PARVOVIRUS UPDATE – October 2016
In 2016 we have seen several cases of confirmed Parvovirus
at Alphapet. This is a very serious virus which causes vomiting and
diarrhoea in dogs, affecting the intestine which makes secondary bacterial
infections likely.
Parvovirus can be prevented by vaccination. Very young puppies will get immunity
from their mother's milk when they are nursing, provided their mother is up to
date with her vaccinations. Then, when a puppy is 8 weeks old they will receive
a vaccination which includes protection against parvovirus. They then need a
second vaccination at 10-12 weeks old, and a puppy will not be protected against
parvovirus until a week after that 2nd vaccination. This is why it is
very important that a puppy is not put down on the ground outside, where any
potentially unvaccinated dogs could have been, until a week after their second
vaccination. When a dog becomes an adult, it needs a top up vaccination yearly,
to boost their immunity. Dogs are also vaccinated against distemper, hepatitis
and leptospirosis at these points.
The virus is spread by the dog ingesting an infected dog's faeces, or from
contaminated food or water. It is very infectious, and will spread quickly
through an infected environment (for example: a breeding kennels), and it can
survive in the environment for long periods. The virus is then excreted in the
faeces for up to 8 weeks after the dog's recovery, which is what maintains the
infection within the environment. Special disinfectants are needed to kill the
virus.
Some puppies, if they are infected between 3 and 8 weeks old, can develop a
myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and may never show
gastrointestinal signs. This can cause problems related to the heart later on in
the dog's life, if they recover from the parvovirus itself.
The dogs we have seen it in have been young puppies, they have come in
collapsed, or very quiet and lethargic, off food, with a temperature, and
sickness and diarrhoea. This
diarrhoea is often bloody and very runny
with a horrible smell. They quickly become very dehydrated, which makes
them feel very sick, and because of this nauseous feeling they don't drink,
which exacerbates the problem. In this way puppies can go downhill very fast.
This means that the first thing we have to do to treat them is to put
them on a fluid drip to rehydrate them.
We can do a simple test on the faeces of a dog to diagnose parvovirus. We also
often check blood tests , as they often have a very low white blood cell count.
These cells are needed for fighting infections, but the virus targets the
tissues that make them, which helps the parvovirus take hold even further.
The puppies we have seen have generally come from breeders that do not vaccinate
their breeding bitches. Two of the puppies had been purchased from adverts seen
online, where the new owners had arranged to collect the puppy from the seller
in a car park. They had therefore not seen the mother, did not receive any
paperwork about the puppy, and within days had a very sick puppy.
Sadly, despite intensive 24 hour nursing care, intravenous fluid therapy,
antibiotics, anti-emetics, gut protectants, pain relief; and in some cases, very
expensive anti-viral treatments, all but two of our cases of parvovirus this
year have died.
Parvovirus is a really horrible
disease, but the most frustrating thing is that it is completely preventable! I
think this recent outbreak has been due to some people choosing not to vaccinate
their dogs, and an increase in puppy farming type environments. In order to
protect your dog from parvovirus, make sure it is
fully vaccinated as a puppy and kept up to date with its vaccinations
yearly as an adult dog. If you are looking for a puppy, make sure that you see
it in the environment it has been living in, and at least see the mother of the
puppy. Make sure that they all look healthy, and do not be afraid to walk away
if something doesn't seem right. Some owners feel as though they need to rescue
a sick puppy from a bad situation, and buy them knowing that they are unwell;
unfortunately this encourages the breeders to keep breeding; and so the cycle
continues. Sadly, the industry of
dog breeding, is not well regulated, and purchasing a dog from a reputable
breeder is becoming increasingly important.
For more information on choosing a puppy, see: (Link to choosing a
puppy guide on website)
If you have any questions, or are concerned about
your dog, then contact Alphapet for further advice.
Laura Wingham
Club President