We have seen a sudden increase in Parvo cases. Our last two dogs were not from the shelter or a pet store but got the disease right by their home.
Parvo is a virus, which means antibiotics don’t work. This disease attacks rapidly dividing cells. That means it’s especially devastating to puppies because it not only attacks the intestinal lining, but the bone marrow as well, making it harder for the immune system to fight it off. We see the disease most commonly in puppies because they are not fully protected.
Parvo is an exceptionally hardy virus. It resists most disinfectants and it can live in environment for weeks to months. That means the dog who had the disease and the poop or vomit the dog left behind can be long gone but the virus is still lurking. Very few viral particles can be infective. Typically the highest risk areas are shelters, pet stores, and people who sell puppies from multiple litters.
If a dog gets Parvo, the symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea (frequently bloody and foul-smelling), anorexia, and lethargy. If left untreated, most dogs die of dehydration. Fortunately, with proper nursing care, most dogs survive and make a complete recovery with no long-term problems. This therapy includes: aggressive fluid therapy, anti-vomiting medications, pain management, elimination of concurrent parasite infections, nutrition management (syringe feedings or via nasal catheter), plasma transfusion if needed, and antibiotics (the damage to the intestines can lead to infection from the dog’s normal gut bacteria). Mild cases require less aggressive treatment, but severe cases require everything above.
Fortunately vaccination, when performed properly, is extremely protective. Fully vaccinated dogs are extremely unlikely to get ill. Vaccination recommendations are: vaccinate at 8, 12, and 16 weeks (no vaccines should be more than 4 weeks apart). We recommend not starting too soon and finishing at 16 weeks in order to make sure there is no interference from antibodies from mom. As an adult dog, we recommend vaccinating at 1 year, then every 3 years thereafter. While there are some recommendations to stop vaccination in older animals, there is absolutely no evidence of how long protection lasts and we recommend following this schedule until research as proven how long immunity lasts due to the devastating nature of this disease.
Please make sure to keep your dogs, especially puppies safe. Until fully vaccinated (and vaccines current in adults), do not take your dog anyplace where a dog you don’t know could have defecated. That means no parks, no pet stores, and not even your own front yard if you live in an area where dogs tend to poop. If you’ve had Parvo in your home or yard, no unvaccinated dogs for at least 4 months to be safe. Treatment is extremely expensive, and not all dogs survive the disease (although most do). Vaccination is cheap and side effects are very rare. We prefer to see our puppies happy and healthy and it hurts our hearts to see them so sick.
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