Serological evaluation of the immune protection conferred by the canine parvovirus vaccine: A comparative study of a recommended brief protocol and WSAVA protocols

Canine parvovirus (CPV) is a highly contagious and often fatal viral disease in puppies, with high morbidity and mortality rates. Despite vaccination, failures have been reported, especially with the short protocol (BP) recommended by some pharmaceutical companies, which may not align with the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) 2024 guidelines.

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of immunity in puppies vaccinated with the BP protocol and assess whether boosters based on the WSAVA guidelines would improve immunity. Experiment 1 involved unvaccinated puppies receiving the WSAVA vaccination protocol, with four vaccinations at 15-day intervals. Experiment 2 assessed puppies vaccinated with the BP protocol, followed by two additional booster doses administered two weeks apart.

In Experiment 1, puppies receiving the WSAVA protocol had insufficient maternal antibodies (32.00 ± 14.99) at 12–16 weeks. After four vaccinations, antibody titers significantly increased to 256.00 ± 79.43 by day 45 (p = 0.0166). In Experiment 2, puppies vaccinated with the BP protocol showed antibody titers of 32.00 ± 32.57 at 5 months, below the protective threshold. Two additional boosters raised antibody titers to 512.00 ± 245.0 at day 45 (p = 0.0154). These results indicate that the BP protocol alone does not provide adequate immunity but that Additional boosters can improve immunity. The WSAVA vaccination protocol effectively protects against CPV, while the BP protocol requires additional boosters to meet protective standards. Implementing WSAVA-guideline-based boosters is essential to improve CPV protection in puppies.