The aim of this prospective study was to investigate bacteraemia in puppies with enteritis attributed to canine parvovirus 2 (CPV-2) infection.

Blood samples were obtained for culture from 17 puppies with parvoviral enteritis (group 1), aged 2–10 months, prior to treatment on admission (time 1), 48 hours later (time 2), and on the day of sudden deterioration or discharge (time 3). Thirteen healthy puppies (group 2), aged 2–6 months, were selected as controls and sampled for blood culture once. Dogs were eligible for inclusion in group 1 according to clinical and clinicopathological abnormalities, incomplete vaccination against canine parvoviral enteritis, and presence of CPV antigens (rapid immunoassay) and of CPV-2 DNA (real-time PCR) in feces. Group 2 dogs were healthy on physical examination, complete blood count, serum biochemistry, urinalysis, abdominal ultrasonography, buffy coat cytology, and tested negative for CPV antigens and CPV-2 DNA in feces. All animals had not received antimicrobials for 4 weeks prior to inclusion in the study. Blood samples from all dogs were aseptically obtained from both jugular veins at each time point, placed in pediatric culture bottles and shipped to the laboratory immediately. Blood cultures were performed by BACTEC 9120 blood culture instrument (Becton Dickinson) using pediatrics (PEDS) bottles. Isolates from positive blood cultures were identified to the species level by the VITEK 2 automated system (Bio Merieux, France). Standardized treatment included intravenous administration of fluids, maropitant, metoclopramide, ampicillin and enrofloxacin.

In group 1, 11/17 dogs survived to discharge. Escherichia coli was isolated in 4/6 dead dogs, Klebsiella pneumoniae in 1/6, and blood cultures were negative in 1/6. Nine out of 11 survivors were blood culture-negative and 2/11 presented with asymptomatic bacteremia on the day of discharge (K. pneumoniae and Enterobacter cloacae, respectively). Repeat blood cultures in the latter 9 days post-discharge, during which no antimicrobials had been administered, were negative. Median duration of hospitalization for group 1 was 7 days (range 1–9 days). All blood cultures from group 2 were negative.

Limited data exist regarding blood culture results in puppies naturally infected with CPV-2. E. coli, Enterobacter spp. and K. pneumoniae have been previously reported in cultures from intravenous catheters in dogs with parvoviral enteritis, and E. coli has also been recovered from blood in 3 cases. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first prospective study to monitor bacterial blood cultures longitudinally in such dogs.

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