Every day, we examine patients with a history of vomiting and/or diarrhea. Some of these patients are diagnosed with Parvovirus, which, as you know from a previous blog on Parvovirus, is a preventable disease with vaccination.
The most common age group affected by this virus is puppies of all breeds and sizes.
A 10-Month-Old Puppy with Parvovirus
The case I am about to discuss involves a 10-month-old puppy. It is not as common to see Parvovirus in this age group because the majority of clients have vaccinated their puppies at 2, 3, and 4 months of age with the Parvovirus vaccine. Unfortunately, this puppy hadn’t received any vaccinations and was considered ‘naïve’ in terms of his protection against this virus.
He presented with extreme lethargy and weakness. He had been vomiting for three days before his owner brought him in, and had experienced liquid diarrhea for two days. He wasn’t eating anymore and was barely drinking.
Exam and Diagnosis
On physical examination, he was weak and dehydrated, with dry and tacky gums instead of moist and wet ones. His abdomen was mildly painful, and I could feel fluid in his intestines.
Despite his age and other potential causes of vomiting and diarrhea, his lack of vaccination history led us to test for Parvovirus. We used a quick in-house test on a stool sample, which takes only eight minutes for results.
Within five minutes, the Parvovirus test came back strongly positive. The test uses a color indicator where the degree of color intensity correlates with the presence of the virus in the stool.
The test has a ‘Negative Control’ area that safeguards against false positives and does not cross-react with the Parvovirus vaccine. This makes it a beneficial test even in recently vaccinated puppies where Parvovirus is still a possible cause for illness.
Bloodwork and Treatment
We also ran a full bloodwork panel to evaluate his organ function, hydration, infection level in the bloodstream, and loss of red blood cells. His initial bloodwork results were stable.
We began standard treatment for Parvovirus, focusing on hydration. In addition to fluids given intravenously, we provided pain relief, antibiotics to prevent secondary infections, and intensive care, including warming him, spending time with him, and frequent bathroom breaks.
Recovery and Outcome
Intensive care and hospitalization under isolation from other patients can take anywhere from 3 to 7 days. This timeline depends on how long it takes for the cells in the intestines to rebuild. Once they regrow, the bowels can resume digesting and absorbing nutrients, allowing the pet to start eating again and receive medications by mouth instead of through the vein. This enables us to send a beloved pet home for further care by their owners.
Our lovely boy made a full and healthy recovery after spending four days in our care. He now has lifelong immunity against Parvovirus.
Written by: Dr. Jenny Kungl