Case Study of Canine Parvovirus Infection in a Dog
This article is about a case study of canine parvovirus infection in a dog.
Case Presented in Veterinary Clinic
Table of Contents
A 12-week-old female Rottweiler puppy was presented to Diamond veterinary center, Lagos, Nigeria with a history of inappetence, lethargy, fever, vomiting, and bloody foul-smelling diarrhea from the past 24 hours. After asking the owner of the dog, she told the on-duty veterinarian that the puppy didn’t have any bloody and foul smelly diarrhea ever before. The owner complained that the puppy was active before the onset of clinical signs. The dog didn’t have any vaccination or deworming history.
Complete History of the Dog
The on-duty veterinarian took a complete history from the owner of the dog. The details are
Medical History: Vomiting, hematochezia (blood in feces), fever, loss of appetite.
Surgical History: No previous history of surgery
Medication: No previous or ongoing medication
Vaccination History: No vaccination or deworming history
Social History: The animal, sometimes goes outside with the owner, but is always closely monitored
Family History: No Family history known by the owner
Physical Examination of the Dog
The veterinary doctor performed a complete physical examination on the dog. The dog was first examined generally from the distance just to ensure how it behaves, it was noticed that dog was depressed and dehydrated due to loss of bodily fluids. After a general examination, routine protocols were adopted.
Vital Parameters:
Temperature: 103 °F (normal temp in dogs is on average 101.5 °F)
Pulse Rate: 96bpm with no irregularity in heart pattern (normal pulse rate in dogs is in the range of110-130 bpm)
Note: Pulse/heart rate varies with size, breed, etc. Large dogs have lower pulse rates than small dogs
Respiration Rate: 28/min (normal breathing rate is 15-30 breaths/min)
Weight: 12.2 kg (27 pounds)
HEENT (Head, eyes, ear, nose, and throat):
No anomaly in the head, no ocular discharge, no ear problem, no nasal discharge, throat was ok.
Examination of all Organ Systems:
Cardiovascular System: CRT (capillary refill time)is < 3
Note: For the assessment of the cardiovascular system the best approach is to auscultate the heart and observe any abnormality in heart sounds and patterns, apart from that, check the blood vessels, for example, distensions in veins, pulses in arteries, and capillary refill time.
Pulmonary System: Eupneic (normal lungs and bronchial sounds).
Note: For the evaluation of the pulmonary system, the protocol is to observe the lungs and air passageways. For this first see the breathing rate and pattern (tachypnea, or dyspnea) After that, auscultate the lungs and bronchial sounds.
Gastrointestinal System: Foul-smelling bloody diarrhea, vomiting, and some gut sound observed.
Note: For GIT evaluation, look for diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, colic, etc.
Musculoskeletal System: Some weakness observed.
Genitourinary System: No abnormalities
Nervous system: no signs
Skin: Hair coat was normal
Confirmatory Laboratory Testing:
The veterinary doctor decided to take CBC and BCP tests. The result of the test was
Further Test For Confirmation
On the basis of clinical signs and lab reports, the tentative diagnosis was made and the doctor suspected that it was either the case of parvovirus or canine distemper. (But the absence of respiratory signs and neurological signs and furthermore no inclusion of canine distemper virus was observed in blood smear). So now it was suspected that the pup is infected with parvovirus. For confirmation, a fecal antigen test was performed and the puppy was confirmed positive for canine parvovirus.
Treatment Options
Since no specific anti-viral medication exists for this illness, symptomatic treatment was done
- Isotonic crystalloid fluid (Ringer Lactate 15ml/kg IV)
- Broad-spectrum antibiotics (Cephalosporins)
- Antemetic (Maropitant 2mg/kg, or 1mg/kg/day, SC)
- Mist kaolin per os
- Metronidazole (10mg/kg)
- For fever, antipyretic medicine was given (Inj. ketoprofen @ 3mg/kg)
About the Case
This was the case study of canine parvovirus infection in a dog. A dog was presented in the clinic with GIT signs like bloody foul smelly diarrhea and vomiting. After the examination of clinical signs and further confirmation by lab tests, the dog was diagnosed with canine parvovirus.
Links Related to Case
Introduction to Digestive Disorders of Dogs
Overview of Canine Parvovirus infection in dogs
Overview of Canine Distemper in Dogs
Case Study of Canine Distemper in Dogs
References
MedCrave. Case report of canine parvoviral enteritis in12weeks old rottweiler female puppy. Available at: Medcraveonline
Ahmad, Muhammad & Waheed, Abdul. (2020). Case of Canine Parvovirus Infection. Research Journal for Veterinary Practitioners. 8. 10.17582/journal.rjvp/2020/8.2.23.25. Available at: ResearchGate
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