CORONA VIRUS

• There are two main types of canine coronavirus in the United States: enteric and respiratory.  

  • Enteric canine coronavirus spreads through feces and causes damage to the cells lining the gastrointestinal tract. Dogs typically display clinical signs related to gastrointestinal upset, such as vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy.  

  • Respiratory canine coronavirus spreads through the air and enters the lungs. It is part of a larger respiratory disease complex in dogs and causes coughing, sneezing, and difficulty breathing.  

​

Clinical Symptoms

​​

• Canine enteric coronavirus (CECoV) virus travels to the intestinal cells and replicates quickly, destroying those cells in the process. Young, immunocompromised, or stressed dogs may have more severe symptoms.  

• Those symptoms may include:  

  • Diarrhea (sometimes bloody)  

  • Vomiting 

  • Decreased appetite 

  • Painful abdomen 

  • Lethargy 

  • Dehydration 

  • Fever 

  • Seizures in severe cases 

• Canine respiratory coronavirus (CRCoV) is part of the complex disease called Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease, or CIRD and symptoms can vary from mild to severe depending on the other bacteria involved. Common symptoms include: 

  • Coughing 

  • Sneezing 

  • Difficulty breathing 

  • Eye discharge 

  • Nasal discharge 

  • Gagging/regurgitation at the end of the cough 

  • Fever 

  • Lethargy 

  • Decreased appetite 

​

Treatment 

  

• Dogs with both CECoV and CRCoV may not require any treatment at all because many dogs recover on their own. Depending on the severity, some dogs may receive outpatient treatment such as:  

  • Fluids for hydration 

  • Oral anti-nausea medications  

  • Oral anti-diarrheal medications  

  • Gastrointestinal prescription foods  

  • Probiotics to re-establish gastrointestinal flora  

  • Anti-inflammatories and/or cough medicine for coughing in dogs with CRCoV  

• More severe cases may require hospitalization with:  

  • IV fluids for hydration 

  • IV antibiotics and/or anti-nausea medications  

  • Nutritional support—feeding tubes or total parenteral nutrition 

  • Appetite stimulants 

  • Heat support 

  • Oxygen or use of a nebulizer for dogs with CRCoV 

​

​