Parvovirus enteritis in dogs - how to protect a pet from a deadly disease?

Viral diseases are particularly difficult for animals. Parvovirus enteritis in dogs is one of them. It is not transmitted to humans, but for this type of pet is a mortal danger. Great importance for the recovery of the dog is played by timely diagnosis with the appointment of an adequate treatment.

The causative agent of parvovirus enteritis in dogs

Any infectious disease has a provoking factor - an agent that gets into the blood and causes these or other symptoms. It is called canine parvovirus : it is a DNA-based virus that has high similarity with feline panleukopenia and viral enteritis of mink. The causative agent of the disease has its own characteristics that distinguish it from similar viruses:

1. It is resistant to external influences. Parvovirus enteritis in dogs is not afraid of high temperatures and alkaline environment.
2. In the frozen form, it retains activity up to 50 years, and in normal conditions - up to 6 months.
3. He overcomes any barriers in the body. The causative agent is found in the blood, feces, urine, nasal mucus and vomit.
4. The incubation period of parfovirus enteritis in dogs depends on the age mark reached by the individual: if an adult needs 3-10 days, the puppy develops in 2-3 days.
5. For the first time the disease was recorded relatively recently - in 1976. In the XX century, mortality rates from it exceeded all imaginable limits: 90% of the deaths of pets died.

Parvovirus enteritis in dogs - symptoms and treatment

Separate this disease from similar will help the characteristic features of its course. The insidiousness of such a disease of dogs as parvovirus enteritis is a wide variety of symptoms that can be masked for other, less dangerous ailments. In this case, only an experienced veterinarian will be able to identify him and not miss the valuable time, because the virus develops rapidly and as it penetrates into the tissues of the dog's body, the chances of recovery are reduced.

Parvovirus enteritis in dogs - signs

One dog is infected with enteritis from another - there is no other scenario for the development of the disease. Infection occurs through contact with feces, urine, saliva or other secretions of the infected individual. Symptoms of the disease of dogs, called parvovirus enteritis, are as follows:

• lethargy and rejection of your favorite food;
• dehydration of the body;
• inflammation of the sclera of the eye with swelling of the blood vessels and lacrimal glands;
• the appearance of foamy or viscous vomiting;
• an intestinal disorder;
• a weak pulse, pale skin and other manifestations of heart failure .

Diagnosis of parvovirus enteritis in dogs

The primary diagnosis can be done at home. Immediately after the appearance of sluggishness of the animal, the owner must measure his temperature. Such a disease of dogs, as parvovirus enteritis, is accompanied by an increase in body temperature to 39 ° C. After the measurement, the owner must urgently show the pet to the doctor. In the course of diagnosis in clinical conditions, it is found:

1. Tenderness of the abdomen with palpation. The dog feels inadequately and aggressively when the abdomen is probed.
2. Violation of the heart. Dehydration and lack of oxygen in parvoviral enteritis in dogs cause acute inflammation of the heart muscle.
3. Dryness of the tongue. Mucous membranes of the mouth, gums, nose and eyes suffer from a lack of moisture and microcracks of the skin.

Parvovirus enteritis in dogs - treatment

The animal needs to provide peace and isolation from healthy dogs. Keep the dog in a warm heated room without drafts and sudden changes in air temperature. He is for a time deprived of walking, to prevent the transmission of the disease. After excluding the danger of transferring the virus to other pets, this scheme of treatment of parvovirus enteritis in dogs is applied:

• injections of serum against plague and enteritis;
• immunity support by immunoglobulins - tactivin, thymalin or anandin;
• dietary feeding with broths of beef or chicken with the addition of medicinal herbs;
• regular cleansing and nourishing enemas.

Prevention of parvovirus enteritis in dogs

The only way the veterinarians can prevent infection is by vaccination . The owner of the dog should be familiar with what is the process of vaccination:

1. It is recommended for puppies that are 2-3 months old. At this age the puppy exhausts the immunity, passed to him with the mother's milk.
2. For 2 weeks before a doctor's visit, it is recommended to perform dehylmintization.
3. The vaccine against parvovirus enteritis in dogs requires compliance with the quarantine regime after administration. For 2-3 weeks a pet should not be overcooled, fed with new food or bathed.
4. Another vaccine (for example, from distemper or rabies ) can be placed no earlier than 21 days after the injection.