What you should know about parvo

Parvovirus is a highly contagious viral disease that can produce a life-threatening illness. The virus attacks rapidly dividing cells in a dog’s body, most severely affecting the intestinal tract. Parvovirus also attacks the white blood cells, and when young animals are infected, the virus can damage the heart muscle and cause lifelong cardiac problems.

In most cases, this virus causes extreme damage to the intestinal tract, causing sloughing of the cells that line the tract. This can leave the patient open to secondary bacterial infection. Most of the affected dogs (85%) are between 6-20 weeks old. Younger dogs contract the virus because their full set of vaccinations aren't given until they reach a certain age. The death rate from infection is reported to be 16-35% in this age group. Some intestinal signs include:

· Lethargy

· Vomiting
· Loss of appetite
· Diarrhea - usually bloody, and very foul-smelling
· Fever

The onset of clinical signs is usually sudden, often 12 hours or less. The incubation from exposure to seeing the clinical signs varies from 3 to 10 days.

Parvovirus is diagnosed by physical examination, medical history, and a fecal Parvo test. Additional diagnostics include blood work and radiographs. Dogs infected with Parvo typically have a low white count. Radiographs help rule out other potential causes for vomiting and diarrhea.

Parvovirus is extremely contagious and can be transmitted by any person, animal or object that comes in contact with an infected dog's feces. Highly resistant, the virus can live in the environment for months, and may survive on inanimate objects such as food bowls, shoes, clothes, carpet and floors. It is common for an unvaccinated dog to contract parvovirus from the streets, especially in urban areas where there are many dogs.

The Parvovirus family of viruses are particularly long-lived in the environment, lasting anywhere from 1 to 7 months -- commonly surviving 5-7 months in an outside environment. Due to the large amounts of virus particles shed in the feces of an infected dog (shedding lasts two weeks or more after exposure) and the longevity of the virus, complete eradication of the virus is often impossible.

There are many Parvovirus disinfectants on the market, but regular bleach is still 100% effective against Parvovirus and what we choose to use for disinfection.

If you think your pet may not be properly vaccinated or you would like more information about parvovirus, talk to your veterinarian. Ilness is much better prevented than treated!

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/dog-care-parvovirus.aspx