Effective Treatment for Canine Coronavirus Infection

Characteristics of the Outbreak

Dogs, ferrets, foxes, and other canid species are susceptible to this disease, with puppies being the most vulnerable. The incidence rate in dogs is nearly 100%, and the mortality rate is around 50%. Infected and carrier dogs are the primary sources of transmission, releasing the virus through respiratory and digestive tracts. The virus can contaminate feed, water, utensils, kennels, and exercise areas, leading to direct or indirect transmission to healthy dogs and other susceptible animals. The disease can occur yearround, but it is more prevalent in winter. Sudden changes in weather, poor sanitation, high dog density, weaning puppies moving to new shelters, and longdistance transportation can all trigger outbreaks.

Clinical Symptoms

The incubation period for the disease typically ranges from 1 to 3 days. The spread is rapid, often affecting the entire group within a few days. The severity of symptoms varies, ranging from fatal watery diarrhea to no symptoms at all. The main symptoms are observed in puppies, who present with severe gastrointestinal symptoms, including loss of appetite, vomiting, persistent diarrhea, and severe dehydration.

Most dogs recover within 7 to 10 days, but some puppies may die within 24 to 36 hours after onset, with mortality rates generally decreasing with age, and adult dogs rarely succumbing to the disease.

Pathological Changes

The intestinal wall becomes thin, filled with white or yellowgreen fluid. The intestinal mucosa is congested and bleeding, with lymph nodes in the mesentery enlarged. The villi in the small intestine shrink and fuse, and the lamina propria has an increased cell count, with flattened epithelial cells. The gastric mucosa is hemorrhagic and sloughed off, with mucus in the stomach, and the gallbladder is enlarged.

Differential Diagnosis

1. Canine Coronavirus vs. Canine Parvovirus Infection

Both infections present with vomiting, diarrhea, depression, and intestinal mucosal congestion, necrosis, and sloughing, along with enlarged and hemorrhagic mesenteric lymph nodes.

Differences: Canine Parvovirus infections (myocarditis type) show nonsuppurative necrosis in the myocardium or endocardium, with soft myocardium. Canine Coronavirus infections have severe diarrhea with feces that may be white, yellow, green, or brown, sometimes喷射状, with hemorrhagic and sloughedoff gastric mucosa, enlarged spleen, and gallbladder.

2. Canine Coronavirus vs. Canine Rotavirus Infection

Both infections have vomiting, diarrhea, depression, and respiratory distress.

Differences: Canine Rotavirus infections primarily affect the small intestine, with mucosal congestion, necrosis, and sloughing, along with enlarged and hemorrhagic mesenteric lymph nodes, but without other organ pathologies.

... (The rest of the differential diagnosis section remains unchanged for brevity.)

Precautions

Diagnosis of the disease can be suspected based on its characteristics, clinical symptoms, and pathological changes, but laboratory testing is necessary for confirmation.

Preventive Measures

1. Prevention

① Enhance feeding management by providing fresh, clean, and easily digestible food to the dogs.

② Regularly disinfect kennels, utensils, and work clothes.

③ Vaccinate dogs regularly to prevent the disease. Isolate sick dogs promptly, and ensure that isolation areas are cleared of feces and disinfected. Use sodium hypochlorite and bleaching powder, 0.2%1% formaldehyde, or a 1:30 bleach powder solution to disinfect the area. Most dogs can recover with symptomatic treatment.

2. Treatment

The treatment principle is symptomatic therapy and prevention of secondary infections.

① Antibiotics to prevent secondary infections.

② Antiemetics.

③ Antidiarrheals.

④ Gastrointestinal mucosal protection.

⑤ Fluid replacement with solutions like Ringer's, lactated Ringer's, 5% glucose, ATP, coenzyme A, and vitamin C.