Canine · Gastrointestinal · Infectious disease
Canine parvoviral enteritis
Unvaccinated young dog with acute vomiting, hemorrhagic diarrhea, and leukopenia. Treat aggressively with fluids, antiemetics, and broad-spectrum antibiotics for sepsis risk.
CPV-2 targets rapidly dividing cells: intestinal crypts, bone marrow precursors, and lymphoid tissue. Expect panleukopenia (neutropenia plus lymphopenia), hypoglycemia, hypoproteinemia, and translocation-driven sepsis. Diagnosis is usually fecal antigen ELISA; recent modified-live vaccination can cause weak false positives. Cornerstones of therapy are aggressive isotonic crystalloid resuscitation, dextrose and potassium supplementation, maropitant or ondansetron, early enteral nutrition, and a beta-lactam for gram-negative translocation. Prevention rests on a puppy series finishing at or after 16 weeks and rigorous environmental disinfection with an accelerated hydrogen peroxide or bleach product, since the virus is non-enveloped and persists for months.