posted 05-19-2003 07:59 AM         

Parvovirus infection is spread by dog-to-dog contact.

Wherever a lot of dogs gather (I.E. dog shows, obedience classes, kennels, pet shops, animal shelters etc.), there is an increased risk of exposure to this potentially fatal infection. The most common means of transmission is through the feces of an infected dog. The fecal matter of an infected dog contains the virus and can be transmitted by other dogs sniffing or consuming the infected feces or by tracking the infected fecal matter in on shoes. Only canines can be infected with Parvovirus. Humans and other animals can't contract Parvovirus. This is strictly a canine disease.

The symptoms of Canine Parvovirus (which often appear 5-7 days after the dog is exposed) are:

Depression

Loss of appetite

Vomiting

Severe diarrhea

Blood streaked stool

Most of the deaths occur within 72 hours of the onset of symptoms. The dog will dehydrate fast from all the vomiting and diarrhea and will die from it. Some may not get as severe and will recover.

Another form of parvoviras is myocarditis (inflammation of the heart). This occurs more commonly in puppies under 3 months of age. Some will die within days of contracting this with little or no symptoms, where others will overcome the infection yet have weakened hearts which could cause them to die from heart failure even after they seem like they have recovered. The first sign of trouble with young puppies is they stop nursing and then die sometimes within minutes of the onset of symptoms

To diagnose Parvovirus, a vet will take a stool sample and test for the virus. Once it has been confirmed the vet will administer medicine to try and stop the vomiting and diarrhea, and will also try to replace lost fluids. The vet may also give antibiotics to prevent secondary infections from occurring. There is no known cure for Parvovirus, so prevention is the key.