Parvovirus

The veterinary profession has many unique characteristics. The sound of the anesthesia machine clicking or a Pug/Husky getting a nail trim. The sight of an 8-week-old golden retriever in for its first visit. The smell of freshly baked cookies brought in by a client, I'm kidding; this is a Parvo talk. We are going to talk about the unforgettable smell of diarrhea caused by Parvo. Every member of this profession knows exactly what smell I am talking about, and today I will share with you some steps you can take to ensure you never have to smell parvovirus.

Step one: Don't go into veterinary medicine.

Step two: Understand parvovirus - This virus can be seen in many forms in many species of animals (including mink and geese for all of you mink owners out there). It is a very long-living and environmentally resistant disease, which means the second smell associated with Parvo is lots of bleach. The virus attacks rapidly dividing cells, which in dogs are the cells of the intestinal tract. This limits the absorption of nutrients and water and makes the body susceptible to secondary infection. The GI system handles the loss of cells the same way it handles 3 am taco bell after a night out. Most of the time, we see the disease in puppies less than six months old with diarrhea, often with blood and its distinct smell. Vomiting, lethargy, and fever are other signs associated with the disease.

Step three: Prevent Parvovirus - Vaccinate your pets! The distemper vaccine discussed here includes parvovirus and is highly effective. The disease is primarily seen in animals with poor immune systems (mostly puppies) and is transmitted by contaminated feces. If they are healthy enough, you should vaccinate your puppies as soon as they are 6-8 weeks old. Until their vaccine series is complete, your puppies should stay away from any unvaccinated dogs or areas of dogs with unknown vaccination status, such as dog parks, puppy play dates, and your weird anti-vaxer aunt's house.

Step four: Treat Parvovirus - Unfortunately, there is no treatment for parvovirus. We can only provide supportive care and treatment of secondary bacterial infections. Affected animals are usually quarantined and started on fluids, antibiotics, and medications to support the intestinal tract. If left untreated, the disease can be fatal due to severe dehydration - and that's not a pretty way to go.

I will cite some publications with statistics and all of the fun numbers that veterinarians love. If you want to skip the boring stuff and take it from my personal experience, once a puppy is exposed, every puppy in contact with them will likely become sick and potentially die if supportive care is ignored. If treated early and aggressively, about half of the puppies we treat will survive. I have never seen parvovirus in an animal with a full vaccination series completed.

Just like the bathroom after a shared Taco Bell party pack, the stench of parvovirus is never forgotten. We highly recommend avoiding it altogether. However, supportive care and a large candle are in order if that's not possible.

For more information, I recommend: Veterinary Partner

Nandi, S., & Kumar, M. (2010). Canine Parvovirus: Current Perspective. Indian journal of virology : an official organ of Indian Virological Society, 21(1), 31-44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13337-010-0007-y

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