Keep your dogs safe from Parvovirus

For dog lovers world wide, keeping our pets away from diseases and ensuring their safe and healthy living is of utmost importance. Several diseases await our pet dogs if proper care is not given.

For dog lovers world wide, keeping our pets away from diseases and ensuring their safe and healthy living is of utmost importance.

Several diseases await our pet dogs if proper care is not given. Some of the most common canine diseases are rabies, distemper, heartworm, and bloat. But a relatively new disease caused by a strong virus has infected several dogs over the years.

Canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV2), or colloquially Parvo, is a contagious virus first detected in the late 1970s. It is closely related to the feline panleukopenia, another parvovirus that affects cats. Parvo only affects dogs, wolves, foxes, and other canids but it also causes mild disease on minks and raccoons. More often than not, infected dogs die from dehydration or secondary infection rather than the virus itself. Depending on the immunity of the puppy and how quickly the infection is diagnosed, CPV2 can kill the puppy within 24 to 48 hours.

For untreated cases, mortality can reach up to 91% but if proper treatment and therapy are given to infected puppies, survival rate may reach 80-95%.

CPV2 usually attacks puppies that are not protected with natural antibodies or vaccination. CPV2 is one of the two types of parvovirus and is the stronger one that causes more serious disease.

“Certain breeds of dogs are more susceptible to CPV2. Rottweilers, Doberman Pinschers, Pit bull terriers, and other black and tan colored dogs have more chances of getting infected by the virus,” said Augusto Benedicto Santos III, President & Chairman of the Philippine Canine Club Inc. (PCCI), the premier dog registering body in the Philippines.

But apart from age and breed, other factors such as harsh living conditions and simultaneous infections increase the chances of a dog acquiring CPV2 and cause serious infection.

CPV can be acquired in two distinct forms – intestinal and cardiac. For the intestinal form, the most common way of acquiring the virus, dogs become infected by CPV2 through oral contact with the infected feces, soil, and other objects that might be infected with the virus. After ingestion, the virus immediately targets the intestine

The cardiac form takes place when a puppy gets infected while still inside the uterus of its mother until about eight weeks old. In this form, CPV2 attacks the heart and the puppy often dies instantaneously or after a short period of difficulty in breathing.

Symptoms of CPV2

When a puppy gets infected with CPV2, Mr. Santos said that the first symptom to appear is lethargy, followed by loss of appetite or diarrhea, then vomiting. An infected puppy may also have fever for about 5 to 10 days.

“Diarrhea and vomiting often cause dehydration and that’s when secondary infection can set in,” added Santos.

If you see any one of these signs in your puppy, it is advised for you to consult the veterinarian immediately for early detection and treatment of the disease.

Prevention and treatment

Because CPV2 is a strong strain of virus that can cause serious effects to any puppy it harms, prevention is the best way for you to ensure your pet’s health and safety.

PCCI shares some tips on how to prevent CPV2:

· Vaccinate your puppy. Puppies are generally vaccinated with a series of doses to keep it safe from several diseases, including CPV2. Vaccines for CPV2 take full effect two weeks after it was given to the puppy.
· Keep your puppy’s habitat clean. Since CPV2 can linger in feces or soil for over a year, make sure that all areas your puppy may be in contact with are always clean. If possible, use bleach to sanitize surfaces because it is the only chemical that can kill CPV2.
· Be alert on outbreak in your community. CPV2 can easily be spread through an infected puppy’s feces or through soil, keep track of any infections in your community. Immediately vaccinate your puppy if a dog in your neighborhood is infected, and keep you puppy away from it.
· Avoid bringing your puppies outside of your home. It is better to keep your puppies inside your home, especially if they are not vaccinated yet, to prevent them from acquiring the CPV2.

Treatment for CPV2 greatly depends on how early the infection is diagnosed. Age and health of the infected dog are also a great factor in determining the proposed treatment for CPV2 infection.

Santos said that infected dogs are usually hospitalized, treated for dehydration, intestinal damages and other secondary infections. Different types of fluids are given to an infected puppy to achieve necessary rehydration, and each time a puppy vomits or has diarrhea, an equal amount of fluid is given to replace what it has lost.

Also, a blood plasma transfusion from a dog that survived a CPV2 infection may be done to provide immunity to the infected dog.

If your puppy’s diarrhea and vomiting stopped and the transfusion of fluids is discontinued, oral antibiotics are then given for a certain period of time.

Owners of dogs registered with PCCI can inquire from the organization about clinics they can visit and consult in case their pets are infected by CPV2.

“Informing our pure bred dog lovers about canine diseases such us the CPV2 and how it can be prevented and treated is part of PCCI’s advocacy of responsible dog ownership,” said Santos.

PCCI is the only Philippine organization that is a member of the Federacion Cynologique Internationale (FCI), the largest world canine organization based in Belgium, and the Asian Kennel Union based in Tokyo, Japan. PCCI is also the sole body with reciprocal agreements with the American Kennel Club, Canadian Kennel Club and the Kennel Club of UK.