Although vaccinations have decreased the number of dogs seen with this sometimes fatal disease this is a reminder to everyone who went through the 70’s and 80’s massive outbreaks of this disease and why vaccines do help control these outbreaks.

Parvovirus is a highly contagious virus that attacks the intestines and causes sloughing of the inner layers of the intestine.  The most common symptoms of this disease (the “intestinal form”) are vomiting and diarrhea.  Another less common form, the “cardiac form”, occurs in very young pups (less than 8 weeks of age) and attacks the heart muscle, often resulting in sudden death.

Parvovirus is contagious to dogs only—not to cats or people.  Any age, breed, or sex of dog could be affected by parvovirus.  However, infection with parvovirus does not automatically mean illness.  Several factors such as age, environment, stress, parasites, and general health status of each individual dog infected could affect the severity of the disease.  The degree of illness could range from very mild to unapparent to very severe, often resulting in death.  The disease is usually more severe in young dogs (less than 6 months of age), old dogs, and for some reason black and tan dogs like rotti’s or shepherd or dobermans. 

Fecal/oral transmission is how this disease is spread.  Now this doesn’t mean that your pet actually has to go outside and eat another dogs stool.  Your dog could just walk in the park, contact the virus on the grass and then lick his paws when he gets home.  Or you could bring it home on your shoes or hands and your dog could lick those.  Parvovirus is very difficult to "kill" in the enviroment and can infect susceptible dogs for as long as 6 months once shed in the stool.

Clinical signs:

Cardiac form (less than 8 weeks of age):  

• Sudden death  

• Crying, difficulty breathing, gasping for breath  

• Extreme depression  

• Weakness  

• Unwillingness to nurse

•  Irregular heartbeat

Intestinal form (any age dog affected, but more severe in puppies):  

• Depression  

• Loss of appetite  

• Fever (usually above 40C)

• Vomiting with or without blood  

• Diarrhea with or without blood (more serious if blood present)  

• Low white blood cell count (due to immunosuppression)

Treatment is aimed at maintaining the normal body composition and preventing secondary bacterial infection.  Because this is a virus, there is NO CURE.  Death from parvovirus results from dehydration, overwhelming secondary bacterial infection, blood loss from intestinal hemorrhage, or heart attack from invasion of the heart muscle by the virus. 

Early FLUID THERAPY is the most important factor in treating dogs with parvovirus infection.  The body is normally about 80% water.  Life is NOT possible when 12-15% of the normal body fluids are lost.  Intravenous fluids both rehydrate the body and nourish the sick dog.

Additional treatment includes prevention of secondary bacterial infection and drugs to control vomiting and diarrhea.  No food or water is given while the dog is vomiting.  Repeated laboratory tests are often necessary to monitor your pet’s white blood cell count and state of hydration.

Prevention/Control of parvovirus by sanitation measures alone is extremely difficult because the virus is such a resistant, hardy organism and because it is so easily spread.  Contact with other dogs,and especially their stool, should be minimized.  Bleach diluted one part to 30 parts water can be used to clean kennels, floors etc in a house or yard that had a dog infected with parvovirus.  Vaccinating your dog at the proper intervals will help to minimize risk and contraction of the disease as well.

Guidelines for young puppies:

1.     Do not take the puppy to the front yard, park, for a walk around the block, or to pet stores.  These are all places where infected dogs have been or presently are.

2.     Only have the puppy around adult dogs that YOU KNOW are current on vaccinations.  There should be no contact with stray dogs or dogs that you are not sure of.

3.     Do not let the puppy be exposed to any other puppies.  These pups could be incubating the disease (and therefore be contagious) without showing signs of illness.

4.     Always wash your hands after handling any dog.

Vaccinations are the most effective preventive measure for canine parvovirus disease.  A properly immunized dog will have circulating antibodies in the blood that will destroy parvovirus following exposure.  Dogs remain HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLE  to parvo until 2-4 weeks after the last injection of the immunization series.