Adopting a pet has become a fashion all over the world. So being a pet parent, you should have basic knowledge regarding common diseases. If you are keeping a dog as a pet, then you should know about a common illness of dogs known as parvo. An unvaccinated dog or puppy that is less than four months of age is at greater risk of acquiring this infectious disease.
Cause
Canine parvovirus is a causative agent of parvo that results in a lot of health complications. It is highly contagious and spread rapidly from an infected dog to a healthy one. Your dog may acquire infection by direct contact with contaminated feces, food, or water.
Signs and symptoms
This virus majorly attacks the gastrointestinal tract of the dog. Rapid multiplication in cells of the digestive tract results in heavy damage, and you may observe the following signs:
– Fever
– Severe vomiting
– Bloody diarrhea
– Dehydration
– Loss of appetite
– Weight loss
– Dullness
– Depression
Diagnosis
If you observe the above-mentioned symptoms in your dog, then immediately take the poor soul to an expert veterinarian. The fecal ELISA test is mostly used for the diagnosis of parvovirus. But this test is not 100% reliable. The final diagnosis is made by keeping the clinical signs and results of the test in mind.
Treatment
There is no treatment for parvovirus infection. But keep in mind your companion needs supportive therapy to fight against this deadly virus. Your veterinarian will do vigorous fluid therapy to keep your dog hydrated. Antibiotics are recommended to avoid any kind of secondary bacterial infection. Anti-vomiting and anti-diarrheal drugs are also administered to suppress excessive vomiting and diarrhea.
Prevention
A well-renowned quote is, “Prevention is better than cure.” You can easily avoid this deadly disease by taking the following measures:
– Complete vaccine course. Don’t delay or miss any shot of vaccine.
– Avoid contact with infected dogs. If you’ve more than one dog, then separate the dog who shows any sign of illness.