Canine Parvovirus Infection

This chapter presents information on etiology/pathophysiology, signalment/history, clinical features, differential diagnosis, diagnostics and therapeutics of canine parvovirus (CPV) infection in cats and dogs. CPV-2 infection is an acute systemic illness of predominantly juvenile dogs characterized by vomiting and hemorrhagic enteritis. Vaccination for CPV is widely practiced but maternal antibodies may interfere with vaccination response and infection is possible even with an up-to-date vaccination history. Clinical signs of canine parvoviral enteritis are nonspecific and can vary. Severely affected dogs often exhibit severe neutropenia concurrently with the onset of intestinal damage due to intestinal sequestration and the destruction of precursor cells in the bone marrow. Supportive therapy is the cornerstone of treatment in cases with canine parvoviral enteritis. The use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs in dogs with canine parvoviral enteritis is limited due to their gastrointestinal side effects and nephrotoxicity.