Local humane society avoids recent outbreak of lethal canine virus
By: Cori Lee Miller
While the deadly parvovirus recently claimed two puppies at the Calgary Humane Society, the Cochrane and Area Humane Society (CAHS) has avoided recent cases.
Canine parvovirus is a highly contagious virus that usually strikes in puppies, destroying the lining of the intestinal tract so very little food or liquid can be absorbed.
Dogs infected with the virus can experience bloody diarrhea, severe vomiting, weight loss and fever. The virus is transmitted through contact with the infected dogs or puppies’ feces.
Since more puppies are born in the winter and fall, the population is more susceptible to the virus during that time.
Although they haven’t seen any recent cases, CAHS media contact Cheryl Wallach said staff always have an eye out for parvovirus and see about one or two cases per year.
“It’s probably in Cochrane’s area already because parvo is always in the community,” she said, adding “the main thing to remember about parvo is that it is 100 per cent preventable through vaccination.”
Puppies and dogs coming into the CAHS receive their first vaccination before they are adopted and then require two booster shots before they are totally protected.
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Parvo is NOT 100% preventable through vaccinations. Of the 3,200+ dogs (and cats) that we have helped to treat for Parvo during the past three years, many have been fully-vaccinated and up-to-date with all of their shots, and this applies both to puppies and adult dogs too (some as old as five).
Also, as the previous commenter says, we also have many customers whose dogs develop full Parvo symptoms within two weeks (but often one or two days) of being vaccinated, because the chemicals these vaccinations contains can completely destroy a dog’s immune system during the immediate post-vaccination period.
This article is mostly correct- the only thing I see that is questionable is the quote “the main thing to remember about parvo is that it is 100 per cent preventable through vaccination.”
That is false- often times when a puppy gets the vaccination while it is not to healthy, the virus itself will compromise the immune system and the pup will actually come down with the parvo as a result of that vaccination.