Causes



There are two ways that this disease is transmitted, via contact with the soil or infected feces. The feces of a dog infected with the canine parvovirus will be infected as well and can carry the disease to others. Other dogs don't even need to come in contact with the feces of infected dogs. The soil will absorb the virus from the feces, so animals can still get sick, both with indirect or direct contact. Humans can't get canine parvovirus, but they can move the virus around. An example is stepping in canine feces and carrying them in another location, on the bottom of their shoes.

The problem with this disease is that it's very contagious and it will live for a lot of time once it leaves the dog's body. It can stay in the soil and still be active one year after it's eliminated in feces, and even if the temperatures are extreme. Another problem is even after the dog recovers, he will still be able to transmit the disease to other dogs for the next few months. That's why dogs that recover need to be kept in isolation from other dogs for some time.

The places where the dog has the most chances of getting sick are places where other dogs go, like kennels, parks, dog shows, pet stores and shelters. Between 3 and 10 days will pass between the time the dog gets infected and the moment he will start displaying symptoms. Even though all dogs can get this disease, those that have the highest risks are puppies that are less than 4 months old and a few breeds that seem to be more susceptible, like Dobermans or Rottweilers.

Diagnosis

Every dog is different and will begin the symptoms in different stages. Very few dogs survive without any treatment of any kind. The veterinarian will do a number of lab tests and will analyze the clinical signs to see if the dog has canine parvovirus. He will also need to know what the medical history of the dog is. You should tell the vet the exact symptoms of the disease and how the dog behaves at home. They will try to see if the diarrhea and vomiting don't have other causes, after which they will do the tests needed to find out if he has canine parvovirus or not.

To find out if he has an infection or not, they will have to do some blood tests. They will also take samples of the dog's feces, to see if they can find any sign of canine parvovirus in them. One of the tests that will be done is the ELISA (Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay, a biochemical technique that will detect the existing antigens and antibodies. They will use an electron microscope to see if the virus is there. With bots tests, the veterinarian will be able to find if the virus exists in the dog. If the dog was never vaccinated for this disease, the veterinarian will probably be able to find out if he has the virus just by seeing if he has an infection or bloody diarrhea.