Prior to 1978, parvovirus was an unknown virus as scientists believed that that the virus that caused feline distemper mutates to cause the disease in dogs. It was after the virus was discovered that an effective vaccine became available that protected dogs from this highly contagious virus.
The parvovirus can infect the intestines or the heart. When it infects the heart, it causes bloody diarrhea, while it causes respiratory and heart-related problems when it infects the heart. Usually puppies catch this virus very easily and it can cause death of 90 percent of the puppies infected if they do not receive treatment on time.
The virus is present in fecal matter and can infect a dog either directly or indirectly. The parvovirus is very resilient and can survive in the soil for more than a year. Because the virus can be present anywhere, it is practically impossible to prevent the virus coming in contact with a dog. Usually animal shelters and animal rescue homes are where the virus flourishes. If a dog is infected, it can pass on the infection to an uninfected dog.
The symptoms of parvovirus are as follows:
• Vomiting
• Fever
• Loss of appetite
• Weakness brought on due to loss of electrolytes
• Lethargy
• Bloody stools with an awful odor
• Dehydration
• Shock
• Depression
The parvovirus that attacks dogs most commonly is the intestinal one. On getting infected, the lining of the intestines gets damaged paving way for secondary bacterial infection.
The virus that attacks the heart usually infects pups that are under eight weeks. The pups will show symptoms like having irregular heart beat, weakness, crying, extreme problems in breathing, refusing to drink milk, and near sudden death.
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