Can a dog with parvo live a happy life? If your dog is showing early signs of the illness, it is imperative that you consult a veterinarian immediately to start treatment. The longer you wait to seek medical attention for your pet, the more critical it will become. Your dog’s condition can deteriorate before you even know it, and there is no cure for canine parvo.
Canine parvo is an infectious disease primarily affecting dogs. CPV is extremely contagious and is easily transferred from dog to dog through indirect or direct contact of their stool. This disease is most commonly associated with poor hygiene, but can also occur due to other causes such as trauma, illness, immune deficiency or exposure to toxins. Pets can contract canine parvo due to exposure to bacteria or viruses which are airborne or in the urine, blood or feces of other animals. Treatment can be expensive and may require several weeks of hospitalization followed by rigorous antibiotic therapy.
Treatment can be supportive care, which focuses on encouraging normal digestion and elimination, boosting the immune system and maintaining adequate fluid levels in the body to reduce protein toxicity. Fluids are normally administered intravenously in saline solutions. Oral fluids can also be used for short-term treatments to relieve symptoms, although long-term supportive care is recommended to prevent the illness from progressing.
In dogs with the infection, there is no specific time frame when symptoms appear. It usually takes up to three weeks from exposure for the virus to show after which the dog exhibits no symptoms at all. The first sign of the infection is diarrhea, which usually lasts for a day or two. Four to five days later, the dog exhibits vomiting and lethargy. Thereafter, the dog will show no appetite or overeating and will produce fewer waste products.
At this point, veterinarians recommend a week’s worth of support measures including feeding a high protein diet, drinking lots of water, limiting the exposure to direct sunlight and limiting contact with household pets. This is to try to boost the dog’s immune system so that the illness is more easily managed. During the period of absence from home, a house is kept cleaned to remove any possible breeding sites for the virus. The dog is also given daily exercise and nutrition.
On arrival at the veterinarian’s office, the dog’s body will most likely be anemic due to the loss of body fat, dehydration and loss of protein and electrolytes. On initial examination, the veterinarian will note down four to six distinct clinical signs and symptoms including weight loss, diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy, blood in the stool and abdominal swelling. Two to three weeks later, the veterinarian will check the anal and intestinal cavities for evidence of peritonitis or abscess. If these indications are present, the vet may also check for lymph nodes or swollen lymph glands in the neck and underarms. Biopsies will also be conducted to reveal any infections. If the infection fails to clear up after two weeks or there is any sign of progression, the vet will most likely refer the dog to a specialist for a more thorough work-up.
As long as the dog has been given adequate care and medication, he should survive if the infection is not allowed to progress too far. However, if the canine has not received supportive therapy and the fluids have not been re-hydrated, the outcome is unlikely. On rare occasions, veterinarians have treated parvo with IV fluids and have had good results. This is usually done after the owner has failed to recover fully from parvo. IV fluids are usually not necessary for dogs that survive past a week, but if it is required for a longer recovery period, you should have your veterinarian to recommend an alternative.
There are also other complications that can arise from parvo. Some dogs sustain intestinal bacterial infections due to the virus, which can cause diarrhea. If the intestinal bacteria are not treated, they can grow and irritate the intestines, causing even more diarrhea. It has been known for dogs to develop blood poisoning caused by the intestinal bacteria. If this happens, there will be a significant drop in the dogs’ body weight due to diarrhea, blood in the stool and vomiting.