Canine parvo is one of the most feared diseases for a dog. Dogs can die within 24-72 hours if not treated. Puppies are especially susceptible to it, although it can also strike adult dogs, sometimes even if they are vaccinated for it.
History
It is a relatively new disease. Parvo as a whole is a species specific virus. There's feline parvo (also known as panleukopenia, feline distemper or FPV,) bovine parvo, raccoon parvo as well as others. The canine version of parvo didn't manifest until the latter part of the 20th century. There is a lot of confusion over where it came from. Some of the literature places its origins in Europe. Some rumors claim that it originated in a lab at Cambridge. The general consensus is that it first appeared in the late 70's, although there is some reference of it being present as early as the 60's. It is thought to be a muted form of the feline version and is 98% identical in the DNA sequence. Where ever it came from, when it made it's presence known, it left a deadly calling card in its wake.
The parvo virus actually is good evidence as to how much we have damaged the immune systems of our canine companions with the food we feed to them. There are two indicators that point to this. One of the strongest is the fact that at the same time Parvo was devastating the general population with it's deadly spread in household companions, it was also moving about in the populations of wild canines. In their book "Infectious diseases of wild mammals," Elizabeth S. Williams, Ian K. Barker state that:
Sera positive for CPV antibodies were first detected in coyotes in the United States in 1979, and by 1981 most coyotes examined in Texas, Idaho, Utah and Ontario were sera positive. Positive sera were collected from gray wolves in Alaska during 1980. More difficult to rationalize are reports of antibody to a pravovirus in gray wolves as early as 1975-77, because CPV was unknown in other canids in the United States at that time.
If it was as deadly to the wild animals as it was being with the domestic animals, they should have been wiped out. No one was giving them supportive therapy to help them make it through the crisis. The estimates survival rate of dogs not receiving support is only 20%. So even if it did not wipe out the populations of wild animals, it should have drastically reduced their numbers and yet it didn't. There are many people who would point to this and proclaim the benefits of a more natural diet, and they wouldn't be wrong. From her book "The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care," C. J. Puotinen states:
Throughout the 1980s, Juliet de Bairacli Levy received reports from followers of her Natural Rearing (NR) philosophy documenting the virus' spread through Australia, New Zealand, Europe and North America. Even when canine parvovirus rates were at their peak, NR dogs were unaffected, demonstrating the strong resistance of unvaccinated animals on a natural, raw diet, given ample daily exercise and protected by medicinal herbs.
At that point in time the healthier foods were not yet available. Unless you were making your own dog food, you were feeding the kibble found in grocery stores, which we now know is both lacking in real nutrition and contains toxins that weaken an animals immune system.
Prevention
Not everyone feeds a raw diet. Often times the dogs we are caring for came to us with unknown histories. It is not unusual for rescues to pick up mothers in very poor physical health herself and so she has not passed on the immunity to her puppies. There are vaccines that can be given for parvo, but be aware that even dogs who have been vaccinated can still get the disease, especially as the original virus mutates. It is believed that we are currently dealing with what is referred to as CPV2c. This is the 3rd generation of the original virus. And not everyone believes in giving vaccinations.
Avoiding exposure to the virus can be difficult. The virus is amazingly hardy and can survive both freezing temperatures and extreme heat. It is estimated that the virus can live on surfaces for a couple of years. The only thing that is known to kill the virus is a mixture of bleach and water (one ounce of bleach to a quart of water), not something that can be spread on the ground in areas where there are lawns and other plants without killing them. In addition, if you walk through an area where the parvovirus is, you can bring it home to your dogs on your shoes. Avoidance is a still good strategy, just be aware of the difficulty of the task.
Puppies will be in a time of stress due to separation from their mother and litter mates. Stress is known to lower the immune defenses. CJ Puotinen recommends the following support to help young puppies get through this stressful time:
To help protect puppies, during weaning and the transition to their new homes, pups can be fed freshly made yogurt or kefir, acidophilus supplements and bovine colostrum (although it is not the same as mother’s milk, it is a partial substitute.) Small amounts of bee propolis, vitamin C and antiseptic herbs can help puppies resist not only parvovirus, but every other type of infection during this time of stress.
Treatments
If you even suspect that your dog has parvo you need to see your veterinarian. If money is an issue, you can try the methods I am suggesting, however, nothing takes the place of your vet in emergency treatment of animals.
There are a number of alternative treatments that have been successfully used in combating parvovirus.
For those who are familiar with colloidal silver, there are a couple of methods that are used. The following is taken from a post on one of the silver lists:
My wife made her own modifications to my suggestions and mixed together 12 oz of Pedialyte, 5 drops of GSE (grape seed extract) and enough SC (silver citrate) to have about 60 ppm of silver in the mixture. They put half a dropper full of the mixture in the mouth of the puppy every hour and my wife said the puppy started getting better almost immediately. After 4 hours it was able to stand and drink water. And the next morning it was playing almost as if nothing had happened. It has been two days now and the puppy is still ok They will continue to give the puppy some of the mixture twice daily for the next 3 to 4 days to be sure.
Silver Citrate is a very high concentration of silver particles. According to one site
Citrate complexes have an advantage in that pathogenic organisms consider citrates as actual food sources.
Silver itself is known to be antibacterial, antimicrobial, and it has demonstrated tissue healing properties. That is why it is used as a lining in bandages and can be found in prescription ointments. When putting the mixture into the dog's mouth, the mixture is absorbed even if it is not swallowed. The Pedialyte would help to replace some of the lost fluids and electrolytes lost in the vomiting and diarrhea. It also speeds up the absorption of the liquid. Besides being a great anti-oxidant, grape seed extract is also used for wound healing.
Another method used on the silver list is to do enemas using a mixture of colloidal silver and pedialyte. The last of the large colon has the function of absorbing water from the fecal matter, so it is a good way to get fluid back into an animal that is dehydrated.
In the next post there will be additional information on alternative treatments. Please keep in mind that if you do not have the suggested items on hand, the animal has a very short window of opportunity to help it. If you are ordering supplies after the fact, you need to use FedEx overnight delivery. Do not rely on the postal service to get this to you. The post office Express Mail sometimes takes 2 days and is delivered in the afternoon. FedEx will be delivered in the morning. The difference could cost you the life of your companion.
As always, the information given here is not intended to replace the advice given by your vet. It is intended to provide you with an education so that you can make an informed decision as to what is the best alternative for your companion.
If you have any questions or comments, or if you would like to know about anything in particular, please send an email to
Compassion in Action - Doni's Dogs
www.donisdogs.com
Today's Site
It is heartbreaking when you read the news and find another child who has inflicted cruelty on an animal. There seems to be more of this occurring than what happened in the past. It is hard to tell if that is the reality or if it is just reported more than it use to be. Either way, the humane treatment of animals is something that we must teach our children. Pawskids.org is a great place for kids to start to learn this lesson. Loaded with information about pets, wildlife and farm animals, this site helps to bring awareness to children about the importance of treating animals with compassion and respect. Pawskids.org - Creating a kinder place for animals.
More Information:
Bee Propolis
http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/herbsvitaminsa1/a/Bee_propolis.htm
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400335/What-Are-the-Benefits-of-Bee-Propolis.html
http://www.luckyvitamin.com/item/itemKey/60662?utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=fpl&utm_term=GoodNNaturalBeePropolis500mg100Capsules&utm_content=60662&utm_campaign=googlebase&site=google_base
Antiseptic Herbs
http://www.anniesremedy.com/chart.php?prop_ID=6
Colloidal Silver
http://www.silvermedicine.org/
www.silvermedicine.org/medical-doctors-silver.html
Silver Citrate
http://www.silvermedicine.org/silver-citrate.html
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2590638
http://life-enthusiast.com/usa/silver-dropper-p-1117.html
Grape Seed Extract
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/grapeseed/
http://vitamins.ultimatefatburner.com/grape-seed-extract.html
http://www.luckyvitamin.com/item/itemKey/73568?utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=fpl&utm_term=NutribioticMaximumGSELiquidConcentrate1oz&utm_content=73568&utm_campaign=googlebase&site=google_base
Today's Site
http://www.pawskids.org
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