Dr. Wise answers two questions about parvovirus in dogs.
Recently we lost Bonzo, our 14-week-old puppy. At first he was lethargic and vomited a few times. We thought that he might have a little flu, but his vomiting became worse and he developed severe watery diarrhea. We took him to the veterinarian who said he had parvovirus. He died a few hours later. We want to get another puppy but we don’t want the same thing to happen again. What is parvovirus and how can we protect our next puppy from the same fate as Bonzo’s?
As more and more cells are destroyed, the disease progresses from vomiting to vomiting and diarrhea and eventually to vomiting and bloody diarrhea and sometimes death. Death usually occurs from dehydration, sepsis (bacteria in the bloodstream) or toxemia. The virus can also invade the heart muscle and cause sudden death.
Fortunately, this disease can be prevented through a series of vaccinations. Generally a puppy receives its first vaccine at 5-8 weeks of age and a booster every 3-4 weeks thereafter until it is approximately 16-20 weeks old. You should consult your veterinarian for the protocol recommended for your area. The vaccines are very effective in preventing this disease and should be administered to all puppies as outlined by your veterinarian.
Parvovirus can persist in the environment and may even be present in fecal material for a year. Therefore you should disinfect or remove all materials that may have been contaminated before bringing home a new puppy. Consult your veterinarian for the preferred disinfectants to use on various items.
Lucy, our three-month-old mixed breed pup was vaccinated a month ago. We were just about to have her vaccinated again when she came down with parvovirus. Our veterinarian says she is holding her own and may survive because she received some immunity from her vaccination. Please warn everyone about how deadly parvovirus is.
Vaccinations for puppies should begin at six weeks of age and be repeated to build up a good immunity. Vaccines are given several times because the antibodies provided by the mother can actually interfere with the first vaccination and inhibit the protection it is supposed to provide. It sounds like this happened to Lucy. She did not receive full protection from the eight-week vaccination, but she must have received enough to help her partially fight off the virus.
The parvovirus attacks and destroys the cells that line the intestines. This is why you see bloody diarrhea and vomiting. Lucy's body cannot absorb nutrients and even with extensive treatment, she might have died. Even with her initial vaccine's help, I am sure she is quite sick. Like all viruses, parvovirus is not killed by antibiotics. All we can do is provide supportive care. This means the dog is kept on intravenous fluids for dehydration, antibodies for secondary bacterial infection and drugs to stop the toxic effects that stem from the virus. Treatments may not be effective, or can take weeks before the dogs begin to recover.
Parvovirus, as well as distemper virus, is very common in dogs. Is is very easily spread by dog-to-dog contact and can even be carried to dogs on the feet and clothes of people. A proper vaccination program and yearly booster shots will protect pets. This disease is deadly though in non-vaccinated pets.
This information, prepared as a public service by the Rhode Island Veterinary Medical Association, answers problems Rhode Island veterinarians currently are seeing in their practices, as well as new developments in animal care.
I hope Lucy pulls through; her veterinarian's optimism is encouraging. Parvovirus is very serious, especially for puppies. They have the highest death rate from the disease because it usually hits them before they finish their vaccine series. Newborn puppies will receive adequate immunity from their mother's colostrum (antibodies produced in the milk during the first 24 hours of life) as long as the mom is current on vaccinations. This immunity will be sufficient until the pups are weaned.
