How can parvovirus be prevented

Parvo in puppies is caused by the canine parvovirus. This virus is highly contagious and spreads through direct contact with an infected dog or by indirect contact with a contaminated object. Your puppy is exposed to the parvovirus every time he sniffs, licks, or consumes infected feces. Indirect transmission occurs when a person who has recently been exposed to an infected dog touches your puppy, or when a puppy encounters a contaminated object, like a food or water bowl , collars and leashes, and the hands and clothing of people who handle infected dogs.

The Merck Veterinary Manual classifies the virus as a disease of the stomach and small intestines, as this is where the virus does the most damage. The virus prefers to infect the small intestine, where it destroys cells, impairs absorption, and disrupts the gut barrier.

Parvo in puppies also affects the bone marrow and lymphopoietic tissues, and in some cases can also affect the heart. Puppies ages six weeks to six months are the most susceptible to parvo. Puppies are vaccinated against parvo at approximately 6, 8, and 12 weeks of age. They are vulnerable to the disease until they have received all three shots in their vaccination series, which means owners need to take extra precaution during this time to prevent their puppies from contracting the virus.

Puppies should receive a dose of canine parvovirus vaccine between 14 and 16 weeks of age, regardless of how many doses they received earlier, to develop adequate protection. The severity of parvo cases varies. The stress of weaning can lead to a more severe case of parvo n puppies, as stress weakens the immune system. A combination of parvo and a secondary infection or a parasite can also lead to a more severe case of parvo in puppies.

Puppies and adult dogs with parvo start shedding the virus within 4-to-5 days of exposure. Unfortunately for conscientious owners, this time period does not always coincide with the first parvo symptoms, which means dogs can be contagious before owners even realize that they are sick. Puppies with parvo continue to shed the virus for up to 10 days after a clinical recovery, so be sure to keep any puppies recovering from parvo away from unvaccinated and partially vaccinated dogs. Outside of your dog, the virus can survive indoors for at least one month, and outdoors it can survive for many months and even a year under the right conditions.

Use a cleaner proven to kill parvovirus. Talk to your vet about the best way to remove the parvovirus from your home environment or kennels. A puppy with parvo is a very sick dog. Most deaths from parvovirus occur within 48 to 72 hours following the onset of clinical signs. If your puppy or dog shows any of these signs, you should contact your veterinarian immediately. Parvovirus infection is often suspected based on the dog's history, physical examination, and laboratory tests.

Fecal testing can confirm the diagnosis. No specific drug is available that will kill the virus in infected dogs, and treatment is intended to support the dog's body systems until the dog's immune system can fight off the viral infection. Treatment should be started immediately and consists primarily of intensive care efforts to combat dehydration by replacing electrolyte, protein and fluid losses, controlling vomiting and diarrhea, and preventing secondary infections.

Sick dogs should be kept warm and receive good nursing care. When a dog develops parvo, treatment can be very expensive, and the dog may die despite aggressive treatment. Early recognition and aggressive treatment are very important in successful outcomes. Since parvovirus is highly contagious, isolation of infected dogs is necessary to minimize spread of infection. Proper cleaning and disinfection of contaminated kennels and other areas where infected dogs are or have been housed is essential to control the spread of parvovirus.

The virus is not easily killed, so consult your veterinarian for specific guidance on cleaning and disinfecting agents. Young puppies are very susceptible to infection, particularly because the natural immunity provided in their mothers' milk may wear off before the puppies' own immune systems are mature enough to fight off infection. If a puppy is exposed to canine parvovirus during this gap in protection, it may become ill. An additional concern is that immunity provided by a mother's milk may interfere with an effective response to vaccination.

This means even vaccinated puppies may occasionally be infected by parvovirus and develop disease. To reduce gaps in protection and provide the best protection against parvovirus during the first few months of life, a series of puppy vaccinations are administered.

Puppies should receive a dose of canine parvovirus vaccine between 14 and 16 weeks of age, regardless of how many doses they received earlier, to develop adequate protection. To protect their adult dogs, pet owners should be sure that their dog's parvovirus vaccination is up-to-date. There are titers available that measure the dog's level of antibodies against the canine parvovirus, but the antibody level may not directly translate to protection if the dog is exposed to the virus.

Then the dog continues to shed the virus while the dog is sick and up to 10 days after recovery, making the quarantine of this poor pup essential—not only for their sake but for the sake of other dogs around them. This indirect contact transmission is the most disconcerting, as researchers have found that this hardy virus can live in ground soil for up to one year, and it can even survive on skin, clothing, or equipment.

It can also survive at room temperature inside your home and has been found to be resistant to almost all cleaners except bleach or a bleach solution. Breeders also need to realize that if they give up on finding homes for their puppies before they are fully vaccinated and drop them off at a local shelter, there is a distinct possibility that parvo exists there.

If the shelters were known for quarantining puppies with parvovirus that might be okay, but not all shelters do this.

Puppies and younger dogs are the ones that we see most with it simply because, if they have any mother-given immunity, that immunity starts to go away around 12 weeks and will be completely gone around 16 weeks of age. Parvo typically requires supportive care. The biggest problem is that the infected puppy is losing so much fluid that they become extremely dehydrated.

The immune system gets compromised because the bone marrow cannot produce enough white blood cells, so septicemias set in as well as severe dehydration.

So with these parvo pups, the most important thing is to just run fluids into them in large quantities to try to keep them hydrated because they're vomiting and can't keep anything down orally. And there's also massive amounts of very watery diarrhea coming out the other end.

Not all survive parvo, but quite a few can if they're well-hydrated and maintained. There are mixed thoughts about whether giving them immune serum is valuable or not, but proper fluid and electrolyte care is vitally important. Your vet will most likely recommend hospitalizing your dog in an isolation ward, where the pup will be monitored for secondary infections. Depending on the severity of the case, your vet may also prescribe a series of medications, including antibiotics to prevent bacterial infections from entering your dog through the damaged walls of his intestines.

The first days are the most touch and go. Most puppies that survive the first 3-to-4 days will make a complete recovery, which usually takes around one week. Your vet will send you home with a continued plan to aid in recovery at home. A proper immunization protocol has to be followed in order to prevent parvo.