• July 26, 2023
  • By Madee Pfeiffer

Parvovirus

Parvo is a highly contagious disease caused by the canine parvovirus. Parvovirus is a persistent virus and can survive in the environment and infect animals for a year. Unlike other viruses, parvovirus is resistant to heat, detergents, and alcohol.

Spread occurs through direct and indirect contact. The virus spreads quickly through the dog's feces and vomit. In fact, it never happens that the infection is transmitted from dog to dog, but mainly through indirect contact. All dogs are susceptible to this virus, but the virus mainly occurs in dogs up to one year of age. It is common in young animals when they move from the kennel to their new home. This is mainly due to the dogs’ immune system weakened by stress. During this time, the dog also builds up its own immunity, the antibodies that the dog has ingested through its mother's milk disappear during this time.

What are the symptoms of parvovirus?
If the virus passes through the mouth for a short time, mainly rapidly dividing cells are infected. Infected cells include intestinal wall cells and bone marrow cells. Some symptoms that may appear are:

  • To throw up

  • bloody diarrhea

  • lethargy

  • Severe dehydration

  • High fever

  • Pale mucous membranes

  • Sometimes shock

What is the diagnosis of parvovirus?
The diagnosis is initially made based on the clinical picture of the dog. Parvovirus is common in (young) dogs that are not fully vaccinated. This is common in dogs that come from bread breeders. Other features associated with a parvovirus diagnosis include high fever, vomiting, and watery diarrhea.

A stool examination can then be used to prove that it is actually the parvovirus. A blood test can also be performed. However, there is no specific blood count for the parvovirus, the blood count visible in parvovirus can also be visible in other diseases.

What is the treatment for parvovirus?
The earlier you get infected, the better the chances of recovery. There is no treatment for the virus and the dog must fight it itself by producing antibodies. Due to the diarrhea, the animal loses a lot of liquid, which can possibly be supported with an infusion. Antibiotics and anti-inflammatories can be given. Since the cause cannot be controlled, symptomatic treatment is instituted. To prevent the parvovirus, you can take hygiene measures by wearing clean clothes in young animals. The animal is vaccinated as a precaution, but this is not a guarantee that the dog will not be able to get them.

What is the vaccination against the parvovirus?
The best prevention is to vaccinate the puppy at the sixth, ninth and twelfth week. This vaccination ensures that the animal produces antibodies. These vaccinations are important because at this age the puppy will no longer receive antibodies from the mother. However, it is important that you repeat this vaccination. The first repetition occurs when the animal is 15 months old. After that, it is enough to give the animal a vaccination every two to three years.

Vaccination is done with a weakened vaccine virus. This is a specially developed, weakened virus that stimulates the dog's immune system to produce antibodies without the animal becoming ill itself. However, sometimes a puppy will have the antibodies it received from the placenta attack the transplant virus. As a result, the transplant virus cannot do its job properly.

Is parvovirus a zoonosis?
The virus is highly contagious to other dogs, but not to humans.

This text was translated by a translation machine