Dog Virus Parvo Spreading

Dogs in Northwest Arkansas are getting sick because of an outbreak of parvo, which could have been easily avoided. experts said.

Animal shelters and animal hospitals in Springdale, Rogers, Bentonville and Fayetteville have seen cases of parvo this month.

The staff at Springdale Animal Hospital has seen about 25 dogs with parvo in the last two weeks. Two or three have died, said Elizabeth Carender, a veterinarian. They normally see three to five dogs a week with the virus.

Carender said she’s been a veterinarian in Northwest Arkansas for about 10 years and has never seen this bad an outbreak during that time.

A series of four vaccinations should be given to puppies once they reach 8 weeks old, said Romaine Kobilsek, manager of Spay Arkansas in Springdale. The puppies receive one vaccination every four weeks, which protects them from parvo and other viruses. Vaccinations for parvo, however, are not required like rabies vaccinations, she said.

Employees of Spay Arkansas have canceled about 75 surgeries for young dogs who have not had vaccinations to keep the virus from spreading, said Romaine Kobilsek, manager.

Parvo is a virus that can be found in the intestines of dogs, Kobilsek said. The virus only affects dogs and causes them to vomit, become lethargic, lose appetite for food and water and have diarrhea with blood. Dogs with parvo are generally younger than 1 year old because after the first year of life, dogs build up immunity to the virus, she said.

The virus is spread through feces and vomit, Kobelisk said. When a puppy comes in contact with the feces or vomit of a dog with parvo, that animal can contract the virus.

“Even if you’ve cleaned it up, it doesn’t mean the virus isn’t there,” she said.

The parvo virus can live in soil for more than 10 years, Carender said. She advises owners of puppies with parvo to use bleach anywhere their dog has defecated or vomited in an attempt to reduce the spread of the virus.

“It’s a very hardy virus,” she said. “There’s really no way to eradicate it.”

Dogs usually start having symptoms between five and 10 days after exposure, Carender said. Puppies that die of parvo do so from dehydration because of vomiting and diarrhea. Only 5 percent of puppies with parvo that aren’t treated survive while 80 percent to 90 percent treated survive, she said.

The symptoms can often appear overnight, said Matt Colston, assistant manager at Rogers Animal Services. They had a puppy recently that was happy and healthy one day and horribly sick the next, he said.

“The onset was so rapid,” he said.

Dogs with symptoms should be taken to a veterinarian immediately, Carender said. The dog should be kept away from other dogs for two weeks once it’s feeling better. Dogs with parvo are contagious up to two weeks after they feel better, she said.

Puppies being treated for parvo are given medication to stop the vomiting and prevent dehydration, said Kobilsek. Many vets offer treatment for dogs as outpatients, but severe cases sometimes require full hospitalization, which can cost about $800 for a full week. It’s much more expensive to treat parvo than prevent it with the four vaccinations, which cost a total of $40, she said.

Many people who take dogs with parvo to a veterinarian don’t know about the vaccinations, Carender said. Next spring, the season when most puppies are adopted, Carender said she will promote awareness about vaccinations through local radio stations, news organizations and by speaking with children at local schools.

The Bella Vista Animal Shelter staff hasn’t seen any cases so far, said Donna Miles, manager.

“We’ve had pure luck here that we haven’t seen it yet,” she said.