Parvo—the nickname to the very serious canine parvovirus—is a real danger to your dogs. Managing editor Tami Roleff has some tips on how to protect your four-legged family member…
Canine parvovirus is a highly contagious disease that is often fatal, especially for young puppies. Parvo is prevalent in the Morongo Basin, and the Yucca Valley Animal Shelter receives calls nearly every day about dogs that are sick from parvo. The disease can be easily transferred to healthy dogs, and is difficult to eradicate from the home or yard of an infected dog. Toys and dishes should be disinfected with a bleach solution, as well as shoes if you have walked in an area with an infected dog. Bedding should be discarded. Grass and flooring, such as carpeting or wood, are harder to disinfect, and may have to be discarded or resurfaced. Treatment is expensive and usually requires a hospital stay of 5 to 7 days—if the dog even survives. However, parvo can be easily prevented through three separate vaccinations, and booster shots as an adult. For more information about parvovirus, contact your veterinarian.
