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Topic Dog Boards / Health / Parvo virus confirmed
- By Harley Date 13.04.12 16:58 UTC Edited 13.04.12 17:00 UTC
This has been reported following an agility show in Shrewsbury - see link below.

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/4258/23/5/3

Although the dog was not competing it did accompany the owners other dogs. At least one competitor from this show also attended the Easter Celebration at Ardingly in West Sussex on the same weekend so please be aware if you attended either show and your dog becomes unwell.
- By Jeangenie [gb] Date 13.04.12 21:03 UTC
There's also a confirmed outbreak in South Warwickshire.
- By ChinaBlue [gb] Date 13.04.12 22:13 UTC
Do you know more specifics about South Warwicks, as we are taking the dogs on holiday there in a month's time? Many thanks
- By Jeangenie [gb] Date 13.04.12 22:18 UTC Edited 13.04.12 22:27 UTC
Specifically in a village called Lighthorne Heath, near J12 of the M40. Whereabouts are you going?
- By Missie Date 14.04.12 10:34 UTC
Its also confirmed in South Wales too. Nr Abergavenny
- By G.Rets [gb] Date 14.04.12 19:56 UTC
Also a puppy in Ferndown Dorset about 4 weeks ago.
- By ChinaBlue [gb] Date 15.04.12 07:49 UTC Edited 15.04.12 07:57 UTC
JG: We are on a canal holiday travelling on the Ashby, part of the Coventry and Oxford Canals. We start off from a boatyard on Leicester/Warwickshire borders but has a CV postcode.
I've had a look and we don't seem to go near Lighthorne Heath thank goodness.

Thanks for the information.
- By suejaw Date 15.04.12 08:02 UTC
Is it just the one case in the NF Grets??
- By Jeangenie [gb] Date 15.04.12 08:07 UTC
The sick dogs were both unvaccinated, ChinaBlue, and there haven't been any reported cases in vaccinated ones in the area, so the risk seems low, thankfully.
- By mcmanigan773 [gb] Date 15.04.12 08:23 UTC
The puppy in the OP was vaccinated though. It was a 5 month old pup that had been to the agility show an became unwell upon returning home.
- By ceejay Date 15.04.12 08:36 UTC
This is surely a disease that is in the environment all the time.  From what I can understand it is extremely long lived on surfaces. 
- By JeanSW Date 16.04.12 11:30 UTC

> This is surely a disease that is in the environment all the time.


My thoughts too.  In my county there have certainly been "pockets" in the area for the last 2 years.  While I wouldn't purposely take my dogs to an area that I knew had confirmed cases, I do tend to think, well, that's why I have all mine covered by their jabs. 
- By ceejay Date 16.04.12 12:42 UTC
Unless you have inside knowledge you wouldn't necessarily know that there were confirmed cases in an area.  This alert was put up by a considerate owner who had attended a show.  If I had been to that show I would have to abide by the 21 day rule but I rather not know all the confirmed cases otherwise we would travel nowhere.  I suspect it is more common that we know - lots of people think that their dogs don't need vaccinating because they never put them in kennels.
- By Stevensonsign [gb] Date 16.04.12 16:23 UTC
Thinking also is to blood titre test before using a vaccine that doesn't even cover the strain that has re .emerged , ongoing like flu strains and folk getting the flu jab getting  obvious flu symptoms anyway....Dogs that show and travel seem to  have a natural inbuilt immunity.I would not however deliberately go to an area that is rife  with it .
- By ceejay Date 16.04.12 18:22 UTC

> doesn't even cover the strain that has re .emerged


Sorry are you saying that this is a different strain of the virus?  I don't know much about it.  Dogs that show and travel are probabally vaccinated anyway - although this pup that caught it was fully vaccinated.  How does one know if an area is 'rife' with it?   
- By Helen-Jane Date 16.04.12 18:39 UTC
not particulary in response to ceejay I would just like to confirm that the vet of the affected puppy has not said anything about this being a different strain.

There are many reasons this pup may have come down with the disease.
- By Stevensonsign [gb] Date 17.04.12 01:02 UTC Edited 17.04.12 01:13 UTC
http://www.2ndchance.info/parvo-Siedek2011.pdf
''When parvo first appeared, no dogs had immunity to it. So it infected the young and the old in equal frequency. Today, it is puppies between the age of 6 weeks and 6 months that are most at risk. That is because the parvo virus now lurks everywhere. By now, the majority of dogs over the age of six months have either been vaccinated against it, or they have survived a milder case of the natural disease. So it is dogs under the age of six months that are most likely to contract it. Puppies under 6-8 weeks of age are usually protected by their mother's residual immunity that lingers in their bodies; so they are less likely to catch it as well..  The vaccine is very effective - but unusual events do occur: a puppy given its vaccines too young, an expired vaccine accidentally used, inactivation of the vaccine by sunlight, a dog immunosupressed or stressed when the vaccine was administered, etc.  An alternative is to have their parvo-protective antibody levels measured.My Puppy Got His Vaccinations - But He Still Caught Parvo - Why !!
Here are the most common reasons for that:
1) The jab(s) the puppy received were given at too young an age.
2) The puppy was already incubating or exposed to parvo before the shot was given.
3) The puppy was exposed to parvo after its injection but before the injection became protective.
4) The puppy did not receive its mother's colostrum; the bitch was in poor health and produced inadequate colostrum or experienced birthing problems.
5) The puppy was severely weakened by hookworm disease
6) The mother had exceptionally high parvovirus antibody levels that persisted in the puppy and block the vaccine's effectiveness. (those pups need another vaccination at 20 weeks)
There are two types of canine parvovirus called canine minute virus (CPV1) and CPV2. CPV2 causes the most serious disease and affects domesticated dogs and wild canids. There are variants of CPV type 2 called CPV-2a, CPV-2b and CPV-2c. The antigenic patterns of 2a and 2b are quite similar to the original CPV type 2. Variant 2c however has a unique pattern of antigenicity. This has led to claims of ineffective vaccination of dogs, but studies have shown that the existing CPV vaccines based on CPV type 2b, provide adequate levels of protection against CPV type 2c. However, there are reports that outdated vaccines based on the old CPV-type 2 may not afford sufficient cross-protection against the type 2c variant.
- By ceejay Date 17.04.12 11:53 UTC
Very informative -  There was some talk about it at club last night.  I don't think I know enough about this disease at all - I notice another club (who cancelled their show this weekend) have put up advice on their club page and asked to see vaccination certificates before attending club.  From what I am reading now a vaccinated dog who has diarrohea or sickness could be carrying the virus without being really ill.  There must be numerous reasons why a dog throws up or has an upset stomach.  I will certainly be more cautious in future.  
- By drover [gb] Date 17.04.12 17:17 UTC
I'll post here as I have done elsewhere, as there is alot of hearsay and false information going around.

It was/is my pup that was at the agility comp that came down with parvo, she was fully vaccinated, however, there is no evidence that this is a new strain, indeed it is looking more and more likely that my pups vaccinations failed for whatever reason, so far she is the only confirmed case within the agility community (that has gone public anyway).
It has all got blown way out of proportion, as others have said parvo is around in many areas, it is just very unlucky that my pup got ill after an agility competition.
- By sillysue Date 17.04.12 17:30 UTC
Is your pup fighting it, I hope so
- By welshdoglover [gb] Date 17.04.12 19:31 UTC
Hows your dog doing Drover?

I hope she/he is going to be ok *hugs and x x x* for pooch
- By G.Rets [gb] Date 17.04.12 20:24 UTC
Late reply, sorry. There have been 2 cases of Parvo at the same vets in Ferndown and some at Corfe Mullen a few miles further west.
- By JoStockbridge [gb] Date 17.04.12 21:24 UTC Edited 17.04.12 21:26 UTC
Drover how is your pup doing? I hope she is on the mend. Im going through the same thing with my 7 month old pup who is vacinated and is now in the vets diagnosed with parvo. So i know how your proberly feeling. Hang on in there, positive thoughts to your girl.
- By sillysue Date 18.04.12 06:54 UTC
There is some wonderful medicine available nowadays even though it costs an arm and a leg. It cost £1500 to get my little 6 week pup through parvo, and worth every penny, however she was a little fighter. She is now a very healthy 2 year old. So fingers crossed Jo and Drover and anyone else going through this terrible illness.
- By JoStockbridge [gb] Date 18.04.12 20:33 UTC
thank you sillysue, my girl has been sent home today, still have to keep an eye on her and keep her in for a few weeks but looks like she is finaly out of the woods. Hope your pup is home soon Drover.
- By Brainless [gb] Date 18.04.12 23:02 UTC
I do hope your and Drovers pups are recovering well.

Was just curious at what age your pups were vaccinated.  Was ti the current newer 8 and 10 weeks or the older protocol of not completing the jabs until after 12 weeks.

I have always been a  bit wary about vaccinating too early in case of maternal antibodies negating the vaccine.

Also why I will not booster close to a bitch being mated.
- By JoStockbridge [gb] Date 19.04.12 10:11 UTC
just after 8 weeks and again at just after 10. Having her blood tested to check her imunity to the other things the vacination covers it find out if it didnt take.
- By Brainless [gb] Date 19.04.12 10:30 UTC
This really does make me feel that in future I will not vaccinate any of my puppies until 10 and 12 weeks.

My latest pups was done at 8 and 10 (due ehr booster now) because one of her sisters was staying until after 10 weeks so I wanted her fully vaccinated before she went.

Most of my girls still have some milk until pups are 10 weeks but are usually dry and able to be spayed (if last litter) by 11 to 12.
- By drover [gb] Date 20.04.12 14:09 UTC
Thanks, yes my girl is home now and doing ok.

She was vacc'd at 9 & 11 weeks. Hadnt fed from mum since just over 6 weeks.
- By biffsmum [gb] Date 20.04.12 14:12 UTC
Jo's pup was one I bred. I will now be recommending to all my future puppy buyers that they wait and have their injections done at 10 and 12 weeks.
- By vikc32 [gb] Date 20.04.12 16:58 UTC
I always understood that the maternal antibodies were only passed over to the pups through the colostrum ie in the first 36/48 hours ... is this not the case  ? I had a litter of pups a couple of years ago that , not long after it went to its new home , one was found to have parvo and later died . None of the others in the litter came down with it and the pups owners vet , and my own , both asked whether that pup had nursed well in the first couple of days to receive the antibodies from mom .
Glad to hear both pups on the mend and hope they continue to go from strength to strength :-)
- By lilyowen Date 20.04.12 17:40 UTC
My vet no longer does vaccination at 8 and 10 weeks. They still do the 8 week one but will only do the second after 12 weeks. They said when I queried it that they had had too many cases of vaccinated pups still coming down with the illnesses they should have been protected against.
- By sillysue Date 20.04.12 18:19 UTC
I always understood that the maternal antibodies were only passed over to the pups through the colostrum ie in the first 36/48 hours

My pup was the last of the litter to be born and the vet said that sometimes the antibodies are weaker for the last pups born ( sorry I am not a breeder so can only repeat the words of my vet ) She was the only one in the litter to have Parvo ( to my knowledge) We actually had 2 pups from this litter ( 1 male and 1 female), the other pup was clear of Parvo. Why  the little bitch went down with it and not her brother I have no idea. I got her at 6 weeks and she was sick on the day I took her home, so definitely had it before I collected her, she was in hospital within 2 days. As I said before, she is now a very healthy 2 year old.
- By ChinaBlue [gb] Date 21.04.12 08:04 UTC
JG Thanks for that

My dogs are in their middle and late ages now, so I don't think there is much to worry about, but there is always a niggling worry, despite what your head tells you!

Drover, hope your pup continues to do well.
- By Brainless [gb] Date 23.04.12 13:45 UTC
It's not so much when the antibodies are passed on it is how long they last, and thereby block the uptake of vaccine that is the problem.
- By JoStockbridge [gb] Date 04.05.12 21:48 UTC
Just updating had my girls blood test back, her imunity to parvo is up nice and high but the others were very low and would be considered no imunity so for some reason the puppy vacs didnt take, weather it was maternal anitbiodies, a problem with the vac its slef or a problem with her we dont know but she is going to be vacinated again next week. But other than that she if fully back to normal.
- By Brainless [gb] Date 05.05.12 09:35 UTC
Her antibody levels for Parvo would of course be high as the has had the illness.

With the others being low I would suspect that her puppy vaccinations did not take (too early to clear maternal antibodies, or just one of those where the vaccine won't take), and this is why she caught Parvo.

To be sure if it was just too early vaccination or she cannot take up the vaccine I would ant to titre test her after this vaccination to see which ti was.

This thread and a couple of experiences really do make me feel that puppies should not have their second jab of puppy course until over 12 weeks as was normal in the past.

Better to wait a little longer for primary vaccinations then to have in effect an unprotected puppy for a further year if the vaccine does not take due to being blocked by maternal antibodies.

I know that in the USA it is normal to give a third doses at over 16 or 20 weeks just to be sure the vaccinations have taken.

This is the new 2011 protocol in the USA/Canada https://www.aahanet.org/PublicDocuments/CanineVaccineGuidelines.pdf

Initial Vaccination (,16 wk of age)
Initial Vaccination
(.16 wk of age)
Recommendation Comments and Recommendations
CDV (MLV) or rCDV Puppies should be vaccinated every 3-4 wk between the ages of 6 and
16 wk (e.g., at 6, 10, and 14 wk, or 8, 12, and 16 wk). To minimize the
risk of maternal antibody interference with vaccination, the final dose of the
initial series should be administered between 14 and 16 wk of age,
regardless of the product used.

Revaccination (Booster)
One dose is considered protective and acceptable. Revaccination is recommended every $3 yr after completion of the initial vaccination, regardless of the product
- By JoStockbridge [gb] Date 05.05.12 17:36 UTC
yeah ill def get her tested again after her vacination. Fingers crossed she isnt one of those dogs where vac dont take.
- By Brainless [gb] Date 06.05.12 07:07 UTC
Fingers crossed.

Reading those suggested protocols why are we in UK vaccinating puppies at 8 and 10 weeks, when they advise finishing the course at 16 weeks elsewhere.
- By shivj [gb] Date 06.05.12 07:53 UTC
Even worse: some do it at 6 and 8 weeks! One of mine had his 1st at under 6 weeks!!
Topic Dog Boards / Health / Parvo virus confirmed

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