Be Careful Of The Parvovirus Outbreak

In recent weeks, an outbreak of the seriously dangerous Parvovirus has spread across the Semaphore area, endangering many pets. If not treated properly, this virus can put your pet’s health in a critical condition and can cause this outbreak to further infect unsuspecting animals.

What is Parvovirus?

Parvovirus (parvo) is a highly infectious virus that attacks the gastrointestinal tract and cardiovascular systems of dogs. Pets are likely to become infected by ingesting the virus and then carried to the intestine where it invades the intestinal wall and causes inflammation.

Parvovirus is highly contagious and resistant to the effects of heat, detergents and alcohol. It can last in the environment for at least 12 months after your dog has first contracted the infection. With the recent heat waves and change in climates in Adelaide from humidity to blazing heat, this produces the perfect breeding environment for this nasty disease.  The virus can reoccur, especially in unvaccinated dogs or in dogs where vaccinations have lapsed.

Due to the Parvovirus being quite resilient, it also makes it quite easy to transmit through:

• hair or feet of infected dogs
• contaminated shoes or clothes
• other objectsDogs that become infected with the virus and will usually become ill within 7-10 days of the infection.

Signs of Parvo:

• sudden onset of bloody diarrhoea
• lethargy
• unwillingness to eat
• repeated episodes of vomiting

Parvovirus may affect dogs of all ages but is most common in dogs less than one year of age. Young puppies less than five months of age are often the most severely affected and the most difficult to treat.

The best method of protecting your dog against parvo infection is by vaccinating with premium vaccines.

Vaccinations are vital to your pet’s health. They help protect them from many highly contagious and infectious diseases by stimulating their body’s immune system to produce disease-fighting antibodies to help protect against disease. (https://au.virbac.com/health-care/dog-vaccination/why-vaccinate-my-dog)

What to do:

If your pet does have parvo, the team at Pet Doctor is here to help! We will provide you with instructions on how to care and treat the virus to put an end to its spreading! So you can get back to enjoying your furry friend’s company and making sure they are healthy and happier.

Contact us today for further assistance or questions.