Sucks for this dog who got Herpes, check out this clinical case report

Canine Herpes Virus Case Study

By: Sarah Peloquin

History

Sadie is a 2-3 year-old Labrador mix who has been presented with her two puppies following parturition. The owners found Sadie about 2 weeks ago in their backyard; they adopted her and have been taking care of her since then. They did not know that she was pregnant, so she has not yet been to a vet. Her puppies were born 8 days ago and the owners are concerned that yesterday evening they both started going downhill. They stopped moving as much and stopped suckling. The puppies have had a green-colored diarrhea and now cry more. The owners report that Sadie is doing fine. 

Rule out list

Canine herpes virus, canine parvovirus, canine hepatitis, congenital defects

SOAP

S. Puppies seemed lethargic and unthrifty. They were reluctant to move and very vocal

O. T: 95.3, 96.0

Weights: 2.3 lb, 2.0 lb

Erythematous rashes on ventral abdomens

Enlarged lymph nodes 

Radiographs: lungs show diffuse unstructured interstitial pattern

A. All of the puppies have shown a rapid decline in health, which would point away from congenital defects. The absence of a fever rules out both hepatitis and parvovirus, since these viruses tend to cause a fever. The normal temperature would be more indicative of herpes virus, since this virus is temperature sensitive. 

P. Since canine herpes virus is the number one diagnosis, serum antibodies can be transferred to the puppies in an attempt to decrease mortality. Unfortunately, the puppies died overnight prior to this procedure. The owners approved necropsies of the puppies to further solidify the diagnosis. 

Necropsy Results

Focal areas of necrosis and hemorrhage. Petechial hemorrhages in kidney (shown), liver, lung, and spleen. Intranuclear inclusion bodies on histopathology sections. All findings are consistent with canine herpes virus. 

Tissue samples sent out to reference laboratory for PCR and in situ hybridization for further confirmation of acute neonatal viremia of canine herpes virus.

The owners turned down testing Sadie, since the puppies’ tissues were sent out for sampling.

Client Communication

The owners were told that Sadie was likely infected with canine herpes virus, and that these puppies were most likely her first litter. She was probably infected with the virus from direct contact with an infected dog during the last three weeks of her pregnancy. She then transmitted the virus via mucosal secretions to her puppies. Since these puppies were not able to control their own temperature at this point in their life and also had no antibodies to the virus, they were very susceptible to the virus replicating in their oronasal pharynx.

This virus has very high morbidity and mortality rates. There is unrewarding therapy in young puppies that have already been infected, because they usually have severe organ damage. Unfortunately, there was a very slim chance that they would have survived, and if they did, they would probably have had organ defects.

The owners were very concerned about Sadie’s health, and wanted to know if she would ever become sick. They were told that she should develop antibodies to the virus, but she will be infected for the rest of her life. Any future litters she has will inherit the maternal antibodies to the virus and will not become diseased. The owners inquired about spaying, and were told that spaying would be recommended if they were not planning on breeding Sadie later on. 

Once confirmation from lab results is available, the owners will be notified. 

Sources:

http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/generalized_conditions/canine_herpesviral_infection/overview_of_canine_herpesviral_infection.html

“Small Animal Infectious Diseases” Theriogenology VM8374 powerpoint, Dr. Julie Cecere.