Canine Parvoviral Enteritis Mortality in Shelter Dogs Receiving Conventional Medical Therapy Compared to Integrative Treatment with the Chinese Herbal Medicine, Zhi Li Tang: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Canine parvoviral (CPV) enteritis is a contagious infection, which particularly affects young dogs, and is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates in the canine population. This study sought to determine whether including the Chinese herbal medicine formula, Zhi Li Tang (ZLT, Red Back Door), in conjunction with conventional therapy can decrease mortality of shelter dogs with CPV enteritis. Nineteen canine subjects from a shelter population diagnosed with CPV enteritis were randomly assigned to a Control Group which received conventional supportive treatment, or an Integrative Treatment Group which received ZLT along with conventional supportive treatment. Study duration was 14 days unless the subject died, or all clinical signs associated with CPV enteritis had resolved. The outcome measurement was a binary response of mortality within the 14-day trial. In the Control Group, there was a 43% (3/7) mortality rate compared to 0% mortality in the Integrative Treatment Group (12/12, all dogs recovered) within the 14-day study period. All subjects that survived in both study groups had resolution of CPV clinical signs by the end of the study. Despite the small sample size in this pilot study, there was a statistically significant (p=0.036) improvement in survival for the dogs receiving Zhi Li Tang in addition to conventional therapy when compared to the dogs receiving conventional therapy only. The results from this study suggest integrating ZLT with conventional treatment of CPV enteritis could reduce mortality from CPV infections in shelter dogs. Further investigation of these findings with larger studies is needed to confirm study results.