog's poo
most dogs are either naturally immune,or have been exposed to small amounts of it before, causing light diarrhea which the owner doesn't notice... it usually lasts for several days (weeks in most severe cases), then once the immune system fights back... your dog will be good as new!!! non-living coronavirus is sometimes included in the booster shots to stimulate creation of antivirus in puppies...
due to the diarrhea, lots of water will be lost, the dog
(ESPECIALLY PUPPIES) must drink lots of water to prevent dehydration, which can "easily" cause death in puppies.. if the dog doesn't want to drink... make it... and if it still won't... arrange to have water transfered
intravenously!!! the diarrhea will also cause malnutrition... the food is excreted before the nutrients get extracted...
besides dehydration and malnutrition, there's no reason why your puppy won't recover from this virus... older dogs will definitely show less (if any) symptoms.
i also found a site that goes into more detail:
http://www.workingdogs.com/vccorona.htm
hope your dog is ok and will get well soon!