Canine parvovirus is one of the scariest diseases that veterinarians encounter in puppies. The classic presentation is an unvaccinated or partially vaccinated puppy. Owners call the vet with concerns of their new puppy becoming acutely lethargic, not wanting to eat, and also having diarrhea (sometimes with blood).

The usual suspects are puppies or unvaccinated adult dogs. I think we all have enough experience with vaccines now so I’ll spare you those details.

Parvovirus is one of the most contagious and potentially fatal diseases I have encountered in my years in practice. These patients need fast and aggressive supportive care to give them a chance to recover. There is no specific treatment for parvovirus and it depends on the severity of symptoms and the changes on the bloodwork.

Transmission

Parvovirus is highly contagious, so spread can be fast and furious. Exposure to feces of infected dogs or to fomites (surfaces, people, objects) will lead to infection. To add, parvovirus is hard to kill. It can live in the environment for months, even years! It is resistant to many household cleaning products and decontamination/disinfection requires bleach.

The incubation period is usually around 5-7 days. This helps determine where the puppy could have been exposed to the virus. For example, if you recently acquired a puppy from a breeder and you notice symptoms after having him just shy of a week, it is likely that he was exposed while with the breeder.

This is a problem because it is likely that the virus is present in the environment where the breeder has their dogs. The entire area needs decontamination.

When suspect patients present to the clinic we take precaution to keep them isolated from high dog traffic areas and immediately test for parvo. The result of this test determines how we proceed with the patient.

Parvo positive patients are kept in an isolation ward. When these patients are handled they are cared for by the same staff to minimize exposure. Personal protective equipment is worn to prevent spread through fomites. We also avoid handling other naive puppies to prevent in clinic spread.

Parvovirus enteritis

Not only is it a highly contagious virus, but parvo also attacks multiple organ systems making it very difficult for young dogs with immature immune systems to recover from it on their own.

Put simply this virus attacks the gastrointestinal tract and the bone marrow.

In the gastrointestinal tract parvovirus attacks the lining of the intestines. This lining is what helps with nutrient absorption, appropriate fluid balance in the stool, and maintaining the bacteria in the gut. Disruption of the lining from parvovirus leads to diarrhea, sometimes with blood. Some veterinary professionals will even comment, ‘It smells like parvo,’ when we get a parvo positive patient that blesses us with all the gross diarrhea. The intestines are literally sloughing their lining as a result of the damage done by the virus. There is also loss of protein and translocation of bacteria into the bloodstream.

In the bone marrow parvovirus attacks the white blood cells. These cells are the body’s main defense system that help fight off infection.

So imagine there is a major infection in the intestines and there are no cells to help fight it off.

This is why early, aggressive supportive care is so important in these patients. We literally have to fight the virus, the secondary infections, and any complications for them.

Managing a parvovirus patient

Treatment of a parvovirus patient will vary depending on how sick the patient presents. The earlier on in the disease process, usually the better the prognosis; however, there is no guarantee with parvo. Bloodwork is the next step for a full assessment of the damage the virus has done so far.

Treatment of choice involves aggressive supportive care. This includes hospitalization, IV fluid therapy to correct hydration, and IV medications for symptoms of vomiting, nausea, infection, pain, etc. These are the basics.

Some of these young puppies require glucose supplementation, blood transfusions, and several days of hospitalization.

These patients usually remain in clinic until there is improvement with their bloodwork, their energy, clinical symptoms, and appetite.

There are certain circumstances where hospitalization is not feasible due to financial constraints. In these cases we do our best to manage these puppies at home with oral treatments, fluids given under the skin for hydration, force feeding, and close monitoring. Some puppies will respond to this treatment, but some are not so lucky.

Preventing Parvovirus

Vaccinating puppies as recommended by veterinarians is critical in the prevention of parvovirus. It is one of the core vaccines that your veterinarian will recommend. Avoid high dog traffic areas and socializing with unknown dogs until your puppy is fully vaccinated. This helps prevent exposure to the virus.
For more information on puppy vaccinations check out https://notyouraveragevet.com/i-got-a-new-puppy-now-what/.

Good hygiene is also important. Making sure puppies are coming from a clean environment is also a preventative measure. If the place where your puppy is coming from is questionable monitor them closely for the first couple weeks. At any sign of symptoms have them evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Once your puppy has recovered from parvovirus you will want to keep them isolated at home for at least 10-14 days after symptoms have resolved.

I would have to conclude that although canine parvovirus is one of the scariest diagnoses it is also one of the most rewarding when patients beat it!

Stan Lee (pictured above) was one of the lucky pups who survived canine parvovirus! He did not have the ‘gold standard’ perfect treatment plan, but he managed to beat the odds.

Stan Lee had time on his side given that his diagnosis was based on a littermate that died from parvo, and his owners had him checked out at the first sign of him seeming a bit off. He also had a family that was willing to help him, despite what the breeder and breeder contract said.

Way to go little dude!