Today's topic is parvovirus- This is an especially important topic because we have had 5 puppies come in with parvo in the last week. The saddest part of this is that parvo is often a deadly disease and it is preventable. Here is an overview of parvo:
Parvovirus is a very sturdy virus; it can live in the environment for years. In Washington, we are told that parvovirus can live outside on the ground for up to 10 years.
The most common clinical signs of parvovirus infection are severe vomiting and diarrhea. This is because the virus attacks cells that are quickly being replaced. The cells that change the quickest in a dog's body are the cells that line the GI tract and the ones in the bone marrow that make new blood cells and fight infection. The reason why parvo is deadly is that it quickly dehydrates the dog. Even on IV fluids, we cannot always keep up with the dehydration and other losses from the GI tract. There are other complications from parvo as well, including making the dog more likely to get a bacterial infection on top of the virus. This usually just makes the animal sicker.
Because parvo is a virus, there is no specific treatment to combat it. The treatment of choice for parvo is a stay in the hospital. Parvo usually runs it's course in about a week, but during that time the dog needs IV fluids and as much support as it can get. Even with these measures, parvo has a high mortality rate.
The saddest thing about parvo is that it usually affects young animals and puppies are especially vulnerable because they do not have a fully functioning immune system to fight the infection.
The good news is that a fully vaccinated dog should be immune to parvo, so the best way to deal with parvo is to vaccinate and to make sure your pet is vaccinated the right way. The only way to be sure your pet is fully vaccinated is to talk with your vet. In the case of parvo the old saying definitely holds true, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"
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