Canine coronavirus: how to strengthen the immune system of puppies
What is canine coronavirus?
Canine coronavirus causes an acute, self-limiting infection that does not become chronic. The virus is eliminated in the faeces and therefore the route of infection is faecal–oral contact. Infected puppies start to manifest clinical signs after an incubation period of 24–36 hours. Canine coronavirus infects cells in the intestine, causing intestinal inflammation.
The most common clinical signs of canine coronavirus
The main clinical signs are:
- Temperature of over 40 °C
- Tremors
- Vomiting
- Dehydration
- Loss of appetite
- Foul-smelling diarrhoea
- Blood and mucus in stools
Treatment of canine coronavirus
The treatment of canine coronavirus is symptomatic. Support measures are administered until the semiology resolves itself. As there is still no treatment for this virus, preventive measures are particularly important.
Besides keeping the dog’s possessions in a good hygienic condition and adhering to its vaccination schedule, a puppy’s immune system can be reinforced through its diet.
Combating canine coronavirus through diet
We can help accelerate the development of each puppy’s immune system with immunonutrients including nucleotides, immunoglobulins and prebiotics which stimulate gut microbiota. We have already given a more detailed explanation of the specific features of a puppy’s diet in a previous post.
- The five main nucleotides are guanine and adenine (purines), and thymine, cytosine and uracil (pyrimidines). Nucleotides are the building blocks of both DNA and RNA. They are essential for protein synthesis, so they play a vital role in cell replication as well as normal body and immune system function. The dietary intake of nucleotides is very important, as is the correct ratio of purines and pyrimidines, since their de novo synthesis involves a very energetically expensive process.
Compared with human breast milk and that of other species, a female dog’s milk has an even more free nucleotides (with a high proportion of pyrimidines), which indicates that newborn puppies require dietary nucleotides for their healthy development, such as those in the Advance special diet for puppies1.
Puppies given diets supplemented with nucleotides produce more antibodies after being vaccinated and their lymphocytes are more responsive.
- Immunoglobulins, which can be sourced from plasma, hyperimmune egg yolk or bovine colostrum, can also be given as dietary supplements. In the case of canine coronavirus, immunoglobulins prevent pathogens from combining with the intestinal mucosa by binding to them and therefore inactivating them. They also help maintain the integrity of the mucosa.
- Prebiotics are natural fibres that ferment in the large intestine, stimulating the growth of beneficial bacteria such as lactobacillus and bifidobacterium, thus helping maintain the balance of gut microbiota.
A well-balanced gut microbiota contributes to a healthy intestinal mucosa and strong immune system.
Recently, following the outbreak of COVID-19, which is caused by the human coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, several questions have arisen as to whether this novel virus can be transmitted to cats and dogs. Cats and dogs can be infected by other coronaviruses that usually produce clinical pictures similar to that of enteritis; however, there is no evidence that they can be infected with SARS-CoV-2. To date, there is no evidence that cats or dogs can act as a source of infection for humans or other animals or are involved in the transmission of SARS-Cov-2. 2,3
Due to the rapid evolution of the pandemic, Vets & Clinics by Advance recommend that you check the official channels frequently.
