NOAHS CROSSING VETERINARY CLINIC
We would like to inform all dog owners in many areas of the state that this year many areas that would
have been low risk for parvo virus have been elevated to high risk due to the heavy load of virus in the
environment. We strongly advise that all dog owners ensure that vaccines are up to date and to follow strict
bio security measures particularly around litters of unvaccinated puppies.
Parvo Virus Fact Sheet
What is Parvo?
Parvo is a highly infectious and highly contagious virus with several strains that are most often fatal in unprotected
puppies. Some breeds of dogs are more predisposed to Parvo (Rottweilers, Staffordshire terriers, Dobermans) but no
breed is resistant to this disease.
Once exposed to the virus there is a 5-12 day period where a dog may have the disease but not show any signs of
illness, during this time the newly infected dog will pass Parvo virus in its faeces and infect any other dogs that come
into contact with it. Clinical signs of Parvo virus appear as the virus grows in fast reproducing cells in the body, in this
case the lining of the digestive tract and the bone marrow. This has two effects, firstly the dog will start to produce
diarrhoea and vomiting as nutrients are unable to be absorbed leaving the dog malnourished and secondly the immune
system is compromised leaving the dog open to infection.
In some cases of Parvo virus infection heart cells can also be damaged.
In the later stages of the disease the digestive tract lining is so damaged
that it detaches and is passed in the faeces, this leads to profuse bloody
diarrhoea and allows bacteria to penetrate from the digestive tract into the
bloodstream. These bacteria are able to overwhelm the compromised
immune system and the dog can die of septic shock.
There is no cure for Parvo virus and treatment is merely supportive,
Figure 1 Puppy with Parvo Virus
fluids are given to prevent the dehydration caused by diarrhoea. Antibiotics
do not work on viruses and are given to reduce the infection caused when bacteria from the digestive system enter the
bloodstream. Drugs can also be given to reduce vomiting and decrease pain levels.
How is Parvo transmitted?
Parvo virus is transmitted from any contaminated surface that has been exposed to dog faeces from a dog
shedding/excreting the virus. Examples include the bitch, owners or handlers,
contaminated soil and dog runs, equipment, dog parks etc. During the first 5-12
days of infection dogs will appear normal but excrete large quantities of virus
into the environment, these animals are called “silent shedders” and can lead
to massive outbreaks in a very short time. Parvo virus is known to live in the
environment for over twelve months meaning that even if an area was
contaminated with Parvo virus one year ago puppies exposed to the area can
develop the disease; this is why some areas continuously have outbreaks of
Figure 2 Healthy puppy or silent
Parvo virus. Unless an area that has been exposed to Parvo virus has been
shedder?
adequately disinfected it will remain infectious for a long time.
What to do if you suspect Parvo virus infection.
Because of the highly infectious nature of Parvo virus it is important that our reception staff are informed that your
dog is experiencing signs of parvo, (vomiting, diarrhoea) or that you suspect parvo when booking an appointment;
before arriving at the clinic. In the case of puppies where it is fairly certain infection with Parvo has occurred we are
able to refer you directly to two specialist clinics that have isolation wards
specifically to deal with Parvo virus.
We do not treat dogs with Parvo virus at our facility.
If Parvo is suspected it is important that you remain in your vehicle upon
arrival with the puppies in question and a veterinarian will attend to you. Our
veterinarians are trained in the correct testing and bio-security protocols
required and this reduces the risk to other puppies that could be exposed if a
sick pup was brought into the clinic. If a pet is tested positive for parvo we will
refer you to a nearby hospital with an isolation ward for treatment. We are here
to support you and your pet and will organize a referral and will support you
through the whole treatment process.
Vaccination
Vaccination against Parvo virus is an effective way of reducing the risk of puppies contracting Parvo but because
there is a time lag between when a vaccination is given and when the dog has its own immunity a vaccinated puppy can
still contract Parvo virus if it is exposed. The vaccination status of the bitch is also a factor that can reduce the
effectiveness of the vaccination process as maternal protection can interfere with the vaccination.
The detection of Parvo virus is by simply testing the dog’s faeces for virus particles using a “Snap” test. Snap tests
are fast and highly accurate. Parvo vaccination contains altered virus
particles that are no longer harmful but can lead to false positive test
results in recently vaccinated pups.
For The best protection against Parvo virus following the vaccination
protocol as well as maintaining adequate bio-security is highly effective
in reducing risk. The cost of Parvo treatment at specialist facilities may
cost thousands of dollars with no guarantee of success.
Managing Biosecurity on your property.
Figure 3 Snap test
Once a disease is established on a property, in dogs or litters of puppies it is extremely hard to get under control and
the costs can be enormous both in dollar terms and in loss of genetics. Following
correct Biosecurity protocols can greatly reduce the risk posed to your animals.
The following is a quick guide to basic bio-security protocols that should be
followed.


Maintain a visitor’s log of all people entering the property.
Use footbaths / disinfection mats and spray bottles at the entrance to the
property and have visitors and staff disinfect themselves prior to entering
the property.
 Attend to sick puppies LAST to prevent spreading disease to healthy pups, or
have one person designated to look after sick puppies only.
Figure 4 Disinfection mat
 Anyone attending to sick pups needs to be fully decontaminated before
attending to healthy pups.
 DO NOT share equipment between litters of puppies, eg. Thermometers,
feeding bowls, bedding, cleaning equipment etc.
 DO NOT allow contact between groups of puppies.
 When disinfecting an area or equipment use the correct disinfectant for
example Parvo virus can be inactivated using bleach in a 1:30 dilution, but using alcohol based hand sanitiser
between litters will have no effect and disease spread will continue.
 If an area has not been disinfected it should be considered a possible site of infection.
 It may be necessary to move uninfected animals off the property in a safe manner to an area or facility that is
clean to enhance their chances of survival in a disease outbreak.
Footbaths and entrance mats used for disinfection can be purchased or made cheaply; see the links below.
Breeder’s duty of care.
Dog breeders and people showing dogs need to ensure that they do not place the dogs of other breeders and pet
owners at risk through transmission of Parvo virus from their dogs or contaminated items. Dogs should also not be sold
before vaccine has been given time to take effect and should not be sold if not in good health.
The South Australian Canine Association rules Part XIV Offences 2F states that
“A member shall be guilty of an offence if a dog owned, or leased, by the member and exhibited at an Exhibition is or was;
suffering from an infectious or contagious disease or had been exposed to the risk of such disease during the period dating
from five weeks prior to the exhibition. This also includes a dog brought onto the grounds at an exhibition and is not
exhibited” (Please see attached link for the full SACA rules)
Part XV Code of ethics section 7 States that “I shall not sell or otherwise transfer from my care any Puppy under eight
weeks of age, thus allowing for vaccination to be given at six weeks of age and thereby allowing for the ten to
fourteen days for the vaccine to take effect. Upon the disposal of the dog I shall provide the owner with a current
vaccination certificate of that dog issued by a Veterinary Surgeon” (Please see attached link for the full SACA rules)
Part XV Code of ethics section 8 states “I shall not knowingly sell or otherwise transfer from my care any dog that is
not in good health.” (Please see attached link for the full SACA rules)
Additional reading
How to make footbaths for animal facilities
http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8281.pdf
South Australian Canine Association Rules http://www.dogssa.com.au/Website/index.php?id=10&level=2
SHOOF catalogue disinfection mats http://www.shoof.com.au/auscatalogue/page_103.pdf