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Parvovirus was recently found in a litter of puppies in Prince Edward Island, and the veterinarian who treated the dogs says some of them died.
Parvovirus, often shortened to parvo, is a contagious virus spread from dog to dog through direct or indirect contact with feces and is capable of persisting for prolonged periods of time. It was discovered in a puppy litter in western P.E.I. by Dr. Wade Sweet.
It is of particular danger to unvaccinated puppies with an immature immune system because younger dogs can become septic quickly.
“The easiest way to explain it is that it attacks quickly dividing cells, and some examples of that are all of your white blood cells in your bone marrow, as well as other immune cells in other types of immune tissues like your lymph nodes,” said Dr. Marti Hopson, an adjunct faculty member in companion animals at the Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown.
“If you’re a tiny puppy with an immature immune system anyway, this is really going to affect you.”
If a puppy has diarrhea, appears lethargic or is not acting like you’d expect an active puppy should, the pet should be checked by a veterinarian. (Aaron Adetuyi/CBC)
If your puppy has diarrhea, appears lethargic or is not acting like you’d expect an active puppy should, Hopson said the pet should be checked by a veterinarian.
Outbreaks are rare, she said, especially on P.E.I. due to herd immunity.
“It’s the same reason we don’t see measles very often, because children are vaccinated against that,” she said.
“Most dogs are receiving, thankfully, their vaccines and are protected against parvovirus. We do see it in communities where the vaccination rate is lower.”
Sarah Gallant was out in Charlottetown on Tuesday with her two-year-old dog and said her pet is vaccinated and protected from parvo.
She said the risk of parvovirus does bring some concern when her pet interacts with other dogs.
“I kind of have been just taking direction from the vets,” Gallant said. “I assume that … she’s all good if they’ve recommended everything and I’ve done everything.”
Sweet said there hasn’t been a documented case of parvovirus on the Island in at least two days, so he is hopeful the outbreak is over.
He said if veterinarians see dogs with watery diarrhea, they can test for the virus. Results are likely within a few hours.
‘There is a sort of a spectrum of both recognizing that risk and still being able to have that puppy get those new experiences,’ says Dr. Marti Hopson of the importance of socialization for young dogs. (Zoom)
Hopson said signs of illness could include vomiting and “a very liquid” diarrhea containing blood.
Socialization for young dogs is also important, she said, so pet owners should contact their veterinarian if they see any signs of parvovirus.
“There is a sort of a spectrum of both recognizing that risk and still being able to have that puppy get those new experiences,” Hopson said.
“If you’re having friends or relatives bring other dogs over or if you’re bringing the puppy to environments, you would probably want to make sure those dogs are vaccinated.”