Weaning puppies can be vaccinated with a modified live virus low passage high titer vaccine at 8 weeks of age, then every 3 to 4 weeks until 15 or 16 weeks. Puppies are initially protected through passive immunity derived from the mother. These maternal antibodies wear off before the puppy’s immune system is mature enough to fight off CPV2 infection.

Maternal antibodies also interfere with vaccination for CPV2 and can cause vaccine failure. Thus puppies are generally vaccinated in a series of shots, extending from the earliest time that the immunity derived from the mother wears off until after that passive immunity is definitely gone.

Older puppies (16 weeks or older) are given 3 vaccinations 3 to 4 weeks apart.

The duration of immunity of vaccines for CPV2 has been tested for all major vaccine manufacturers in the United States and has been found to be at least three years after the initial puppy series and a booster 1 year later.

A dog that successfully recovers from CPV2 sheds virus for a few days. Ongoing infection risk is primarily from faecal contamination of the environment due to the virus’s ability to survive many months in the environment. Neighbours and family members with dogs should be notified of infected animals so that they can ensure that their dogs are vaccinated or tested for immunity. Vaccine will take up to 2 weeks to reach effective levels of immunity, the contagious individual should remain in quarantine until other animals are protected.

Treatment

Survival rate depends on how quickly CPV is diagnosed, the age of the animal and how aggressive the treatment is. Treatment for severe cases that are not caught early usually involves extensive hospitalization, due to the severe dehydration and damage to the intestines and bone marrow. A CPV test should be given as early as possible if CPV is suspected in order to begin early treatment and increase survival rate if the disease is found.

Treatment ideally consists of crystalloid IV fluids and/or colloids, antinausea injections (antiemetics) such as metoclopramide, dolasetron, ondansetron and prochlorperazine, and antibiotic injections such as cefoxitin, metronidazole, timentin, or enrofloxacin.

IV fluids are administered and antinausea and antibiotic injections are given subcutaneously, intramuscularly, or intravenously. The fluids are typically a mix of a sterile, balanced electrolyte solution, with an appropriate amount of B-complex vitamins, dextrose and potassium chloride. Analgesic medications such as buprenorphine are also used to counteract the intestinal discomfort caused by frequent bouts of diarrhea.

In addition to fluids given to achieve adequate rehydration, each time the puppy vomits or has diarrhea in a significant quantity, an equal amount of fluid is administered intravenously. The fluid requirements of a patient are determined by their body weight, weight changes over time, degree of dehydration at presentation and surface area. The hydration status is originally determined by assessment of clinical factors like tacky mucous membranes, concentration of the urine, sunken eyes, poor skin elasticity and bloodtests.

A blood plasma transfusion from a donor dog that has already survived CPV is sometimes used to provide passive immunity to the sick dog. Some veterinarians keep these dogs on site, or have frozen serum available. There have been no controlled studies regarding this treatment.

Additionally, fresh frozen plasma and human albumin transfusions can help replace the extreme protein losses seen in severe cases and help assure adequate tissue healing.

Once the dog can keep fluids down, the IV fluids are gradually discontinued, and very bland food slowly introduced. Oral antibiotics are administered for a number of days depending on the white blood cell count and the patient’s ability to fight off secondary infection. A puppy with minimal symptoms can recover in 2 or 3 days if the IV fluids are begun as soon as symptoms are noticed and the CPV test confirms the diagnosis. However, even with hospitalization, there is no guarantee that the dog will survive.

Unconventional treatments

There is no specific antiviral treatment for CPV. However, there have been anecdotal reports of oseltamivir (Tamiflu) reducing disease severity and hospitalization time in canine parvovirus infection. The drug may limit the ability of the virus to invade the crypt cells of the small intestine and decrease gastrointestinal bacteria colonization and toxin production.

There is also anecdotal evidence suggesting that colloidal silver  is effective at treating CPV although currently regulatory authorities are discouraging its use due to potential toxicity issues and lack of demonstrated efficacy.

Lastly, recombinant feline interferon omega (rFeIFN-ω), produced in silkworm larvae using a baculovirus vector, has been demonstrated by multiple studies to be an effective treatment.

Pet owners are often surprised to learn that diabetes is not exclusive to humans. PDSA decided to take a look at what owners can do to help prevent and manage diabetes.

Dogs can suffer from diabetes too!

Dogs, cats and other pets can suffer from this condition. Middle-aged dogs aged seven to nine, and overweight pets are most affected. Neutered male and female dogs are less likely to suffer from diabetes. For example, nearly 70 percent of diabetic dogs are un-neutered females – which is another good reason to get your pets neutered.

Diabetes is the result of the body’s inability to control glucose (sugar) levels in the blood stream. In most early cases, the pet may be bright and alert but may drink, eat, lose weight and urinate more than usual. As the problem progresses, the affected pet becomes depressed with a decreased appetite. They may be sick and will become dehydrated.

If left untreated, diabetes can result in kidney failure and coma, and death from dehydration.

There is currently no cure for diabetes, but it can be managed with a strict dietary and exercise regime and daily injections of insulin. When diabetes is diagnosed, the level of therapy will be matched to the severity of the condition, but dietary management is an essential component.

The diet for most diabetic dogs should contain the correct balance of protein, carbohydrate, fat and fibre. Commercial diets specifically for diabetics are often preferable. A diabetic dog shouldn’t be given any extra treats unless your vet agrees.

Dietary management is also important in diabetic cats and owners should avoid semi-moist and jelly coated cat foods, which are high in sugar. Feeding a high fibre diet is ideal, but the calorific value of the diet has to be monitored closely to avoid the cat gaining weight.

Although the majority of diabetic cats will initially need insulin injections, weight reduction is important in obese diabetic cats, and can result in a decreased amount of insulin. It may occasionally result in the diabetic cat having no need for insulin injections at all.

Most diabetes patients will still need a daily or twice daily dose of insulin, which owners can administer quite easily at home. Once a treatment programme has been established for a pet, the vet or practice nurse will provide an owner with a diet plan and all the equipment they will need to care for their pet at home.

A typical pet diabetes kit will usually include detailed instructions and/or record card, testing strips (which change colour when dipped in a urine sample), disposable insulin syringes with very fine needles, and insulin to cover a daily doses until it is time for the next check-up. The veterinary practice will always coach an owner on giving the injections until they are satisfied they are competent, so there is nothing to worry about.

The management of diabetes requires the owner and vet to work closely together, so ask as many questions as you like until you are sure in your own mind about what is expected of you as the pet’s owner.

It is a sad fact that cancer amongst dogs is growing at an alarming rate. One of the big difficulties with animal cancer is that your pet cannot tell you when a cancer is developing, but if cancers can be detected early enough they respond well to treatment. With the introduction of new treatments, many cancers new respond better than ever.

Over recent years we have all become aware of the risk factors for human cancer. Responding to these by changing our habits is having a significant impact on our health. For example, stopping smoking, protection from excessive exposure to bright sunlight and eating a healthy diet high in fruit and vegetables all help to reduce cancer rates. Another very important area is to keep a close eye on ourselves, going for regular health checks and reporting any lumps and bumps to our doctors as soon as they appear. Increased cancer awareness is without doubt improving human health.

Responding to risk factors will help reduce incidence. Being vigilant about any changes to our bodies will ensure that cancer is detected early. This will improve the chances of successful treatment. If we can do this for ourselves, we owe it to our pets to show similar care and attention.

Know your dog, keep an eye on the signs.

Approximately 25% of dogs will now die of cancer. Although this is a very alarming statistic, a positive diagnosis of cancer should not be seen as a death sentence. Cancer can be treated, and in many cases it can be cured. The success of treatment will depend on the type of cancer, the treatment used and on how early the tumour is found. The sooner treatment begins, the greater the chances of success. Therefore, one of the best things you can do for your dog is to keep a close eye on them for signs of the disease. This shouldn�t be an onerous task, it can be done as a part of everyday play and pampering.

There are 10 classic signs to look out for:

1. Abnormal swellings or lumps that persist or continue to grow
2. Sores that do not heal
3. Loss of appetite
4. Weight loss
5. Bleeding or discharge from any body opening
6. Difficulty eating or swallowing
7. Offensive odour
8. Hesitation to exercise or loss of stamina
9. Persistent lameness or stiffness
10. Difficulty breathing, urinating, or defecating
If you spot any of these signs in your dog, you should report them to your vet as soon as possible. These symptoms often develop slowly, so it is best to get to know your dog�s habits well. It is also important to bear in mind that these symptoms can also be bought on by other diseases, so don�t immediately expect the worst.

What to expect.

Your vet will perform all the necessary diagnostic tests to discover the real cause of the problem. They may want to take an X ray, a blood test or a small sample of any growth (called a biopsy) for laboratory analysis. This information will be used to find out if the tumour is benign (which is a growth that can relatively easily be removed without any further complications) or malignant (which is a more aggressive tumour that invades tissues and can produce secondary growths known as metastasises).

Once your vet has made the diagnosis, they will discuss the various treatment options with you. As with human cancer treatment, these will be either surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Surgery is still the most widely used treatment for most dog cancers. In some cases a combination of treatments may be used. A combination of surgery followed by chemotherapy is used for some aggressive tumours.

There are certain tumours, such as lymphoma (one of the most common malignancies in dogs), which are treated primarily by chemotherapy with very good results. Chemotherapy in dogs is not as unpleasant as it can be for humans. Many owners worry that chemotherapy will cause their dog’s fur to fall out, this very rarely happens because the drugs attack the fast growing hairs on our heads but do not attack the slow growing coat on dogs. Whiskers, on the other hand, do grow fast, so don’t be alarmed if you dog looses few whiskers.

As cancer therapy becomes more sophisticated, there is increasing use of specialist referral centres where cancer specialists are able to provide the most advanced treatments available. Your vet will know the all the cancer referral centres and will advise you if they think one of these centres can offer better treatment for your dog.

Cancer treatment can be expensive, particularly for some of the more advanced treatments. However, the costs can be covered by pet insurance policies. If your dog is a high risk breed, taking out insurance will give you piece of mind to ensure that you give them the best treatment available, should the worst happen.

Some breeds are more prone than others.

It is unfortunate that some breeds have a higher incidence of cancer than others. It is difficult to provide a comprehensive list here, but the following is a brief guide:

Highest incidence breeds which also develop cancer at an earlier age than other dogs.

• Boxer.
• Golden Retriever
• Rottweiller
• Bernese Mountain Dog

High incidence breeds

• Boston Terrier
• English Bulldog
• Scottish Terrier
• Cocker Spaniel

Average incidence breeds:

• Irish Setter
• Schnauzer
• Labrador
• Mongrels

Relatively low incidence breeds:

• Beagle
• Poodle
• Collie
• Dachshund

The (near) future.

Research into better treatments for dog cancer is being conducted by the veterinary schools around the UK, specialist centres such as the Animal Health Trust and by pet health companies. The advances in biology are producing a steady flow of new treatments and tests which are now becoming available to improve cancer care.

At PetScreen we are developing new techniques to help spot cancer early and also to assist your vet in selecting the best possible treatment for your pet. To help us in this effort, we need small samples of tumour tissue and blood which are left over from your vet’s routine diagnostic tests. If you would like to help in this research effort by agreeing to donate samples which will be used to improve cancer care in the near future, please talk to your vet.

By working together we can help fight this disease.

[You are free to print this article and take it with you to your vet to discuss cancer screening for your pet]

Information kindly supplied by Pet Screen.

Based on information compiled by the VPIS, the leaflet provides a valuable and easy reference guide for owners on preventing poisoning in the home, in the garden or in open spaces along with advice on what to do if you think your animal has been poisoned.

Download the leaflet here Pets and Poisons – Free Leaflet