A serious viral infection of dogs and other canids, which emerged in the late 1970s. Its highly infectious nature was evidenced by its appearance in most countries around the world within a very short time. The most characteristic feature of the disease is very severe persistent diarrhoea with blood, and there may be vomiting and a high fever. Puppies may die of shock and dehydration very soon after signs appear. Other cases may have serious heart changes. The disease is now well controlled by effective vaccines.
| iCanine parvovirus 2 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virus classification | ||||||||
|
Canine parvovirus (CPV) is a contagious virus affecting dogs. The disease is highly infectious and is spread from dog to dog by physical contact and contact with feces.
Infection
Dogs become infected through contact with CPV in feces. Dogs that develop the disease show symptoms of the illness within 7 to 10 days. After a dog is infected, there is no cure, but dogs usually recover from the viral infection and associated symptoms within five days. However, diarrhea and vomiting result in dehydration and secondary infections can set in, causing death even in treated dogs. Diagnosis is made through detection of CPV in the feces, although the presence of bloody diarrhea and a low white blood cell count in an unvaccinated dog are strong indications of infection.
Prevention and contamination
Direct contact with infected feces is not necessary for the disease to spread: feces on shoes, clothing, hair, and so on are all that is needed for the transmission.
Prevention is the only way to ensure that a puppy or dog remains healthy. With severe disease, dogs can die within 48 to 72 hours with no treatment. It is extremely important to vaccinate dogs against CPV. However, most United States veterinary schools recommend vaccinating every three years after the puppy series and the first annual booster, because of the long-term immune system stresses placed on the dog.
A dog that successfully recovers from CPV is still contagious for up to 2 months, so the dog must be kept away from other dogs and puppies. Neighbors and family members with dogs should be notified of infected animals so that they can ensure that their dogs are vaccinated and tested.
Canine parvovirus affects dogs, wolves and foxes. a bird comes in contact with feces and then the dog's environment, or a cat goes to the groomers and returns with an exposed petcarrier.)
Further reading
Canine Parvovirus Information-The Evolution of the Canine Parvovirus
User Comments Add a comment…