Prevalence of canine parvoviral gastroenteritis in dogs in Shivamogga

Abstract

Canine parvoviral gastroenteritis is a highly contagious and often fatal disease of dogs, particularly affecting young and unvaccinated populations. A retrospective study was conducted at the Department of Veterinary Clinical Complex, Veterinary College, Shivamogga, Karnataka, using case records from June 2024 to May 2025 to assess the prevalence of Canine parvoviral (CPV) infection. Out of 1791 canine cases reported, 161 were confirmed to be positive for CPV using Rapid Antigen Test kit, yielding an overall prevalence of 8.99%. Age-wise analysis revealed the highest prevalence in dogs aged 3-6 months (36.02%), followed by 0-3 months (32.29%), while the lowest was observed in dogs above 12 months (8.09%). Male dogs (55.90%) showed higher prevalence compared to females (44.10%), and non-descript breeds (39.13%) were most affected, followed by Labrador Retrievers (14.28%). Unvaccinated dogs exhibited significantly higher prevalence (85.10%) compared to vaccinated ones (14.90%). Seasonal variation indicated peak prevalence during the South-West monsoon (30.43%), with the lowest in winter (16.15%). The findings highlight the continued burden of CPV infection and emphasize the importance of vaccination, improved biosecurity, and sustained epidemiological surveillance to reduce disease occurrence and control outbreaks.