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Early Signs Of Life-threatening Canine Parvovirus To Look Out For In Your Dog
A case of a fatal parvovirus has been confirmed by a Nottinghamshire veterinary clinic. Ranging from moderate to life-threatening, canine parvovirus symptoms appear suddenly and can worsen quickly.
The deadly virus is especially dangerous for puppies and unvaccinated dogs, and the earlier you catch it, the higher the chance of your pets survival. If in doubt, take your dog to the vets immediately.
What is parvovirus?Parvovirus attacks the white blood cells and gastrointestinal tract of dogs. Heart muscle cells of very young puppies can also be damaged by parvovirus. It is spread through either direct or indirect contact with an infected dog's faeces.
Serious infection is preventable with the right vaccinations, but this makes puppies and unvaccinated dogs especially vulnerable and likely to fall extremely ill if they catch it.
The virus is particularly notorious because it can survive on surfaces for up to six months. Dogs can come into contact with the virus on the ground, through clothing, objects and people's hands.
Early signs of parvovirusA dog with parvovirus starts to show symptoms within three to seven days of infection. Early signs of parvo include:
Lethargy
Lack of appetite
Fever
As the infection progresses, other symptoms develop which include:
Abdominal pain
Vomiting
Diarrhoea
If you suspect your dog has parvovirus, you should take them to the vets straight away and keep them away from other dogs. Your vet will test for parvo and create a treatment plan, which usually involves your dog being hospitalised for 24/7 monitoring.
Infected dogs might also be treated with a drip to prevent dehydration, pain medications, drugs to control vomiting, antibiotics for secondary infections or a plasma transfusion. The chances of your dog surviving are higher if you catch symptoms early on.
How long does parvovirus last?Infected dogs can be hospitalised for up to a week before continuing treatment at home. Treatment can be very expensive due to the long recovery time.
Most dogs are considered fully recovered two to three weeks after the initial onset of symptoms.
How to prevent parvovirusThe easiest and most effective way to prevent parvovirus is to vaccinate your pup and keep your dog away from unvaccinated dogs if they are not vaccinated themselves. Puppies should receive their first vaccine between 6 and 10 weeks old, a second vaccine 2 to 4 weeks later, and a third vaccine when they're older than 16 weeks.
Adult dogs require booster shots throughout their lives to maintain immunity. Drugs that kill the virus itself do not exist, so it is best to vaccinate your dog as soon as possible to protect them from infection.
Does My Dog Need The Parvo Vaccine If He Recovered From The Illness?
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"Is it necessary to vaccinate my dog for parvo if he has already had it and recovered?"
A: No, it is not absolutely necessary to vaccinate your dog against parvo if he has had the viral infection and recovered. It is theoretically possible that a puppy could come into contact with another serotype of the virus and become infected a second time, but the chances of this happening are extremely unlikely.
The CPV-2b strain is the most common, and unless you take your dog to Asia or Europe, he is unlikely to come into contact with another strain (1).
Related: How Soon Can I Vaccinate My Dog After Parvo?
About the Parvo VaccineThe immunity lasts at least 3 years but may even last the rest of your dog's life. After 3 years, you will need to get the parvo vaccine boosted.
Your dog is still susceptible to the other viruses in the vaccination (distemper, infectious hepatitis, and parainfluenza) and will need to continue the vaccine regimen. You did not mention how old he was, but if he is older, he will only need two vaccines until he is one year old.
Why Do Dogs Get Vaccinated After Recovering From Parvo?The reason that most people get their dogs vaccinated for parvo after they recover is that most veterinarians only sell a vaccine that contains distemper, hepatitis, parvo, and parainfluenza in one vial. Some vets will have the distemper in a separate dose (monovalent), but it is not cheaper and may be hard to find.
Long-Term Side Effects of ParvoEven though your question was only about the vaccine, you need to be concerned about secondary infections and the other long-term side effects of a parvo infection (2). Veterinarians researching the secondary effects are not sure if the problems are caused by the infection itself or by all the antibiotics a puppy takes when infected.
Some of the problems seen in dogs that have recovered from parvo include:
Loose stools: This might be due to microbiome changes.
Food allergies: Parvo destroys the lining of the intestine and allows proteins from food to enter the bloodstream without being broken down into amino acids. This can also lead to chronic diarrhea and skin diseases.
Irritable bowel syndrome: Dogs can also develop antibodies to their own body and present with chronic diarrhea.
There are still no clear guidelines on how to deal with dogs that have chronic diarrhea secondary to a parvo infection as a puppy. If it is mostly a microbiome issue, you can try:
A Whole-Food DietThere are numerous health issues associated with dry dog food, and one of them is the microbiome. Adequate fibers are the main method used to support the microbiome, but whole foods are also important (3).
The microbiome of dogs fed whole food is more diverse than dogs fed dry food, and this may be important in controlling diarrhea in a dog that has recovered from a parvo infection. You can follow this recipe for a whole-food diet that you can feed your puppy.
If you do not have the time to feed a homemade diet and do not use one of the alternatives, like minimally processed food, prebiotics and probiotics may help.
Prebiotics and ProbioticsPrebiotics supply soluble and insoluble fibers so that the bacterial population of the dog's bowel can thrive. A few examples include pumpkin, oats, and bananas. If you are feeding your dog a whole-food diet, you can easily add these components to his daily ration. If you are still giving dry dog food, they can be added as toppers.
The probiotic you feed your dog is going to continually replenish the bacteria in the gut. You can use a commercial product that contains bacteria to help his gut or unpasteurized yogurt that has no added flavorings or sugars.
Why Did Your Dog Get Parvo?This infection has been around for many decades now, but it can be prevented. When I first saw it in the 1970s, no dogs were vaccinated, and pets of all ages were getting sick and dying. It is now mostly seen in unvaccinated puppies.
We now know that keeping puppies confined and away from areas where a lot of dogs are defecating is the most effective way to guard against parvo, but since the virus can even be carried into your house on the bottom of your shoes, all dogs need to be vaccinated.
Since the vaccines were first introduced, we have used the following protocol:
About 6 weeks of age: The first parvo vaccine. This may not do much good if the mother has been vaccinated and the puppy still has maternal immunity from the mother's milk. There is no way to know that the maternal antibodies are present without titer testing, so giving the vaccine at this age is standard procedure.
About 9 weeks of age: The second parvo vaccine. The maternal immunity is probably gone by now, but it may persist a little longer in some puppies.
About 12 weeks of age: The third parvo vaccine. Some veterinarians will recommend that puppies be confined until the end of the vaccine series, especially in an urban area where many dogs defecate on the street, but by waiting, a puppy is not exposed to new experiences during the sensitive socialization period and may develop fear biting and excessive shyness.
About 16 weeks of age: The fourth parvo vaccine. This is usually considered the last of the series, and puppies are considered fully vaccinated.
About 20 weeks of age: Some veterinarians in areas with excessive levels of parvo infections will recommend a last booster at this age.
About 1 year of age: The booster vaccine to maintain immunity. No boosters need to be given for about 3 years after this.
Up Next:
Related: Veterinarian Explains Negative Vaccine Reactions in Dogs & What to Do About It
SourcesGagnon CA, Allard V, Cloutier G. Canine parvovirus type 2b is the most prevalent genomic variant strain found in parvovirus antigen positive diarrheic dog feces samples across Canada. Can Vet J. 2016 Jan;57(1):29-31. PMID: 26740694; PMCID: PMC4677605. Https://pmc.Ncbi.Nlm.Nih.Gov/articles/PMC4677605/
Kilian E, Suchodolski JS, Hartmann K, Mueller RS, Wess G, Unterer S. Long-term effects of canine parvovirus infection in dogs. PLoS One. 2018 Mar 16;13(3):e0192198. Doi: 10.1371/journal.Pone.0192198. PMID: 29547647; PMCID: PMC5856261. Https://pmc.Ncbi.Nlm.Nih.Gov/articles/PMC5856261/
Do S, Phungviwatnikul T, de Godoy MRC, Swanson KS. Nutrient digestibility and fecal characteristics, microbiota, and metabolites in dogs fed human-grade foods. J Anim Sci. 2021 Feb 1;99(2):skab028. Doi: 10.1093/jas/skab028. PMID: 33511410; PMCID: PMC8611730. Https://pmc.Ncbi.Nlm.Nih.Gov/articles/PMC8611730/#abstract1
Parvo Outbreak Linked To Animal Welfare Concerns
SPCA is urgently calling on dog and puppy owners across New Zealand to vaccinate their pets against the highly contagious and potentially fatal canine parvovirus (parvo), as the country faces a third outbreak in as many years.
Parvo is a severe illness that causes symptoms such as lethargy, severe vomiting, and bloody diarrhoea, leading to life-threatening dehydration.
The virus can survive in the environment for up to a year, meaning unvaccinated dogs are at constant risk of infection.
SPCA's Head Veterinarian, Nathan Wong, said they are currently seeing five to six cases a day at Māngere Centre.
"There is a worrying increase in parvo cases. In Auckland alone, we're receiving an overwhelming number of calls from pet owners needing help," said Nathan.
"The cost of living challenges that many people are facing mean some owners are unable to afford vaccinations or treatment, leaving their pets at risk of a disease that is both preventable and deadly.
"It is much more affordable, and far less heartbreaking, to vaccinate a puppy or dog. Vaccinations cost between $39 and $100, but treating a dog with parvo can cost upwards of $1,000."
Unfortunately, once parvovirus has been contracted, it is too late to vaccinate to prevent the disease.
The virus spreads through the faeces of infected dogs, contaminating surfaces such as bedding, cages, the ground, and even peoples' clothing and footwear. The virus can remain in the environment for months to years. If a property has had a previous case of parvovirus in it, it is important that any new dogs at the property are fully vaccinated, otherwise they are at high risk of contracting the virus. Vaccination remains the only effective way to protect dogs from parvo. Puppies require a series of vaccinations, and adult dogs need regular booster shots to stay protected.
"We've seen really upsetting cases where dogs are passing away from parvovirus, the owners get a new dog, and it again contracts the same virus," Nathan said.
"This illness is painful, debilitating, and often fatal. It's devastating not only for the animals but also for their owners, who have to watch their dog suffer."
Until puppies are fully vaccinated, owners should take precautions to reduce exposure. Avoid walking puppies in high-risk areas such as parks and footpaths and keep them away from unvaccinated dogs.
Socialisation, which is essential for developing confident and friendly adult dogs, can still be done safely by introducing puppies to healthy, vaccinated dogs in controlled environments like your garden or puppy classes.
Please contact your vet to ensure your pet is fully up to date on vaccinations and ask for advice on safely socialising puppies to protect them from parvo.
"If dogs are vaccinated, we can stop the spread of this deadly virus," said Nathan.
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