Parvovirus is a lethal and highly contagious disease that can affect your puppy or older dog. Managing editor Tami Roleff offers these tips on how to protect your pets this summer from the parvovirus…
Canine parvovirus is a highly contagious disease that is often fatal, especially for young puppies. Parvo is prevalent in the Morongo Basin, and vets and animal shelters receive calls nearly every day about dogs that are sick from parvo.
Keep in mind that the moment this disease becomes evident in your dog, you are risking the health of your other pets. Dog parvo is a highly contagious disease. It can be easily transferred from one dog to another.
Parvo 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.
When it comes to the dog parvo disease, prevention is always better than a cure. Dog parvo is a condition that can end your dog’s life. It is the dreaded disease that any breeder or pet owner doesn’t want their pets to suffer from. Dog parvo is much more easily prevented than treated. This is because the moment your pet acquires the disease, the chances are high that it may not survive.
To prevent dog parvo, the best way is to give your dog the necessary vaccines against it. A dog’s natural immune system is no match for this virus, which can easily penetrate the body and destroy the dog’s vital organs.
With the necessary shots, your dog’s immunity to the disease is heightened. The vaccine for dog parvo is available from the veterinarian’s clinic. If your dog is old enough, it will be given the necessary shots in the right dosage. Normally, the vaccine for the parvo virus is given in three separate shots, all given at separate scheduled dates. When your dog becomes an adult, an annual booster shot should be given.
Right now, it is currently being studied if the parvo virus is actually an airborne disease, because there are instances of contagion with airborne associations.
Don’t let your dog suffer from this condition. Be informed about dog parvo, and let a veterinarian guide you towards the proper prevention of this disease. And if your dog is not fully vaccinated, do not take your pet to the dog park or any other park where dogs are permitted. Keeping your dog away from where other dogs get together socially is another important preventive measure till your pet is fully vaccinated. For more information about parvovirus, contact your veterinarian.
