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Community Corner

It's Parvo Time Again!

Parvo is deadly to dogs and begins to show up more around this time of year.

I'm sure many of you have heard of Parvovirus in some way, shape or form.   Maybe it was through a friend, neighbor or even from personal experience and even though you may not know all the details surrounding this disease, one thing that most people do know is that it kills! During this time of year, when the weather begins warming up, the number of cases that I see steadily increases.  As a matter of fact, I have seen about five cases in the past two weeks alone!
 
Parvoviral Enteritisor Parvo as it is commonly called, is an acute (sudden) illness that  affects non-vaccinated puppies (puppies meaning up to one year of age). This disease is often characterized by bloody diarrhea, repeated episodes of vomiting, anorexia (no appetite), lethargy, rapid weight loss and death. Although most signs appear to be related to the gastrointestinal tract, it can also affect the immune system and occasionally the heart. The transmission of the virus is primarily through ingestion of feces from an infected pet and most dogs begin to show symptoms about 5-10 days after infection. Once in the body, the virus multiplies rapidly and causes severe damage  and the pet begins to shed the virus in their feces in about 8-12 days. There are usually no signs while the virus is multiplying throughout the body and most pet owners say that their dog was acting normally, eating and drinking fine and then all of a sudden became sick.  A number of owners do not understand how their pet could have contracted the disease because they keep an eye on their puppy at all times and  the pet was not walked far, just down the street or around the neighborhood or apartment complex. The reason why this seemingly harmless stroll  can be dangerous  is because once it is in the environment, the virus can last up to a year, which means that even if a dog who had parvo one year prior defecated in the area where you are walking your dog, he or she can still contract the disease. Because of this, anytime a puppy is presented to me for intestinal issues or not eating, and I know that he or she  is not current on vaccines, I automatically suggest a parvo test to the owner, which gives results in about 5-7 minutes.

So how do you prevent your precious pooch from contracting such a deadly virus? The answer is simple-- vaccinate! Puppies require four rounds of the DHLPP or DHPP vaccines, usually given three weeks apart from the time that they are about  6 - 8 weeks old. Some people think that if they give their pet only one or two sets of vaccines that they will still be protected, but this is not the case.  Puppies receive their initial immunity to help them fight disease from their mother but as time goes by, these antibodies begin to dwindle and they must get vaccines to help them build their own immunity. If a puppy is only given one or two sets of vaccines, then there is a "power-struggle" between the maternal immunity and that given by  vaccines  and in most cases, the maternal antibodies overpower that of the vaccines and the pet begins to become susceptible to diseases. Although it seems like you live in your vet's for the first few months after getting a new puppy, and shudder at the cost of all the visits, you now see that we have a good reason to want to see you and your darling puppy as often as we do!
 
Fortunately nowadays, with the advances in veterinary medicine, a large number of puppies that contract the virus can be treated successfully but there is still  a significant amount that do not survive even with treatment  because by the time they start showing symptoms, the body is so severely affected due to the extreme virulence that there is not much that can be done and the pet dies within a few hours or days. There is no cure for Parvo and giving your pet a shot of penicillin (as I have been asked to do) will not treat the disease. Treatment can range anywhere from $800- $1500 or more depending on the facility . The goal of treatment is to correct dehydration, restore fluid and electrolyte imbalances, reduce infection and to "'heal" the intestinal tract. Recovering pups are usually fed a digestible, low fat diet that is "easy" on the gastrointestinal system once the vomiting and diarrhea resolves.
 
One of the most important things a pet owner must know prior to bringing home a pet that was treated for parvo is the importance of disinfection. Diluted bleach will kill the virus in a few minutes, so be sure that the environment has been cleaned thoroughly before you reintroduce your precious pup to it. It is also my recommendation that these puppies are not socialized with  others until they are fully vaccinated.

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