Vaccinations key to preventing parvo in dogs

One day you have a playful puppy jumping after a bouncing ball in the back yard.

The next day your dog is vomiting and listless.

By the third day, your puppy could be dead.

Area veterinarians are stressing the need for vaccinations for parvovirus after the disease was found in nine dogs earlier this month in staff housing aboard Cherry Point.

“It’s very much an epidemic,” said William McClees, veterinarian at Havelock Animal Hospital.

Parvovirus, often called parvo, can be a deadly gastrointestinal virus. It affects mostly puppies and some young dogs that have not been vaccinated.

The disease is most often transmitted through infected fecal matter.

“Getting puppies vaccinated is the key,” McClees said.

The first in a series of vaccinations can be given when a puppy reaches about 6 weeks old, followed by shots at 9, 12 and 16 weeks.

Jeff Ward, a veterinarian at 70 West Veterinary Hospital, said all must be given to keep the dog safe.

“One or two shots isn’t enough,” said Ward. “Sometimes you have people that slip a little, but with just one or two, the puppies are still susceptible.”

Symptoms of parvo include vomiting, diarrhea, listlessness and lack of appetite, causing infected dogs to become extremely dehydrated.

“Young dogs can’t handle that very long,” McClees said.

Ward said the virus takes effect quickly.

“Things change so quickly with the virus,” he said. “You can have a puppy acting normally, and 24 hours later, that puppy can be severely ill.”

Treatment involves intravenous fluids for the dog as well as antibiotics.

“We’ve had to treat a couple in the last five or six days, but we’ve been fairly successful getting them turned around,” McClees said.

He said the disease is highly fatal, saying he tells owners of dogs that survival is usually 50-50.

Ward said one of the problems with parvo is that the virus can survive in the environment a long time.

“It’s a very hardy virus,” said Ward, who has not seen any cases recently. “It’s not susceptible to heat and cold and can remain active in the environment for five months or longer. That makes it very difficult to control.”

He said residents who lose a dog to parvo should wait about a year before getting another puppy because the virus is difficult to get rid of outdoors.

Ward said a simple 10-minute test is done to diagnose a dog with the virus.

“It is a disease I hate to see,” he said.

McClees said owners should keep their dogs away from fecal matter.

“You can avoid contact as much as you can, but it’s almost impossible in an area where there are a lot of dogs,” he said. “But, immunization is the first key. Vaccines almost always prevent parvo.”

Ward agreed.

“The only realistic way to prevent it is to get puppies vaccinated properly,” he said.