Editor’s note: The University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital is a sponsor of Chambanamoms.com.
In a brightly lit, sterile room, clusters of machines, whirring and beeping, send out tubes that
crisscross, flowing with variously colored liquids, all with one goal: to keep the patient alive.
Caregivers are dressed in biohazard suits and the patient is kept in isolation due to the highly
contagious nature of the patient’s illness.
Yes, this is a scene from an intensive care unit at a large hospital filled with skilled caregivers
and specialists of every stripe. The patient’s name is Luna. She’s an eight-week-old Australian
cattle dog (think Bluey, but with a black and white coat) that was hospitalized at the University
of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
Over five days of hospitalization, Luna was on nine different medications as well as six types of
infusions. Frequent blood tests, imaging evaluations, stool analysis, and vital sign assessments
were made. The diagnosis: infection with parvovirus (or “parvo”).
The Virus Is Everywhere
We don’t know how Luna picked up parvovirus. The virus is ubiquitous in the environment, and
it’s hardy, surviving months to years in suitable conditions outside. Parvovirus is shed in the
stool of infected dogs, wild and domesticated alike, and is frequently found in areas where dogs
congregate, such as parks, kennels, or even a backyard that has played host to an infected dog.
The virus lurks in the soil or on a contaminated object (e.g., toys, shoes) waiting for a dog to
explore with its mouth and ingest it.
The moment of contact between the virus and dog is critical. Dogs that have been appropriately
vaccinated against parvovirus quickly mount an immune response and neutralize the virus with
little outward signs of infection. To state it more plainly, modern vaccines administered at the
right age in a specific sequence are highly protective against parvoviral infection.
Parvo Preys on Puppies
However, for dogs that haven’t been vaccinated, the virus rapidly takes hold. Most parvo cases
occur in puppies aged six weeks to six months. Young dogs have an immature immune system
and may not have received the necessary vaccinations. Importantly, dogs older than six months
can become infected, though this is less common.
After an unvaccinated dog is exposed, the virus moves into the lymph nodes, where it
multiplies. During this incubation period, which typically lasts from three to seven days, the dog
does not show signs of illness although the virus is present.
Eventually the virus makes its way to the two main target organs: the small intestines and bone
marrow. The infection can be severe, causing vomiting, diarrhea, extreme fluid loss,
dehydration, and ultimately shock and sepsis. Without appropriate treatment, many patients
don’t make it.
Prevention Is Key
If the disease is caught early and appropriate treatment is instituted, the prognosis for survival
is good. The more severely affected dogs require hospitalization and intensive care. A new
approach to treating parvoviral infection, called canine parvovirus monoclonal antibody, has
shown promise in fighting this serious disease. This is the first USDA-conditionally approved,
one-dose treatment option for parvovirus in dogs 8 weeks of age and older.
Less severely affected dogs may be treated on an outpatient basis, receiving fluids and
injections at a veterinary clinic followed by supportive care at home. In this scenario, the dog
may need to return for additional treatments.
Thankfully, Luna responded well to treatment and made a full recovery. If Luna, like Bluey, could
give us a “moral of the story,” it would be this: Do not take puppies to high-risk areas like dog
parks and pet stores and strictly follow a veterinarian’s recommendations for vaccinations. This
is one disease where an ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure.
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The University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital offers a full range of emergency, specialty,
urgent, and primary care for dogs and cats, horses, zoological companion animals, and farm
animals within its Large and Small Animal Clinics and Veterinary Medicine South Clinic.
The Urgent and Convenient Care service, led by Dr. Canaan Shores, is located in the South Clinic,
2100 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, across Hazelwood Drive from the Large and Small Animal
Clinics. The Urgent and Convenient Care service see dogs and cats. Its hours are Monday
through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Call 217-244-2555 if you need to see the urgent care veterinarian.
