Parvovirus
Parvoviruses is one of the smallest viruses found in nature. Many mammals have a strain of parvovirus associated with them and the virus tends to be specific about which animals it infects. That is, a canine parvovirus will affect dogs, wolves, and foxes, but will not infect cats or humans.
It affects the intestinal tract and causes vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and decreased ability to fight infections. It is especially severe in puppies. Doberman pinschers and rottweilers are more susceptible and have more severe signs of parvovirus than other breeds, but puppies of any breed or mixed breed puppies can die from this disease.
Oral intake of virus-infected materials transmits the infection. Parvovirus multiplies in the intestinal tract of infected dogs, and a billion virus particles per teaspoon of stool can be passed during an infection. The virus is sturdy and persists in the environment for at least 6 months. It is impossible to eliminate the virus from contaminated soil without killing all vegetation.
The best approach to parvovirus is prevention of disease with vaccination. Puppies should be started on vaccines at 6 weeks of age and exposure to infected environments should be minimized until the vaccination series is complete. Puppies should be vaccinated every 2 to 3 weeks until 16 weeks of age. The long course of vaccination is necessary because of the maternal antibodies passed from the mother to the pups. Although these antibodies protect against infection, they also interfere with an effective response to vaccination.
« Return to List of Articles