NOAHS CROSSING VETERINARY CLINIC

We would like to inform all dog owners in many areas of the state that this year many areas that would have been low risk for parvo virus have been elevated to high risk due to the heavy load of virus in the environment. We strongly advise that all dog owners ensure that vaccines are up to date and to follow strict bio security measures particularly around litters of unvaccinated puppies.

Parvo Virus Fact Sheet

What is Parvo?

Parvo is a highly infectious and highly contagious virus with several strains that are most often fatal in unprotected puppies. Some breeds of dogs are more predisposed to Parvo (Rottweilers, Staffordshire terriers, Dobermans) but no breed is resistant to this disease.

Once exposed to the virus there is a 5-12 day period where a dog may have the disease but not show any signs of illness, during this time the newly infected dog will pass Parvo virus in its faeces and infect any other dogs that come into contact with it. Clinical signs of Parvo virus appear as the virus grows in fast reproducing cells in the body, in this case the lining of the digestive tract and the bone marrow. This has two effects, firstly the dog will start to produce diarrhoea and vomiting as nutrients are unable to be absorbed leaving the dog malnourished and secondly the immune system is compromised leaving the dog open to infection.

In some cases of Parvo virus infection heart cells can also be damaged. In the later stages of the disease the digestive tract lining is so damaged

that it detaches and is passed in the faeces, this leads to profuse bloody diarrhoea and allows bacteria to penetrate from the digestive tract into the bloodstream. These bacteria are able to overwhelm the compromised immune system and the dog can die of septic shock.

There is no cure for Parvo virus and treatment is merely supportive, fluids are given to prevent the dehydration caused by diarrhoea. Antibiotics do not work on viruses and are given to reduce the infection caused when bacteria from the digestive system enter the bloodstream. Drugs can also be given to reduce vomiting and decrease pain levels.

How is Parvo transmitted?

Parvo virus is transmitted from any contaminated surface that has been exposed to dog faeces from a dog shedding/excreting the virus. Examples include the bitch, owners or handlers, contaminated soil and dog runs, equipment, dog parks etc. During the first 5-12 days of infection dogs will appear normal but excrete large quantities of virus into the environment, these animals are called “silent shedders” and can lead to massive outbreaks in a very short time. Parvo virus is known to live in the environment for over twelve months meaning that even if an area was contaminated with Parvo virus one

Figure 1 Puppy with Parvo Virus

Figure 2 Healthy puppy or silent shedder?

year ago puppies exposed to the area can develop the disease; this is why some areas continuously have outbreaks of Parvo virus. Unless an area that has been exposed to Parvo virus has been adequately disinfected it will remain infectious for a long time.

What to do if you suspect Parvo virus infection.

Because of the highly infectious nature of Parvo virus it is important that our reception staff are informed that your dog is experiencing signs of parvo, (vomiting, diarrhoea) or that you suspect parvo when booking an appointment; before arriving at the clinic. In the case of puppies where it is fairly certain infection with Parvo has occurred we are able to refer you directly to two specialist clinics that have isolation wards specifically to deal with Parvo virus.

We do not treat dogs with Parvo virus at our facility.

If Parvo is suspected it is important that you remain in your vehicle upon arrival with the puppies in question and a veterinarian will attend to you. Our veterinarians are trained in the correct testing and bio-security protocols required and this reduces the risk to other puppies that could be exposed if a sick pup was brought into the clinic. If a pet is tested positive for parvo we will refer you to a nearby hospital with an isolation ward for treatment. We are here to support you and your pet and will organize a referral and will support you through the whole treatment process.

Vaccination

Vaccination against Parvo virus is an effective way of reducing the risk of puppies contracting Parvo but because there is a time lag between when a vaccination is given and when the dog has its own immunity a vaccinated puppy can still contract Parvo virus if it is exposed. The vaccination status of the bitch is also a factor that can reduce the effectiveness of the vaccination process as maternal protection can interfere with the vaccination.

The detection of Parvo virus is by simply testing the dog’s faeces for virus particles using a “Snap” test. Snap tests are fast and highly accurate. Parvo vaccination contains altered virus particles that are no longer harmful but can lead to false positive test results in recently vaccinated pups.

For The best protection against Parvo virus following the vaccination protocol as well as maintaining adequate bio-security is highly effective in reducing risk. The cost of Parvo treatment at specialist facilities may cost thousands of dollars with no guarantee of success.

Managing Biosecurity on your property.

Once a disease is established on a property, in dogs or litters of puppies it is extremely hard to get under control and the costs can be enormous both in dollar terms and in loss of genetics. Following correct Biosecurity protocols can greatly reduce the risk posed to your animals.

The following is a quick guide to basic bio-security protocols that should be followed.

Maintain a visitor’s log of all people entering the property. Use footbaths / disinfection mats and spray bottles at the entrance to the

property and have visitors and staff disinfect themselves prior to entering the property.

Figure 3 Snap test

Figure 4 Disinfection mat

Attend to sick puppies LAST to prevent spreading disease to healthy pups, or have one person designated to look after sick puppies only.

Anyone attending to sick pups needs to be fully decontaminated before attending to healthy pups. DO NOT share equipment between litters of puppies, eg. Thermometers, feeding bowls, bedding, cleaning

equipment etc. DO NOT allow contact between groups of puppies. When disinfecting an area or equipment use the correct disinfectant for example Parvo virus can be inactivated

using bleach in a 1:30 dilution, but using alcohol based hand sanitiser between litters will have no effect and disease spread will continue.

If an area has not been disinfected it should be considered a possible site of infection. It may be necessary to move uninfected animals off the property in a safe manner to an area or facility that is

clean to enhance their chances of survival in a disease outbreak.Footbaths and entrance mats used for disinfection can be purchased or made cheaply; see the links below.

Breeder’s duty of care.

Dog breeders and people showing dogs need to ensure that they do not place the dogs of other breeders and pet owners at risk through transmission of Parvo virus from their dogs or contaminated items. Dogs should also not be sold before vaccine has been given time to take effect and should not be sold if not in good health.

The South Australian Canine Association rules Part XIV Offences 2F states that“A member shall be guilty of an offence if a dog owned, or leased, by the member and exhibited at an Exhibition is or was; suffering from an infectious or contagious disease or had been exposed to the risk of such disease during the period dating from five weeks prior to the exhibition. This also includes a dog brought onto the grounds at an exhibition and is not exhibited” (Please see attached link for the full SACA rules)

Part XV Code of ethics section 7 States that “I shall not sell or otherwise transfer from my care any Puppy under eight weeks of age, thus allowing for vaccination to be given at six weeks of age and thereby allowing for the ten to fourteen days for the vaccine to take effect. Upon the disposal of the dog I shall provide the owner with a current vaccination certificate of that dog issued by a Veterinary Surgeon” (Please see attached link for the full SACA rules)

Part XV Code of ethics section 8 states “I shall not knowingly sell or otherwise transfer from my care any dog that is not in good health.” (Please see attached link for the full SACA rules)

Additional reading

How to make footbaths for animal facilities http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8281.pdf

South Australian Canine Association Rules http://www.dogssa.com.au/Website/index.php?id=10&level=2

SHOOF catalogue disinfection mats http://www.shoof.com.au/auscatalogue/page_103.pdf