By John Huebner

RECENTLY AT OUR HOSPITAL we’ve seen an unusually high incidence of Parvo viral enteritis (“Parvo” for short) in dogs.

Typically this disease is seen commonly in the summer months and peaks in the early fall, then drops off significantly by the holidays. This year has been quite different. The typical end-of-year decline of Parvo cases never happened. All dog owners, but especially puppy owners, need to be aware of this deadly but largely preventable disease.

With a better understanding of Parvo — its cause, treatment, and prevention — dog owners can avoid a very costly illness, or worse, the loss of their pet.

To start I’d like to share a little anecdote about my first experience with Parvo. It was my very first day on the job as a veterinarian some 27 years ago.

I started this job in Southern California within days of graduating from veterinary school. I told myself I wanted to start practicing as soon after graduation as possible — so I wouldn’t forget everything I’d learned. My first assignment that morning was to evaluate and treat patients in the isolation ward. This amounted to treating the hospitalized puppies with Parvo virus infection.

No big deal, I thought, though I couldn’t actually say that I’d treated a dog with Parvo before — truth be told, I’d never even seen a dog with Parvo before! I had read about it, I had passed the state board exam, so I could probably handle a couple of cases, I thought.

It’s a good thing I didn’t look back that morning as I walked down the hall to the isolation ward. Otherwise I’d surely have seen the other veterinarians chuckling among themselves.

Two hours and seven very sick Parvo patients later, I finished with a new appreciation for this deadly disease. Thank goodness I had a skilled, knowledgeable and patient nurse to guide me through that first busy morning. Becky, wherever you are, thank you!

Parvo largely affects puppies. It’s caused by an unusually resilient virus that has a preference for the gastrointestinal tract, but that also affects the bone marrow where white blood cells are made. An infected dog passes Parvo virus in his stool that can contaminate a yard, park, trail or whatever, and again, it’s tough to kill this virus, so the environment can remain infected for weeks. Pups become infected by ingesting the virus from a contaminated environment and are especially at risk if their vaccines are not up to date.

The hallmark signs of Parvo infection develop after an incubation period of a few days. They include vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, listlessness and a low white blood cell count. After the incubation period, these signs develop very quickly, so it’s not unusual to hear that a puppy seemed fine in the morning but was very sick by the afternoon.

Unfortunately, the gastrointestinal signs are rather non-specific; that is to say, a lot of illnesses can “look” like Parvo on initial evaluation. Veterinarians can diagnose most Parvo infections with a fecal test that screens for the virus in the stool. Additionally, certain blood tests will help with developing a treatment plan as well as determining a plan for recovery.

Caring for a dog with Parvo is no small task. Understand that there is no medicine we can give these patients that will kill the virus. Puppies that recover do so only because their immune systems mount a successful response and clear the virus from their system. Therapy, simply stated, is aimed at keeping the puppy alive until the immune system can summon the ability to rid the virus.

The time it takes to mount this immune response is quite variable, but it’s usually a few days. During this time the patient needs fairly intensive supportive care with fluids to replace fluid losses from the vomiting and diarrhea. Antibiotics are used to prevent secondary bacterial infections. Antibiotics are very important since the virus temporarily damages the lining of the intestines, which can allow intestinal bacteria access to the bloodstream. Also, with a low white blood cell count these puppies are even more vulnerable. Since these patients are vomiting and cannot hold down any orally administered fluids or medicine, most cases require hospitalization with fluids and medicines administered intravenously.

These patients are definitely in an “ICU” setting at the veterinary hospital. As I alluded to earlier, hospital stays can be a week or more in severe cases. Most do well, but sadly not all patients make it.

If there is any good news here, it is that Parvo is a preventable disease. Good-quality vaccines given multiple times during puppyhood, with boosters in adulthood, can prevent most infections.

Vaccination is not a guarantee, but it will dramatically reduce your dog’s chances of contracting this dreaded illness. Those of you with a new puppy, follow your veterinarian’s recommendations exactly with regard to vaccinations.

This is not the time to be “penny wise and pound foolish.” The nominal cost of vaccination pales in comparison to the potential cost of treatment. And even worse than the potential costs is the potential loss of a beloved new family member.

No one’s sure why we’re seeing more Parvo the past few months. What we do know is how effective vaccination is in preventing this deadly and costly disease.

Bottom line: Vaccinate your dog — save a life!

Dr. John Huebner is a 1985 graduate of the School of Veterinary Medicine at UC-Davis and a longtime Benicia resident. He practices companion animal medicine at Redwood Veterinary Hospital in Vallejo. Send comments or pet health questions to him at 731 Admiral Callaghan Lane Vallejo, Ca 94591, or by email at RdWdVet@yahoo.com.