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29/01/2008
My puppy infected by parvovirus
This morning, I took my puppy to Pondok Pengayom Satwa. She’s badly ill. After she refused t
o eat and drink the whole day yesterday and throw out all food and milk that I tried to put in her mouth, today she’s bleeding.
The doctor said, she is infected by parvovirus, which is a highly dangerous virus and this pathogen could be so deadly.
She added that if my dog could survive it two days ahead, she’ll probably cure. But, if she’s not strong enough, she’ll be ‘sleep forever’ before two days.
In a curiosity since I never heard this kind of disease, I searched on the internet to gain more information about the disease – my previous dog was never suffered serious illness until her death caused by infection because of her old age – and finally find out that parvovirus is a common disease.
It mostly attack young puppies (majority infects dogs less than 6 months of age, with the most severe cases seen in puppies younger than 12 weeks of age)– but it can infect at any age – causing gastrointestinal track damage and dehydration as well as a cardiac syndrome. It spread by contact with infected dog’s feces.
The incubation period is from 7 – 14 days. Active excretion of the virus in the feces can be begin the third day after exposure and may last for one to two weeks after the onset of the disease. The illness is characterized by vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration and dark or bloody feces. The disease progresses rapidly and death can occur as early as two days after the onset of the disease. The most –and probably the only one- treatment is replacing fluids lost by intravenous administration of a balanced electrolyte solution. It is also necessary to apply food restricting during periods of vomiting. The mortality rate caused by this disease is high.Though most website said the disease is deadly, www.marvistavet.com said with proper hospitalization, survival rates approach 80%. Beside fluid therapy with IV, potassium is usually added to the fluids to maintain electrolyte balance and dextrose (sugar) is also frequently added to bump up the blood sugar which may go lower as the dog stress of the disease. Second way, it is necessary to give antibiotics added into the IV fluid bag. Because though mostly infected dog killed by dehydration, parvo also kills through bacterial invasion of the circulatory system.
I just hope my puppy could be one of the survival. One of the website said if a puppy survive through this disease, it will be immune for at least twenty months.
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