Can a Dog Live a Normal Life After Parvo? A Vet’s Hopeful Answer

Comparison of CPV and control group

For final analysis, 138 completed questionnaires were available, 71 questionnaires from the CPV group and 67 from the control group, respectively.

The CPV group consisted of 24 mixed breed dogs. The remaining 47 dogs comprised 25 different pure breeds. Most common breeds were Labrador (n = 6) and Golden Retriever (n = 6). Median age at presentation with acute CPV infection was 12 weeks (range 5 to 357 weeks) and median time of observation was five years (range 1 to 13 years). At the time of data evaluation 56/71 dogs were still alive. All 71 dogs had been presented with acute, mostly watery diarrhoea, which was haemorrhagic in 29 cases and 64 dogs had additionally suffered from vomiting, which was haemorrhagic in eight dogs. Sixty-six dogs were treated with antibiotics (23 dogs only with amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, 37 dogs with two different antibiotics, four dogs with three antibiotics, and two dogs with four antibiotics).

Twenty-three dogs of the control group were mixed breed dogs. The remaining 44 dogs belonged to 22 different pure breeds. Most common breeds were Labrador (n = 6) and Golden Retriever (n = 6). Median age at presentation for those dogs was 27 weeks (range 5 to 697 weeks). With a median of five years (range 1 to 12 years) the time of observation of the control dogs was similar to that for the CPV group. At the time of data evaluation 55/67 dogs were still alive. The majority of the control group (43/67 dogs) was presented for wellness exams and vaccination. Eight dogs were presented due to respiratory diseases, six due to urinary tract diseases, and five due to the supposed intake of foreign body or intoxication without clinical signs. A single dog each was treated for lameness, stick injury, a wasp sting, unrest, and weakness, respectively. None of these control dogs were treated with antibiotics or showed signs of gastrointestinal, dermatological, or cardiac disease.

No significant differences between dogs of the CPV and the control group were found regarding breed, date of birth, gender, age at data evaluation, time of observation, and regular prevention of ectoparasites. Age at presentation was significantly younger and regular prevention of endoparasites more frequently used in dogs of the CPV group (Table 1).

Elena Kilian1Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, GermanyConceptualization, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Writing – original draftFind articles by

Received 2017 Nov 8; Accepted 2018 Jan 19; Collection date 2018. © 2018 Kilian et al

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Canine parvovirus (CPV) is the most important viral cause of acute canine enteritis leading to severe damage of the intestinal barrier. It has been speculated that dogs might develop chronic disorders after surviving CPV infection. However, no studies regarding the long-term implications of CPV infection have been published to date. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether dogs that have survived CPV infection will have an increased risk for developing chronic gastroenteritis, atopic dermatitis, or cardiac disease.

Dogs that had been treated at the Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, LMU Munich, for CPV infection for which a follow-up of at least 12 months was available, were included in the study. Owners completed a questionnaire on the presence of chronic gastrointestinal and cutaneous signs, cardiac disease, and other potential disorders. An identical questionnaire was sent to owners of matched control dogs during the same time period. Seventy-one questionnaires of dogs with CPV infection and 67 of control dogs were analyzed. Significantly more CPV-infected dogs (30/71) compared to control dogs (8/67) had developed chronic gastrointestinal signs later in their lives (P < 0.001). No significant differences were observed regarding skin diseases (P = 1), cardiac problems (P = 0.160), or any other diseases (P = 0.173) later in life.

Results of this study suggest that dogs that survive CPV infection have a significantly higher risk (odds ratio = 5.33) for developing a chronic gastrointestinal disease. Further prospective studies to identify the trigger for the development of chronic diarrhoea and possible targeted treatment strategies are needed.

Canine parvovirus (CPV) represents a common viral cause of acute enteritis in dogs [1–3]. As parvoviruses require cells with a high proliferation rate for replication they have a high affinity for the small intestine, bone marrow, and lymphatic tissues [4]. In puppies, CPV can also affect myocardial cells during the time of high cell turnover rate from the time of intrauterine development until up to the age of about two weeks [5, 6] leading to acute heart failure frequently resulting in sudden death within the first eight weeks of life [7–9]. Structural changes in myocardial tissue have been detected in puppies surviving acute CPV infection [7], however their clinical consequence is unclear. In the intestine, characteristic histologic findings of parvovirus enteritis include necrosis of the intestinal crypt epithelium, shortening or obliteration of villi, and dilation of intestinal crypts with necrotic cellular debris [2]. These changes as well as the haemorrhagic diarrhoea seen in these dogs are associated with destruction of the intestinal barrier. An intact intestinal barrier is crucial for the development and stimulation of the immune system and establishment of oral tolerance. Severe destruction of the intestinal barrier might lead to a higher risk for immunological diseases later in life [10].

Puppies with CPV enteritis in combination with neutropenia are prone to become septic. Therefore, aggressive intravenous, broad-spectrum, bactericidal antibiotic treatment is part of the therapy. In humans, recent studies have shown that early-life exposure to antibiotics is associated with an increased risk for the development of allergic disorders [11, 12]. Metadata analysis suggests an association between acute gastroenteritis and development of post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome in humans [13]. Taken together, there is reason to suspect that severe enteritis in combination with antibiotic exposure in early life might also predispose dogs to signs of chronic gastrointestinal disease later.

So far, information about long-term consequences of CPV infection is sparse, and only few studies in veterinary medicine address long-term effects of acute intestinal disorders in general. However, this knowledge would be important to establish long-term prognosis. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate whether dogs that survived a clinical manifestation of CPV infection prompting intensive antibiotic treatment have an increased risk for chronic gastrointestinal and skin disorders, such as food or environmental allergies, or cardiac diseases later in life.

The study was designed as a prospective survey in combination with retrospective data acquisition. A questionnaire with 37 questions was sent to owners of dogs that had recovered from a clinical manifestation of CPV infection. For comparison, the same questionnaire was sent to owners of dogs that had never experienced clinical signs consistent with CPV infection. Dogs in the CPV and control group were identified by reviewing medical records from the Clinic of Small Animal Internal Medicine of the LMU Munich, Germany, from July 1997 to December 2013. Only dogs monitored for at least one year after presentation were included in the study. Before sending out the questionnaires, owners of dogs suitable for the study were contacted by telephone and asked for their willingness to participate.

This study was approved by the ethics committee of the Centre of Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, Germany (approval number: 96-25-09-2017).

Initially, 237 dogs suffering from a clinical manifestation of CPV infection were included. Diagnosis was based on typical clinical signs in conjunction with a positive faecal antigen ELISA, positive PCR of faeces, or virological detection of CPV in faeces by electron microscopy.

To detect possible correlations between chronic gastrointestinal problems later in life and the severity of the CPV infection, selected laboratory parameters from the clinical records of the time of acute CPV infection of the puppies were evaluated. For consistency the most significantly changed value (with respect to the reference range) of each parameter recorded during hospitalization was used (e. g., the lowest recorded albumin level). In addition, clinical parameters such as the presence of blood in faeces or vomit, the first day of voluntary food intake, additional endoparasite infestation, antibiotic treatment (number of different antibiotics multiplied by number of days applied), and duration of clinical illness were documented.

For each dog included in the CPV group a suitable control dog of identical breed and similar age (date of birth ± one year) as the dogs from the CPV group was selected (irrespective of their gender). Dogs were chosen that were presented in the same year as the corresponding dog with CPV infection. Those control dogs were presented to LMU Munich for wellness exams or vaccination. If matching healthy control dogs to a specific dog with CPV infection were not available, patients that were presented to the clinic for any reason except for gastrointestinal, dermatological or cardiac disorders or severe illnesses were included as control dogs. Dogs that were treated with antibiotics were specifically excluded.

The questionnaire comprised five sections (S1 File). The first section contained general information, such as origin of the dog, feeding regime, vaccination history, and parasite prevention. The second section included questions regarding chronic gastrointestinal problems. Episodes of gastrointestinal signs that lasted longer than three weeks or recurrent episodes lasting longer than three days and not improving without therapy were defined to be chronic. To assess severity of the gastrointestinal signs, questions were based on the Canine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Activity Index (CIBDAI) [14]. Questions always referred to the episodes with the most severe signs of the chronic gastrointestinal disorder. The third section evaluated presence of chronic skin diseases and was designed to identify dogs with atopic dermatitis according to the Favrot criteria [15]. The fourth section contained questions concerning the diagnosis of any cardiac disease and their associated clinical signs. In the last section, questions about the development of any other chronic diseases were asked. The questionnaire was formulated in layman’s terms and easy to understand. The comprehensibility was tested beforehand in a randomly chosen group of 10 dog owners without medical background.

The comparison of baseline data, such as gender, breed, and endo- and ectoparasites prevention, of the CPV and the control group and the comparison of binary data were performed using Fisher’s exact test. A Mann-Whitney U test was used for ordinal scale data, such as age at presentation, time of observation, and CIBDAI. To identify correlations between clinical and laboratory findings during CPV infection and later gastrointestinal disease, Spearman’s rank correlation and Mann-Whitney U test were used. Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons was applied where appropriate. P values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Power analysis showed that a minimum of 60 patients in each group was needed to detect a clinically significant difference of 30% in the prevalence of chronic disorders later in life with P < 0.05 and a power of > 90%. The statistical analysis was performed using R.

What To Expect When Your Dog Is Recovering From Canine Parvovirus || MumblesVideos

FAQ

Can a dog survive Parvo?

The Canine Expert: My Dog Survived Parvo: Now what? Parvovirus is an unfortunately common disease in puppies, and it can often be life-threatening. While it is a potentially fatal disease, dogs treated by a veterinarian have a survival rate of 68 to 92 percent, and most dogs who survive the first three to four days can recover completely.

How long does a dog recover from a Parvo infection?

Once your dog has fully recovered, it should be able to resume its everyday life. Depending on your veterinarian’s recommendations, a parvo infection recovery period will typically last 1-2 weeks. Parvovirus is a preventable disease that can be avoided in puppies and adults through vaccinations.

How long does the Parvo virus survive?

The Parvo virus can survive for three months at room temperature, but it is generally an extremely strong virus. It can stay alive for six months inside of a refrigerator and for a couple of weeks at temperatures of 100 degrees.

Is a Parvo diagnosis in dogs serious?

A parvo diagnosis in dogs is a serious matter. Parvo is a relatively common disease, but depending on your dog’s age, it could have serious, even fatal consequences. Luckily, a dog will typically recover well if treated quickly.

How long does a dog stay contagious after Parvo?

Parvo is typically contagious starting within four to five days of the first exposure. Unfortunately, symptoms do not usually appear until after the dog has become contagious. Your dog will also remain contagious for up to ten days following its clinical recovery. So, keep dogs recovering from parvo quarantined even after they’ve recovered.

Can a dog get Parvo if he has other dogs?

If you have other dogs, keep them apart for a while. Because parvo is such an infectious disease, you must disinfect your home as soon as you discover your dog is infected. To prevent the virus from spreading, sanitize your entire house and clean all of your dog’s bedding, bowls, and toys.

How long will a dog survive with parvo?

How to save a puppy from parvo?

How long does it take for parvo to run its course?

How long after parvo exposure do symptoms start?