Don’t Lose Your Pet to “PARVO”
What are the treatment options for dogs with CPV?
Since the disease is a viral infection, there is no real cure for it. However, vaccination can prevent dogs from becoming infected. Parvovirus treatment is focused on curing the symptoms and preventing secondary bacterial infections, preferably in a hospital environment. Intensive therapy and system support is the key to recovery from the infection. Intravenous fluid and nutrition therapy is crucial in maintaining a dog’s normal body fluid after severe loss of body fluid through diarrhoea and vomiting. Additionally, protein and electrolyte levels must be monitored and regulated as necessary to support for the early recovery. However, prognosis is lower for puppies, since they have a less developed immune system. It is common for a puppy that is infected with CPV to suffer shock and sudden death. Amid the alarming number of parvovirus cases brought to the attention of the Biosecurity Authority of Fiji (BAF), in this week’s article we explore more about this disease and how to ensure your pet dogs do not become infected.
What is canine parvovirus infection?
Canine parvovirus (CPV) is a highly contagious viral disease of dogs that commonly causes acute gastrointestinal illness in dogs. The infection is known to appear in two different forms; the intestinal form and the cardiac form. The most common infection is the intestinal form, which is characterized by vomiting, diarrhea and lack of appetite (anorexia). The cardiac form damages the heart muscles of very young puppies and most of the time leads to death. The majority of cases are seen in puppies aged between six weeks to six months. The disease most often strikes in pups between six and twenty weeks old, but older animals are sometimes also affected. This virus can cause severe inflammation of the intestines in dogs. Canine parvovirus is a dangerous and contagious virus that spreads easily between unvaccinated dogs. In early vaccinated dogs, meaning dogs which did not have enough time to build immunity and vaccine failure can also lead to the occurrence of this disease in vaccinated puppies as well.
What causes parvovirus infection?
The virus that causes the disease is known as “parvo”, canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV) – this virus is distributed worldwide. Puppies and adolescent dogs are especially susceptible to parvovirus and you should avoid bringing your puppies to public places where there is likely to be a lot of viral presence (for example, animal shelters and kennels) until after their vaccinations are complete.
Why and how might your dog become infected?
Canine parvovirus can be found in almost any environment, but not every dog that comes into contact with the virus becomes infected. Several factors come into play in infection, including the immune status of the dog and the number of viruses the dog is exposed to. If the combination of factors is just right and a dog does become infected, a specific sequence of events is begun as the virus attacks the body. A dog’s vulnerability to the disease can be increased by a wide array of factors. The common modes of transmission of the disease include a direct contact with an infected dog or through the oral–faecal route. Heavy concentrations of the virus are found in an infected dog’s stool, so when a healthy dog sniffs an infected dog’s stool, it will contract the disease. Human beings can also contribute to spread of canine parvovirus infection in which the virus can be brought into a dog kennel through contaminated shoes and other utensils. By stepping on a dog faecal deposit, you can become a good causative agent for the spread of the disease. If at any instance you suspect you have come into contact with the virus, always wash the affected area with household bleaches to kill the virus. There is some evidence that the virus can live in ground soil for up to a year. It is resistant to most cleaning products, or even to weather changes. If you need to clean up a parvovirus-contaminated area, first pick up and safely dispose of all organic material (vomit, feces, etc.) and then thoroughly wash the area with a household bleach solution, one of the few disinfectants known to kill the virus.
What are the symptoms and signs of canine parvovirus?
The most affected organs by the disease are the digestive system and the heart. As a dog owner, you must realize that there can be subclinical infection with minimal signs of lethargy. Appetite loss in dogs can be for a period of at most two days. The prevalent clinical signs of the disease include vomiting, production of a foul smell in dogs and diarrhea. Other symptoms of the disease include fever, depression, dehydration and weakness. The intestinal form of CPV affects the dog’s ability to absorb nutrients and water thus affected animals will quickly become dehydrated and weak. The wet tissue of the mouth and eyes may become noticeably red and the heart may beat too rapidly. Also the abdominal area of infected dog is touched or pressed, the dog may respond with pain or discomfort.
How will my veterinarian diagnose CPV?
Veterinarians can diagnose CPV by its typical clinical signs and symptoms. Nowadays rapid test kits/snap kits can be used for initial diagnosis. By far the most common and most convenient method of testing for the presence of CPV is the faecal ELISA test. Veterinarians may also rely on a test that uses a technique called polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to diagnose CPV from faecal samples. The CPV faecal PCR test detects small pieces of viral DNA that are specific to CPV in the stool of an infected dog. This test is very accurate (more so than CPV faecal ELISA), but requires that a faecal sample be sent to a laboratory that specializes in performing PCR-based testing, so it generally requires more time. Canine parvo treatment depends on the disease severity. Besides the disease severity, treatment banks on symptoms management to eliminate the virus out of the host body. The initiation of aggressive therapy during the early stage of the disease will help in excellent recovery. Caged puppies will have a higher mortality rate since the diagnosis and recognition of the signs and symptoms usually takes a while. A worrying fact is that the disease can spread at a higher rate in adult dogs. This is due to the fact that the adult dogs never show any symptoms of the disease in the early stages. The incubation period between the expression of symptoms and exposure is at most 6 days. Examples of dog breeds that are most affected by the disease include the German shepherd, pit bulls and Labrador retrievers.