Parvoviral enteritis in dogs

Dogs, although they have better health than humans, still get sick, including serious infectious diseases, such as parvovirus enteritis. The virus that causes it develops at lightning speed and is very dangerous for four-legged friends. Therefore, the owner should be aware of how parvovirus enteritis manifests itself in dogs and what to do to help the pet.

Causes of disease

The infection is caused by a virus from the Parvovirus family, there are 2 types:

• Type I is found in the feces of healthy animals and is not pathogenic.
• Type II - contains DNA, does not have a shell, is highly resistant to physical and chemical effects.

The main source of infection is the feces of infected dogs. It is believed that the virus with feces is excreted within one and a half weeks, and its maximum number, the most dangerous for infection, reaches on the 5th day.

Also within 2-12 days the virus can be in the vomiting mucous mass. Due to the fact that the pathogen is resistant to various threats and has the ability to persist for a long time in the external environment, it can be dangerous for several months.

In some cases, with a small dose of a virus that has entered the body of an animal, the disease proceeds without obvious signs. With a large number of it occur, symptoms characteristic of parvovirus enteritis occur.

Sick animals release viruses within 14–21 days after infection, and even after cure they are contagious for a long time. The pathogen is able to persist for a long time on the coat and paws of a dog, which is very dangerous for pets who have not been vaccinated.

The virus can be transmitted as follows:

• during contact of the sick animal with healthy brothers;
• through the objects of care - a bowl, toys, combs, etc .;
• through food;
• through soil containing infected feces;
• A dog can become infected from a person who carries the virus - often the owners bring it on shoes and outerwear.

Most often, the pathogen of infection penetrates the animal through the nasal (intranasal) or oral (oral) cavity. The peak of the spread of parvovirus infection occurs in late spring-summer and from October to March.

Experts in the process of clinical studies have not established the relationship between susceptibility to the disease and the breed and sex of dogs, but only with age. Most often, puppies get sick 2-12 months.

Symptoms of parvovirus enteritis in dogs

The disease is insidious, as it can be accompanied by a wide variety of symptoms, which complicates its diagnosis. And sometimes the signs of infection are very mild, and the owner does not even suspect that his dog is seriously ill. In the case of this pathology, not only health but also the life of the dog depends on its early detection and timely treatment.

To notice the primary manifestations of the disease, the owner should be more attentive to the pet, noticing even a slight change in behavior. For any signs you can not hesitate, you should immediately deliver the dog to a veterinary clinic.

Symptoms of parvovirus may include the following conditions:

1. Lethargy The dog becomes less active, and even walks and favorite games do not cause the same joy. The dog may not respond to what is happening around the action, rarely gets up.
2. Increased body temperature . A figure above 39 ° C signals the development of an infectious disease. But there is one caveat - sometimes with enteritis, the temperature may rise even before the death of the pet, so you should pay attention to other signs of the disease.
3. Painful symptoms . The period of incubation of parvovirus is 5-10 days. And if the animal begins to arch its back while stroking, and when it touches the stomach area it tries to pull away, then the pet is in pain - this is the first manifestation of the disease.
4. Emetic urges . This symptom occurs only a day after the incubation period. Initially, vomit consists of the remnants of undigested food, later becoming grayish mucus.
5. Diarrhea Fecal liquid, first yellowish or greenish, later - red.

Ill pet refuses to eat, does not drink, the body quickly loses moisture, which threatens to rapid dehydration. Due to excruciating pain and developed heart failure, the disease can be fatal in 2-3 days.

Diagnosis of enteritis

When a four-legged patient with signs of parvovirus enteritis enters the veterinary clinic, the doctor immediately tries to establish a preliminary diagnosis. The sudden development of a pathological condition, vomiting, diarrhea with blood, dehydration are the main symptoms of parvovirus.

In addition, the infection almost always causes an increase in the mesenteric lymph nodes, which can be detected by palpation. For a more accurate diagnosis, the veterinarian prescribes a series of laboratory tests:

• PCR (polymerase chain reaction) is an effective way to detect the causative agent in the feces of a sick animal;
• DSA (hemagglutination test) - reveals a pathogen antigen;
• RGTA - analysis identifying the pathogen;
• electron microscopy - the study of the feces of a sick animal;
• Histology - used posthumously, detects tissue necrosis, a critical decrease in lymphocytes in the small intestine.

In modern veterinary medicine, they began to frequently use ELISA - an immunoassay study, considering it to be a more informative and reliable method for diagnosing parvovirus in dogs.

Important for accurate diagnosis are differential methods. The specialist must distinguish parvovirus from other types of enteritis - nutritional, caused by pathogenic bacteria, toxins.

Treatment of infection

First of all, the dog needs emergency medical care, but if at the same time it is not possible to call the doctor or deliver the dog to the clinic, then the following is necessary from the owner:

• it is important to provide the dog with complete peace, not to give him water and food;
• you cannot do an enema dog yourself unless recommended by a veterinarian;
• You can give your dog some petroleum jelly or any vegetable oil (the former is more effective), it is not absorbed into the walls of the gastrointestinal tract, but envelops them and helps to eliminate toxic substances.

Owners of dogs are advised to pre-configure a home veterinary first aid kit so that they have everything they need for primary care at hand:

• several syringes of different volumes (5-20 ml) and replaceable needles for them;
• analgesics and antispasmodics - No-shpa (Drotaverin), Analgin; it is best that these are ampoules for injections, since the parvovirus is accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea, and the tablets will not be absorbed by the body of the sick animal;
• Sulfokamfokain, Kordiamin - drugs that support the work of the heart.

Such activities are only suitable for short-term care and will not allow the animal to be completely cured of parvovirus enteritis. Veterinarians in this case use an integrated approach.

Intensive Infusion Procedures

First of all, the animal loses a lot of moisture, it is required to fill the deficit and compensate for its subsequent loss. To do this, appointed dropper with balanced crystalloid solutions.

The doctor approximately determines the volumes of the lost fluid and prescribes twice its quantity. This allows you to normalize the balance and avoid serious complications. Often, experts prescribe the tool Normosol (Normosol), to which is added a solution of potassium salt of hydrochloric acid.

It is important to monitor the amount of glucose in the blood and, when required, add this component to the infusion fluid. To correct persistent hypokalemia (reduced concentration of potassium ions), a certain amount of the magnesium salt of hydrochloric acid is added to the solution for infusion.

Use of antibacterial agents

Experts recommend a parenteral (bypassing the digestive tract organs) method of administering these drugs, since parvovirus prescribes broad-spectrum antibiotics that can destroy the protective membrane of the intestinal mucosa, which increases the risk of sepsis.

Often, veterinarians prescribe injections of Gentamicin and Ampicillin, with an 8-hour interval, but consider that aminoglycosides have renal toxicity.

Some doctors, if the dog does not detect neutropenia or fever, recommend drugs from a number of first-generation cephalosporins, and the previous combination is used when symptoms of sepsis occur.

Drugs that can neutralize endotoxic substances

Their dog is given during antibiotic therapy to speed up the process of removing endotoxins and to prevent the patient from worsening. In addition, the funds in this group reduce the likelihood of a septic shock.

Medicines are diluted with saline and injected with a dropper for half an hour or an hour.

Antiemetic agents

Metoclopramide is prescribed, but they do not forget about caution, since adequate rehydration is required beforehand to eliminate the risks of severe hypotension.

Such drugs are necessary when, due to prolonged abundant vomiting, it is impossible to maintain a water-electrolyte balance.

Power correction

No less important aspect that affects the results of therapy. First of all, at the first sign of a parvovirus infection, the owner must stop feeding and watering the pet. The dog should be on a starvation diet for at least 2-3 days.

A little water can be given to the dog only a day after vomiting stops. After the pet, they start feeding them with food, ground into mush. Meals should be fractional - initially food is given in small portions, every 2-2.5 hours.

Rice water, chicken breast broth, and flaxseed oil are suitable as first dishes for a sick dog. If the dog does not fit the bowl or he does not have the strength to eat on his own, then you can gently put liquid food into his mouth using a syringe.

Gradually, other foods are introduced into the diet - one per day. You can give your pet crushed egg, pasta, diluted with chicken broth.

The convalescent animal needs carbohydrate foods to replenish the body’s energy resources. Also, the dog is recommended 2-3 times a week to give lean fish in boiled form, separated from the bones, it is better sea.

Dairy products such as kefir, yogurt, ryazhenka, yogurt are useful for normalizing the intestinal microflora, but they should not contain sugar and artificial additives.

At the beginning of recovery you should not give meat to your pet, especially raw. Also not the best products are milk, fatty, pickled, salty foods, spices and seasonings.

To protect your pet from such a dangerous disease, you should take care of regular vaccination. In addition, it is important to ensure good conditions and good nutrition for the dog.

A parvovirus infection can kill an animal in a couple of days, especially for puppies, therefore preventive measures are required, and, if the infection has finally occurred, timely professional help from a veterinarian. This is the only way to help your four-legged friend.