What is canine parvovirus?

Canine parvovirus is a virus affecting dogs that attacks and damages tissues with rapidly dividing cells (such as the gastrointestinal tract, bone marrow, and lymphatic tissues), which can cause severe and life-threatening disease ​[1, 2]​. Canine parvovirus cases occur across Australia with an estimated 20,000+ cases a year across the country ​[3]​.

The virus is highly infectious and infected dogs shed the virus in their faeces; this may start from day four post infection, which may be before the dog develops clinical signs of disease ​[1]​.

Dogs are infected via faecal-oral transmission – exposure to the virus directly from faeces containing the virus, or contact with surfaces and objects that have been contaminated with the virus (e.g. soil, grass, floors, food and water bowls etc) ​[1]​. The virus is very hardy and can survive for more than a year in the environment ​[1, 2]​.  

The time from infection to the onset of clinical signs for canine parvovirus ranges from 4 to 10 days ​[1]​. The clinical signs of the disease vary between dogs and the severity of their infection but commonly include sudden onset of lethargy, anorexia (not eating), vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, dehydration and severe (often bloody) diarrhoea ​[1]​. The combination of the effects of the virus on the immune system and the severe gastrointestinal signs result in very serious and life-threatening disease ​[1]​.

Disease is most often seen in dogs less than six months of age and puppies between 6 and 20 weeks are at greatest risk from this disease (although it can occur in dogs of any age, especially if they are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated) ​[1, 2]​.

Veterinarians can test for parvovirus and treat dogs suffering from the disease ​[1, 2]​. Early and intensive appropriate treatment maximises the chances of survival (survival rates of 96% are reported for aggressively treated hospitalised dogs) ​[1]​. However, mortality rates are high in untreated dogs (reported to be as high as 91%) ​[1]​.

Prevention

There are highly effective vaccinations available for parvovirus ​[2, 4]​. For dogs, the core vaccines that all puppies and dogs should receive protect against canine parvovirus, canine distemper virus, and canine adenovirus ​[4]​. Vaccination against these three serious viruses is usually combined within a single vaccine commonly known in Australia as the C3 vaccine. 

It is vital that puppies (from six weeks of age) and dogs are fully vaccinated with core vaccinations to protect them from serious and life-threatening diseases such as parvovirus ​[2, 4]​. Your veterinarian can advise you on the appropriate vaccination protocol (timing, number of vaccines etc) for your individual dog ​[5]​. Your veterinarian will do a health check before administering a vaccination to ensure your dog’s health status is appropriate for vaccination and so they can give you the right advice for your individual dog. 

If you are unsure of your dog’s vaccination status you should contact your veterinarian for advice.

As well as making sure your dog’s vaccinations are up to date, your veterinarian can advise you on other preventative measures that can help to protect your dog against parvovirus (and other infectious diseases). The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) advises keeping animals who are not fully vaccinated away from at-risk areas for disease until at least 7–14 days after vaccination ​[6]​ (e.g., public areas that dogs frequent such as dog parks). The AVA advises that puppy preschool properly conducted in a clean environment should not pose a risk to a puppy that is not yet fully vaccinated ​[5]​. Early socialisation is vital to puppies’ behavioural development and to their future well-being ​[4]​.

If your puppy or dog is unwell, it is important that you promptly seek advice from your veterinarian as early intervention is vital for dogs with serious and life-threatening diseases such as parvovirus.