No Parvo Vaccine Means No Immunity
Heres your first fact about the parvo vaccine: If its not administered, you can bet your ass that your dog will not be protected against canine parvovirus.
Ive stressed the importance of regular vaccinations in other posts, like 11 FAQs About Puppy Vaccinations and 6 Dog Vaccination Q& As. Ive emphasized over and over that shots are essential, and not all that costly.
Oddly enough, around the time that Kane was diagnosed, it seems that Natasha had $100 to spend on a new tattoo, but didnt have $30 for Kanes parvo vaccine.
If you think I sound angry, its because I am.
Avoid Parvo By Vaccinating Before Exposure
I advise puppy owners to follow the puppy vaccination schedule recommended by the American Animal Hospital Association. Vaccination of puppies should begin at the age of six weeks. After that, we provide a booster vaccine against distemper, adenovirus, and parvovirus every 2-4 weeks. Well keep doing this until the puppy is 16-20 weeks old. Kennel cough and rabies vaccination may also be done during this period.
The reason we do a series of shots is that pups have antibodies from their mothers that protect them from disease but also keep the pup from responding to a vaccine properly. We need to repeat immunizations until the antibodies from the mother dog wear off. This occurs sometime between the ages of 6 and 20 weeks. After that, the pups own immune system can respond to vaccines to provide long-term protection against diseases like parvo.
You should consider your puppy susceptible to disease until a week after he has had his last vaccine at 16-20 weeks of age. Dont take him to places where unknown puppies or adult dogs may have been in the last several months, such as a dog park or a shopping mall.
Vets rule of thumb: your puppy should be protected against parvo within a week after getting his final puppy vaccine. To be extra cautious, wait two weeks before letting him visit any high-risk areas.
How Long Are Puppies With Parvo Contagious
Puppies and adult dogs with parvo start shedding the virus within 4-to-5 days of exposure. Unfortunately for conscientious owners, this time period does not always coincide with the first parvo symptoms, which means dogs can be contagious before owners even realize that they are sick. Puppies with parvo continue to shed the virus for up to 10 days after a clinical recovery, so be sure to keep any puppies recovering from parvo away from unvaccinated and partially vaccinated dogs.
Outside of your dog, the virus can survive indoors for at least one month, and outdoors it can survive for many months and even a year under the right conditions. Use a cleaner proven to kill parvovirus. Talk to your vet about the best way to remove the parvovirus from your home environment or kennels.
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A Typical Puppy Vaccination Schedule:
- First vaccination: 6 to 8 weeks DHP
- Second vaccination: 9 to 11 weeks DHP
- Third vaccination: 12 to 15 weeks DHP
- Fourth vaccination: 16 to 20 weeks DHP
- Booster DHP: 1 year of age or 12 months after the last puppy shot, then as recommended
- Rabies vaccination: typically required by law at 3-6 months of age with a booster 12 months later, then a booster every 1-3 years.
- Bordetella, Parainfluenza, and Canine Influenza recommended for social dogs .
- Lyme or Leptospirosis: May be recommended by your veterinarian if you live in or travel with your dog to an area where these are endemic.
Why Does My Dog Need To Be Revaccinated
In most properly vaccinated dogs, the immunity should last more than a year, and often several years. However, immunity does decline with time and this decline rate varies with individuals. To maintain the best protection against infectious diseases, revaccinations have proven very successful.
“Immunity does decline with time and this decline rate varies with individuals.”
As vaccines are improved over time, some do not need to be given as often, depending on individual circumstances. Most dogs with low-risk lifestyles can be vaccinated every three years with the core vaccines and as needed for any non-core vaccines . Your veterinarian will discuss the need and frequency of booster vaccinations for your dog based on your dogs needs and lifestyle.
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There Are Myths About Parvo
You may have heard that adult dogs are not all that vulnerable to parvo, so you dont have to worry about parvo vaccine for adults. You may also have heard that if an adult dog contracts parvo, he will just get very ill, but he wont die.
Well, let me just ask you this if you have a way of preventing your adult dog from becoming very ill, why wouldnt you? Is there anyone out there who actually thinks its okay to neglect their dogs health? Besides, its not true that adult dogs wont die of parvo theyre less likely to die, if treated, than puppies, but the risk is still extremely high. And if the illness isnt treated, death is pretty much inevitable.
Another parvo myth is that you dont need parvo vaccine for your dog if you keep their environment clean and keep them away from other dogs. The fact is, the parvo virus lives everywhere. Your perfectly healthy dog could pick up canine parvovirus at the dog park, at the veterinary clinic, on the sidewalk and just about anywhere else that any other dog could have been. The virus can also live for up to six months, so how confident are you, really, that your dog will not be exposed?
What Is Parvo In Cats
Parvo is a term used for the disease caused by the feline parvovirus. The illness is most common and severe in kittens. At birth, most kittens have antibodies from their mother. These antibodies protect them for the first few weeks. By the age of 4 to 12 weeks, this protection wanes, and the kittens become vulnerable to the virus.
Feline parvo is most common in cats 3 to 5 months old. The feline parvovirus is widespread in the environment, and almost all cats are exposed to it. Apart from young kittens, sick cats and unvaccinated cats are most likely to get this disease.
Cats can get infected during pregnancy and give birth to brain-damaged kittens. These kittens have difficulty walking and feeding.
The feline parvovirus attacks the cells in your cat’s intestines, which causes diarrhea, vomiting, and difficulty eating and drinking. It also attacks the bone marrow, causing shortages of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
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Personalize Your Pets Vaccinations
When tailoring a vaccination program for your individual animal specifically as it concerns how often to boost the DHLPP vaccine consider the following questions.
Does your dog:
- Have close contact with many different dogs?
- Meet and play with other dogs?
- Stay in a boarding kennel?
- Go to doggy daycare?
- Go to a grooming facility?
- Participate in dog shows or agility?
- Have exposure to a shelter environment?
- Visit dog parks?
- Run free or hunt?
In addition to the above checklist, your vet will consider the age, health status, lifestyle and previous vaccine history of your dog.
Take, for example, Lady Gaga, a 10-year-old Toy Poodle living in a suburban neighborhood who is rarely off-leash. Gaga has been given a DHPP vaccine every 3 years for the past 10 years.
Does she still need a booster every 3 years until shes 16? Probably not.
Now lets walk down the road and find Homer, the 9-year-old coonhound. Whoops! We cant find Homer because he broke through his fence again and will be gone for several hours, as he often does. When he comes home, his human will reward him by taking him to the dog park.
Should Homer continue to get a 3-year DHPP booster? Yes, I think so.
Parvovirus Vaccine Types And Mechanism Of Action
The canine parvovirus vaccine is considered a core vaccine by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association Vaccination Guidelines Group as well as the American Animal Hospital Association , indicating that all dogs should receive thisvaccine as part of a routine wellness program.6,13 Two types of CPV-2 vaccines are currently available: a modified live virus and an inactivated vaccine. The MLV preparations are the predominant form of CPV-2 vaccine available in North America . Vaccination with any of the commercially available MLV CPV-2 vaccines will induce immunity against all 3 CPV-2 strains.
Immunity is mediated primarily by IgG-neutralizing antibodies, while secretory IgA and cell-mediated immunity may be less important in conferring protection after vaccination.6 In general, B lymphocytes in peripheral lymphoid tissues recognize parvoviral antigen and undergo growth, division, and differentiation into plasma cells and memory B cells. The plasma cells initially produce antigen-specific IgM in response to vaccine antigens but switch to antigen-specific IgG production as the immune response matures. Between 3 and 5 encounters with antigen typically lead to the differentiation of the maximal number of antigen-specific memory B cells.14
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Parvo Kills At Worst And Disables At Best
Even if a parvo-infected dog lives, he will probably never be 100% healthy. A dog that has not had the parvo vaccine, and has contracted and survived he illness, will typically never enjoy full health, and will most likely die before the average life expectancy for his breed or breed mix. For the sake of a very inexpensive shot, you could be dooming your dog to the need for constant medical care and a shortened lifespan.
Parvo is also fast it strikes like lightning. Your dog can appear perfectly healthy one day, and the next can be horribly ill or even dying. He will require emergency veterinary treatment that could have been avoided if youd gotten him the parvo vaccine.
Will A Vaccine Help A Dog Who Is Sick With Parvo
A parvo shot will not benefit an adult dog or puppy who is already showing CPV symptoms. To protect a dog from infection, the vaccine must be given a week or two before the dog is exposed to the parvovirus.
A parvo vaccine will also not stop puppies from getting sick if they have already been infected but dont have any symptoms yet. After about a week, a vaccine may help protect puppies from getting sick in a contaminated environment.
If one puppy in your home gets parvo, the first thing to do is isolate him from unvaccinated dogs or puppies. Follow strict sanitization protocols to minimize the chances of any other dogs getting infected.
You can vaccinate any healthy puppies, but it takes about a week for immunity to become effective. Because diseased dogs can shed virus particles for 50-60 days after recovering from parvo, its a good idea to get all dogs immunized as soon as possible!
Adult dogs who are up to date on their parvo vaccination have a very minimal chance of contracting parvo when living with an infected dog.
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Symptoms Of Parvo In Dogs
Parvovirus symptoms can be pretty serious and even life-threatening.
Signs of parvo in dogs can include:
- Diarrhea
- Lack of appetite
- Fever
- Abdominal pain
Thankfully, dogs who are vaccinated do not tend to develop signs as severe as those who are unvaccinated, Dr. Simon said.
If you notice any of these symptoms, even if theyre mild, bring your dog to the vet right away because parvo can be fatal.
How To Prevent Parvo
There are two approaches you can take when it comes to preventing parvovirus in your dog. The first of which is a more natural and holistic approach. The second being the parvovirus vaccine.
If you do decide to vaccinate, we will discuss ways for you to increase your puppys success.
But before we get to that, lets discuss some alternatives
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What Should I Do If I Suspect My Dog Has Parvo
If you recognise the symptoms above in your own dog, call your veterinary practice immediately for advice. Make sure to tell them what symptoms your dog or puppy has, and whether or not theyve come into contact with a dog with confirmed parvovirus.
Most deaths from parvo happen within 48 to 72 hours after the symptoms begin. The quicker you seek help, the greater your pets chances of survival.
Keep your dog away from other dogs as it spreads easily. Tell your vet if you also have other dogs in your household as they can give advice on how to stop it spreading around all your pets.
Dont forget that any cases of severe gastroenteritis should be taken seriously even if parvovirus is not the cause, contact your vet if your dog has diarrhoea or any of the other symptoms listed above.
Treat Parvo With Supportive Care
Parvovirus does not have a definite cure there are no drugs available that will directly kill the virus. Instead, dog parvo is treated with supportive care. The sooner supportive care begins, the more likely it is that your dog will survive. Restoring fluids in the dog’s body will be the crucial part of this treatment .
Dehydrated puppy in the process of treatment for dog parvo.
Dogs infected with parvo will receive antibiotics to prevent septicemia, probiotics to replenish natural intestinal flora, intravenous fluids for dehydration, injectable vitamins to boost the immune system, colostrum to fight the infection, and glucosamine to coat the intestines. Dogs will usually be in the hospital up to a week fighting parvo. Even with the best veterinary care, parvovirus is often fatal, which is why prevention is so important.
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How Is Cat Parvovirus Diagnosed
Feline parvovirus disease can be difficult to diagnose, as its symptoms vary from mild disease to severe, fatal illness. The illness caused by this virus is also similar to that of a salmonella or campylobacter infection, a feline immunodeficiency virus infection, a feline leukemia virus infection, and pancreatitis.
Along with the symptoms, a history of exposure and a lack of vaccination make this disease likely. Your veterinarian will order stool and blood tests to diagnose this disease. The laboratory may identify the virus in your cat’s stools. The blood test would show a reduced number of all cell types , a characteristic of feline parvovirus disease.
What Are The Treatment Options For Dogs With Cpv
Treatment options for dogs suffering from CPV involve supportive care and management of symptoms. Treatment options will vary, depending on how sick the dog is, but certain aspects are considered vital for all patients.
A hospital stay is often necessary so that the dog can receive intravenous fluids and nutrients to replace the vast quantities lost via vomiting and diarrhea. An intravenous drip is preferred because the digestive tract of stricken dogs is usually in distress and cant tolerate or absorb what the dog needs. Blood transfusions may also be helpful to boost low blood cell counts that may result from CPV infecting the bone marrow.
Antibiotics may be appropriate therapy for a dog suffering from CPV, administered either intravenously or as injections, to help fight the infection if intestinal bacteria have entered the bloodstream. In addition, medications to control nausea and diarrhea are sometimes useful. Many dogs will respond to medical therapy if it is initiated in a timely fashion, and those dogs that recover from CPV infection retain lifelong protective immunity against the strain that infected them.
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How Is Parvo Diagnosed
Parvovirus is easy for veterinarians to diagnose using a SNAP test. A test that accurately detects the parvovirus antigen in stool in about 10 minutes.
Your vet will also run blood work while you wait. This is to check your puppys immune cells and hydration. If your puppy is infected, this will show how severely the virus is attacking his cells.
One reason vets advocate for the parvovirus vaccine is that the cost of treating the illness can be high. Vet bills totaling in the thousands are not unusual.
Most puppy owners are willing to pay these large bills to save their puppies but not everyone can afford it.
At first glance, it makes sense. Vaccinate your puppy to avoid costly vet bills or loss of life in the future. But were about to tell you what they dont say .
Why Is More Than One Dose Of Vaccine Given To Pups
There are two reasons. First, without complicated testing it is impossible to know when a pup has lost the passive protection it gets from its mother. An early decline in a puppy’s maternal antibody can leave it susceptible to infection at a very young age. A strong maternal immunity can actually interfere with early vaccination . Second, particularly with killed vaccines, the first dose is a priming dose, and the second dose boosts the response to a higher, longer-lasting level of immunity.
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How Does The Parvo Vaccine Work For Dogs
The parvovirus vaccine will train your dog’s immune system to recognize the virus and attack the virus before the virus can make your dog sick, Dr. Bustamante said.
That way, if your dog is fully vaccinated, but ends up exposed to a dog who has parvovirus, his body will know to target the disease and prevent a serious and fatal infection.
What Happens During Infection
Once a dog or puppy is infected, there is an incubation period of three to seven days before the onset of first symptoms. Inside the dog, CPV needs the help of rapidly dividing cells in order to successfully cause disease, and the virus usually begins by attacking the tonsils or lymph nodes of the throat. Once inside the lymph nodes, the virus typically invades lymphocytes for one or two days, creating many copies of itself. These viruses hitch a ride inside the lymphocytes, where they are sheltered from the host defenses, and enter the bloodstream. Many of these CPV-infected lymphocytes are ultimately killed, causing a reduction in the number of circulating lymphocytes, a condition called lymphopenia.
Once in the bloodstream, the virus again targets rapidly dividing cells, hitting hardest in the bone marrow and in the cells that line the walls of the small intestine. In very young dogs, CPV can also infect the heart, leading to inflammation of heart muscle, poor function, and arrhythmias.
In the bone marrow, the virus weakens the bodys ability to protect itself by destroying young immune cells and causing a drop in the protective white blood cell count. This probably makes it significantly easier for the virus to invade the gastrointestinal tract, where the virus does its worst damage.
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