Parvovirus as a Predisposing Factor for Intestinal Intussusception in 3 Dogs in Iran
Parvovirus is a serious, deadly threat to the unvaccinated dog population. Parvovirus is capable of causing two different sets of clinical problems. The first to be recognized, and most common, is the "intestinal" form, which is manifested by diarrhea; often bloody vomiting, loss of appetite, depression, fever, and sometimes death. The second syndrome, the "cardiac" form, occurs in very young pups and is manifested by an acute inflammation of the heart muscle. Parvovirus can be caused illeus in dogs. In this study intestinal intussusceptions were diagnosed in 3 dogs with hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, due to canine parvovirus. They were with age of 1 - 2 years and their breeds were Doberman pinscher (2) and German shepherd (1). In history, they were affected to Parvovirus in 3 - 6 months. As the other causes of the disease were excluded, Parvovirus was considered to be the most likely predisposing factor for the intestinal intussusception. Ileocolic intussusception was found in all of dogs. Of the 3 dogs that underwent surgical resection and anastomosis of the intestine, 2 dogs recovered completely and one died due to complications. CBC was abnormal (Leucopenia and Neutrogena) in dogs. Supportive treatments were done for them. The objective of this investigation was to detection whether Parvovirus in young dogs can be a predisposing factor for intussusception in higher ages.