Canine parvovirus (CPV) causes a devastating and often fatal gastrointestinal disease in unvaccinated dogs. Prevention through vaccination is highly effective; treatment of infected dogs requires intensive care.
Parvovirus causes severe, painful hemorrhagic gastroenteritis with profound dehydration and secondary sepsis. Affected puppies experience intense suffering - relentless vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and weakness. Intensive care treatment is physically demanding for patients and financially demanding for owners, and even with optimal care some dogs die. Prevention through vaccination is inexpensive, reliable, and spares animals entirely from this suffering. Outbreak control in shelters and communities requires rapid identification, vaccination of exposed dogs, and environmental decontamination.