Effective Treatment for Canine Pancreatitis in Dogs: A

Our ailing canine companion is showing signs of depression and a complete loss of appetite. The most characteristic symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea. The vomit is a frothy liquid, often containing a few clots. The dog's diarrhea is accompanied by a sense of urgency, and as the condition improves, the stool color gradually deepens to a dark brown, transitioning from a watery consistency to a pastelike form. These diarrhea symptoms typically subside by the seventh day of the illness.

Treatment and Care:

IV therapy is crucial to address dehydration and electrolyte imbalances, as well as to provide nutritional support, antiviral treatment, prevent secondary infections, and offer symptomatic relief. The treatment includes administering 0.9% sodium chloride injection, 5% glucose injection, sodium bicarbonate, Ringer's lactate solution, and medications such as cefotaxime, ribavirin, tranexamic acid, metoclopramide, and 18 amino acids plus fat emulsion. The dog may receive continuous IV infusion or twicedaily infusions lasting over 6 hours, with the maximum fluid volume reaching up to 60 to 80 mL/kg of body weight per day.

Specific treatment for canine parvovirus is essential. Hightiter canine parvovirus immune serum is administered subcutaneously at a dosage of 1 mL/kg body weight, requiring multiple injection sites due to the large volume. Concurrently, canine parvovirus monoclonal antibody is injected for three consecutive days.

Enema administration is also part of the treatment. The dog's hindquarters are elevated, and a lubricated catheter is gently inserted into the rectum about 20 cm deep. The surrounding skin is pinched with one hand to secure the catheter, while the other hand administers the medication slowly using a syringe. If the dog shows minimal resistance, a drip IV set can be used to slowly inject 37°C normal saline, which can be mixed with coptis or gentamicin.

Care and attention are paramount. Ensure the dog is kept warm at night, and no water should be given until the vomiting subsides. In the later stages of the disease, offer small amounts of water cautiously, increasing the amount only when no vomiting occurs. Once normal drinking is resumed, introduce broth or other liquid foods gradually.

The incubation period for canine parvovirus is typically 3 to 7 days, with the first shedding of the virus occurring on the third day. The virus replicates in the oral and pharyngeal areas for the first two days after entering the dog's body. It reaches the intestinal mucosa via the bloodstream, not the intestinal lumen. This is why specific treatment in the early stages of the disease can provide adequate protection for the affected dog and accelerate virus clearance. The antibodies interrupt the virus's route from the throat to the bloodstream, while the virus that has reached the intestines is excreted with the sloughing of mucosal cells. As the disease progresses, the amount of canine parvovirus excreted by the dog decreases, leading to negative antigen tests starting from the fourth day of illness.