Canine Parvovirus

What is Parvovirus?

Parvovirus, often called “parvo” is an extremely contagious virus that infects dogs and causes severe gastrointestinal (GI) illness. Puppies under 4 months of age and adult dogs who have not received vaccines are most at risk from parvovirus.  The virus is spread by contact between a dog’s oral or nasal cavity and the feces of a dog infected by the virus.  Parvovirus can also be contracted through contact with infected surfaces, such as bowls, bedding, and even outdoor areas where infected dogs have been housed. The parvovirus is tough, and can live for months in soil or on surfaces if not properly disinfected. 

What Does Parvovirus Look Like?

Once a dog has come into contact with the virus, it takes three to seven days before any signs or symptoms are seen. Not all dogs that come into contact with the virus will be infected; puppies are the most vulnerable because their immune systems are not yet fully functional.  The virus attacks the cells which line the length of the intestines, causing the infected dog to have large amounts of vomiting and diarrhea, which is often bloody. This leads to severe dehydration and shock. Parvovirus also attacks white blood cells, which reduces the dog’s ability to fight further infections. As the illness progresses, the intestines’ ability to prevent bacteria from entering the blood stream decreases, which can lead to infection of the blood stream, called sepsis. Many infected puppies die within 48 to 72 hours if untreated, so a puppy (or adult dog) showing signs of severe vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, lethargy and loss of appetite should be seen by a veterinarian immediately. 

How Does a Veterinarian Diagnose and Treat Parvovirus?

If a dog is suspected of having parvovirus, the veterinarian will often order a virus-specific ELISA test to look for antibodies to the virus. A small swab is taken from the dog’s rectum, and is added to a color-changing test. A color change at the test site indicates a positive result; the more pronounced the color change, the more antibodies are present.  Since false positives or negatives are possible, veterinarians will often order a complete blood count (CBC) for confirmation. This test takes a small amount of blood and looks at the dog’s blood cells. A low white cell count is often seen with dogs that are infected with the virus. This result, along with a positive ELISA test, gives the veterinarian confidence in the diagnosis of parvovirus. 

Treatment for the virus mainly consists of supporting the dog through the course of the illness; there is no specific cure for parvovirus. Infected dogs must often be hospitalized in an isolated area, to prevent the transmission of the virus to other dogs.  The fluids and electrolytes lost from vomiting and diarrhea must be replaced, often with the use of an IV (intravenous) drip.  Medications to stop or combat vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea are given, and the dog is kept warm and clean. As soon as possible, intake of food is encouraged, as this helps to minimize the loss of cells in the intestine.  Treatment should be started early, and should be aggressive to give the infected dog the best possible chance of survival. Even if these guidelines are followed, some dogs may die, but successful outcomes may approach 90% if proper treatment is initiated. 

How Can Parvovirus Be Prevented?

Proper vaccination of both puppies and adult dogs is of the utmost importance in preventing parvovirus infection.   Starting at 6 weeks of age, puppies should receive a combination shot (which vaccinates against parvovirus, distemper, adenovirus, and parainfluenza) every 3 to 4 weeks until they are at least 16 weeks of age. The vaccine should be boostered 1 year later, then every 1 to 3 years for the life of the dog.

Puppies should be kept away from areas where large groups of dogs can be found, such as kennels, doggy day cares, dog parks, and pet-friendly stores, until they are finished with their puppy vaccines at 16 weeks of age.  Adult dogs should receive yearly exams and vaccine boosters as often as recommended by a veterinarian. Dogs should not be taken to homes or areas where ill dogs have been housed. Though there is a slight chance puppies or dogs can still contract the virus in spite of these efforts, following these guidelines will dramatically decrease the chance that infection will occur.

Written by, Sarah Pavlina-Whelehan, LVT, VTS (ECC)

Clinical Educator at VSES

Dog Vs. Dog -- Canine Bite Wounds

Even play time can get out of hand. Remember, play time should
be bouncy and loose. If any of the dogs playing becomes
stiff/rigid, you should intervene before a fight begins.

As an emergency veterinarian I see bite wounds in dogs almost on a daily basis. The severity of these wounds can vary from just small lacerations to serious life threatening injuries. Frequently they involve a larger dog biting a smaller dog and/or multiple dogs attacking another dog. The scenarios where bite wounds occur are a myriad, but frequently occur at dog parks or other areas where people bring their pets to walk or run off leash. They can occur while out walking your dog on the street or even in your own yard. They can also occur among your own dogs. What is important is to know what to do in case your pet is bitten by another dog. There are many factors that affect what the best course of action is, but having your pet examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible after the bite is probably the most important.

If dogs are currently fighting do not try and grab or otherwise touch the fighting dogs as this can escalate things and you may be bitten as well. You can try to distract them with a loud noise such as banging pots or garbage can lids together, spraying with a hose, or try to get in between them by opening a large umbrella or folding chair. Once the fight is over, assess the dog(s) and begin first aid.

If the dog is small, it may be best to wrap them up in a towel or use a muzzle to safely restrain them as to prevent them from biting you; when an animal is in pain, they are more likely to bite in response to being touched. If you do not have a muzzle, one may be fastened with some gauze--a leash could work for a larger dog. If there are any bleeding wounds, direct pressure on the wound is the best to stop the bleeding. Avoid the urge to put anything on or in the wound as most over the counter topical medications such as hydrogen peroxide are not meant to go in open wounds and can cause more harm than good.

Remember, what is on the surface is not the entire
injury. Most often, bite wounds are worse than they
appear from the bacteria and crushing force of the bite.

As stated earlier, the best thing to do is to get your dog to your regular veterinarian or veterinary emergency facility as soon as possible. After your dog has been examined, in many cases, wound exploration under sedation or general anesthesia will be recommended by your veterinarian. I am often asked why we are unable to just clean the wound and put some sutures in it. The answer is that what you see on the surface is just the "tip of the iceberg". Bite wounds, by nature, cause crushing injury to the skin and tissue below. They carry hair, debris, skin bacteria, and bacteria from the biting dog's mouth--embedding them into the tissue. These wounds need to be surgically explored to remove damaged and contaminated tissue and flushed with sterile saline to remove bacteria and debris. Many of these bites will cause large pockets under the skin and may need to have drains placed to prevent fluid accumulation after the wound is closed. Antibiotics and pain medications will likely be prescribed and follow up exams will be rquired to remove drains, monitor healing and remove sutures or staples. Some wounds may dehisce (break down) because some crushing injuries damage the blood supply to the skin and this may not be apparent at the time of the initial injury. Repeated surgery and/or open wound management and skin grafts may be required for more severe wounds.

In summary, bite wounds in dogs are one of the more common injuries seen in veterinary practice. They can happen in almost any scenario imagined, have a wide range of severity and often need to be surgically explored to asses/treat the damaged tissue under the skin. Examination by a veterinarian is recommended in almost every case and frequent follow up to monitor healing.

Written by Joseph Wilder, DVM, DABVP

Happy Tails - Maggie

Maggie is all smiles during her most recent visit.

Meet Maggie. Maggie is a ten year old female, spayed mix breed who came into VSES at the end of April. Maggie had been out in the field enjoying the break in the cool weather when an unknown dog came up and attacked her.

The bite wounds were severe and quite contaminated, risking infection. She had some bone exposure on her right front leg coupled with muscle damage while her left leg had a large absence of skin in the elbow, which prevented the wound from closing, exposing severe muscle damage underneath. Poor Maggie also had wounds covering her head and her neck.

This terrifying night is what began Maggie's stay with us at VSES. She began daily debridement of the wound to her elbow--treatments that would remove any dead or dying tissue to help prevent infection. Her other leg was repaired and began to heal slowly; the drains that were placed during the repair (to help stave off infection) were removed after a few days. Maggie was not herself during this time. She was refusing to eat or drink, but we saw so much hope every time her dedicated owners came to visit, she perked up just a little.

A fancy bandage for such a sweet dog. Courtesy
of one of our animal care assistants.

Our staff really began to bond with Maggie and they were happy to see her go home only a few days after her admission to VSES, but were also happy to see her daily after she left for bandage changes.

Silly Maggie!

Her owners reported that she was continually improving -- walking well and even starting to eat some (roast beef was a favorite!) Every time our staff saw her, her condition (and spirits) improved and our staff really looked forward to seeing her progress.

This whole experience can be very traumatic for any dog and dog owner to go through, but both Maggie and her family did not let this faze them. While Maggie may be a bit slower than she was prior to the attack, she is still smiling and just as sweet as she always was.

Maggie in her fancy cone (to help keep her wounds
safe from that happy tongue!)

Maggie's family is one of the most dedicated families we have ever seen. They never missed a bandage change, and they are doing an amazing job keeping her safe and happy at home.

Maggie's family is so thankful that their sweet girl is on the mend and back to her normal self, and so are we!

A big thank you to Maggie and her family for the thank you cakes!
(Our staff really loves cake!)

Keep smiling, Maggie!