Treatment: There is no specific therapy to eliminate the virus. Most dogs recover with appropriate supportive care directed to restoration of fluid balance. Oral electrolyte solutions may be used in mildly dehydrated dogs without a history of vomiting. More severely affected dogs should receive IV fluid therapy (lactated Ringer's and 5% dextrose with additional potassium chloride [10-20 mEq/L]) to counter dehydration and maintain fluid balance. Monitoring of electrolyte changes is advisable. Most dogs that survive the first 2-3 days of disease recover. Persistent vomiting can be controlled with metoclopramide, 0.2-0.5 mg/kg, q.i.d., PO or SC, or 1-2 mg/kg/day, slow IV).
Routine use of antibiotics is discouraged. In more severe cases (eg, those with severe blood loss, fever, or loss of intestinal integrity), intestinal integrity is compromised, and these dogs are predisposed to bacteremia and septicemia. In these cases, trimethoprim-sulfa (15 mg/kg, b.i.d., SC or PO) for 5-10 days is advisable; in more severe cases, ampicillin (20 mg/kg, t.i.d., IV) and gentamicin (2.2 mg/kg, t.i.d., SC) for a maximum of 5 days is advisable.
Food and water should be withheld until vomiting has subsided. After this, small amounts of a bland diet (eg, cottage cheese and rice or a commercially available prescription diet such as Canine i/d-? [Hill's]) should be offered frequently. A small volume of warm, salted meat broth should be given concurrently. If GI signs recur after feeding, the dog should be fasted for an additional 12-24 hr before feeding again. If food can be tolerated, the bland diet is continued for 7-14 days, after which the dog's regular diet can be gradually reintroduced. Prevention and Control: Contaminated areas should be thoroughly cleaned. Household bleach (1:30 dilution) or commercial products labeled for use against parvovirus are potent inactivators of the virus. The same solutions may be used as foot baths to disinfect boots. Disinfection of hands, clothing, and food and water bowls is recommended. Pups should be kept isolated from adult dogs returning from shows or field trials.
Vaccination is critical in the control of the disease. Variants of the virus have appeared since the disease was first recognized, but current vaccines protect dogs against all strains of the virus. Vaccines containing live attenuated canine parvovirus generally induce more effective immunity than inactivated virus vaccines. The high-titer canine parvovirus vaccines now available effectively protect puppies against viral challenge, even during the period when maternal antibody titers remain high enough to interfere with active immunization but have declined enough to predispose pups to infection. Three doses of vaccine are recommended at 6, 9, and 12 wk of age. |
