A disease for canines is Parvovirus, which is an oral, contagious disease of canines that strikes at the body’s reproducing cells. The blood carries the disease to the digestive tract where it sheds the virus in the feces. Canines at any age can contract this disease, especially unvaccinated adults or puppies. The infection can be transmitted between canines, or on any object that comes in contact with infected canine’s feces. In any area where the canine sleeps, eats, or plays can be an infected area. The illness starts in approximately four days with digestive tract upset characterized by bloody/mucus diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, abdominal pain, low body temperature, lethargy, and no appetite. Select canines will run a high temperature
…show more content…
Admittance to the animal hospital is necessary for fluid intake for dehydration and an imbalance of electrolytes. The veterinarian will control the gastric upset with anti-diarrhea and nausea medication. Some canines with hypothermia require being kept warm. Due to the body’s illness, bacterial infections are common, so antibiotics are given for any other infection that may be present. Treatment in the hospital is given so the canine can maintain its body condition in order to build up enough antibodies to eliminate the disease. The prognosis is good if the canine had veterinarian intervention started early in the development of the disease, the canine was healthy at the onset of the disease, and if a good immune system was intact before the infection started. Home care includes a bland diet for weeks after the digestive tract symptoms have disappeared. Prevention is starting all puppies with vaccinations at their first visit to the veterinarian, at around eight weeks. Limit the exposure of the puppies to other puppies not in the same liter, or other older canines, during the first months of life. The puppies obtain antibodies from their mother’s colostrum, but the lack of immunity protection from the antibodies until the vaccination takes effect could be the time-frame that exposure causes the disease. The vaccination series
Admittance to the animal hospital is necessary for fluid intake for dehydration and an imbalance of electrolytes. The veterinarian will control the gastric upset with anti-diarrhea and nausea medication. Some canines with hypothermia require being kept warm. Due to the body’s illness, bacterial infections are common, so antibiotics are given for any other infection that may be present. Treatment in the hospital is given so the canine can maintain its body condition in order to build up enough antibodies to eliminate the disease. The prognosis is good if the canine had veterinarian intervention started early in the development of the disease, the canine was healthy at the onset of the disease, and if a good immune system was intact before the infection started. Home care includes a bland diet for weeks after the digestive tract symptoms have disappeared. Prevention is starting all puppies with vaccinations at their first visit to the veterinarian, at around eight weeks. Limit the exposure of the puppies to other puppies not in the same liter, or other older canines, during the first months of life. The puppies obtain antibodies from their mother’s colostrum, but the lack of immunity protection from the antibodies until the vaccination takes effect could be the time-frame that exposure causes the disease. The vaccination series