Circovirus found in dogs in Ohio and California

NOTE:  The following article is subject to revision as we learn more about this new virus.

A mysterious and deadly virus is affecting dogs in OHIO.  Four dogs died in late August of the same symptoms.  Feces from one of the dead dogs showed a virus known to kill swine that seems to have mutated to canines.   A Beagle in CALIFORNIA was diagnosed with the same disease this spring.

There is no conclusive evidence that all the dead dogs died from the same disease, although the symptoms were said to be similar.  In fact, the symptoms are very similar to the Parvo Virus.

My understanding, from reading three articles on the subject 09/11/13 is that sick dogs may vomit, have bloody diarrhea, be lethargic, but unlike typical Parvo, this mysterious disease is known to kill the dog within 48 hours from showing symptoms.

Several dogs with like-symptoms have been saved with emergency veterinary care, however, no articles I read discussed the medical protocol to treat the sick dogs.

My understanding is that the disease does not show up as Parvo with the typical tests commonly used in veterinary offices today.  Being a new virus, samples of feces have been sent to a California Lab for testing showing a similar connection to a deadly swine disease and so may be “related to a circovirus that has impacted pigs across the globe.”

You will want to read the information in the following articles and we will post new and related articles as we learn more about this disease.

What you need to know:

When your dog does not want to eat or picks at it’s food pay close attention and monitor.  Then if it is lethargic, vomit’s, has a loose stool that may also have blood in it or “has any combination of the three common symptoms, these are always warnings that your dog needs an immediate visit to the vet.

Don’t wait because waiting for any illness with these signs can quickly take your dog down, making it harder to treat or for the pet to recover.  Costs to treat can be more expensive too.

Also, always isolate your sick pet to allow them calm and quiet as well as to protect your other pets. This also allows you better monitoring to determine if there is an emergency or not.

I bleach any area or pen a dog has had diarrhea.  If possible, bring a stool sample with you to the vet.

Please share this information with your friends.

Please read the following articles and check back for more articles as we find them.

Experts close in on dog virus; veterinarians say ‘don’t panic’:
http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/201309112028/NEWS01/309090044

Severe Canine Illness Mystifies Veterinarians, Officials in Ohio:  http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=822548

The following article may be difficult to comprehend and require you to re-read to acquire a better understanding.  Please don’t let the “big words” keep you from reading what has been learned about this disease to date.  You will be so much better informed even if you only understand small parts of what the research has discovered as of 9/11/13:

Circovirus in Tissues of Dogs with Vasculitis and Hemorrhage:  http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/19/4/12-1390_article.htm