Parvovirus DangersThere are very few diseases that can cause the Animal Shelter to close temporarily to the public, but a case of canine parvovirus is one of them. What is this disease, and why is it necessary to close the Shelter when a dog has it? What is it? Canine parvovirus attacks the immune system and gastrointestinal tract of dogs, mainly puppies. Untreated, many die. Symptoms, which may not appear until three to seven days after infection, may include any of the following*:
Some of these symptoms may be caused by diseases other than parvovirus. It is important to get a professional's diagnosis so proper treatment may be given. Parvovirus is practically everywhere in the environment and is hard to kill, so unvaccinated puppies run a great risk of contracting the disease. Treatment may be expensive but increases dramatically the chances of survival. Of course, proper vaccination to help prevent it is better than treatment. For more detailed information, check out the Mar Vista Animal Medical Center's Canine Parvovirus Information Center. The Mar Vista Animal Medical Center contains information about other diseases and vaccines, etc that may be of interest to pet owners. Why does the Shelter close when a dog has been diagnosed with parvo? When a puppy with parvo is brought into the Shelter, the disease spreads rapidly. Why? Because within two weeks of exposure, an infected animal sheds large amounts of the virus in its stool. Since the incubation period is three to seven days before signs of illness become obvious, by the time a diagnosis of parvo is made, many of the other puppies have already contracted the disease. Because of the danger of infection, the Shelter closes to the public. New animals are not accepted until a thorough disinfection makes it safe to do so once again. |
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