Abstract: Background– Despite consistent availability of effective vaccines, cases of canine parvovirus continue to be identified. There is an absence of recent data on this population of dogs presenting to primary care hospitals. Hypothesis/Objectives– To investigate the population of dogs with naturally occurring parvovirus presenting to a US primary care hospital network and describe population demographics, clinical parameters, factors influencing survival and patient outcomes. Animals– 78,977 dogs were diagnosed with parvovirus during the study period. Diagnoses were made based on clinical signs and/or laboratory testing. Methods– Medical records from January 1, 2010-June 30, 2023 were retrospectively searched for dogs with a parvovirus diagnosis. Structured patient data were collected and analyzed. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for 33 screening variables in 4 categories using a backwards, stepwise multivariate regression analysis, performed with 14-day mortality as the dependent variable of interest. Results– Case numbers and patient age decreased annually. Previous parvovirus vaccination was not documented for 90.7% (71,624/78,977) of cases. Adjusted OR [95% CI] showed: hypoproteinemia (4.44 [2.01-9.81]), underweight condition (2.99 [1.40-6.36]), lymphopenia (2.18 [1.36-3.49]), leukopenia 2.03 [1.24-3.32]), increased ALT (1.62 [1.02-2.59]), body weight (0.94 [0.91-0.98]), multiple intestinal parasites (0.61 [0.40-0.93]), and sterilization status [yes] (0.04 [0.02-0.08]) as significant. Conclusions and Clinical Importance– Thousands of dogs continue to be diagnosed with parvovirus annually. Results emphasize the continued importance of vaccination and other preventive measures. The identification of positive and negative survival factors may allow more targeted and personalized interventions, helping to reduce overall mortality rates.
