King County sees spike in canine parvo virus cases
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SEATTLE -- Veterinarians are warning pet owners about an alarming spike in the number of parvo virus cases in King County.
ACCES, or Animal Critical Care and Emergency Services, in Seattle and Renton issued an alert to vet offices over the weekend after identifying seven cases in two weeks -- a spike in a year with an already-alarming tally.
"We treat about 16 cases a year. We've seen 27 so far this year," said Dr. Beth Davidow, medical director of ACCES.
Vets say the potentially-deadly virus spreads easily and can live for a long time in contaminated soil or on dog fur. Pet owners are strongly urged to vaccinate their dogs.
Davidow describes canine parvo as a highly contagious virus, especially dangerous to young dogs.
"Puppies die if they're not treated," she said. "You're making a mistake if you're taking your week-old puppy to the dog park. It's like taking your newborn to a daycare center."
The virus spreads most commonly when dogs are exposed to contaminated feces. But animals can get infected from water dishes, toys and even an owner's hands and clothing.
Major symptoms to watch for include vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy.
ACCES, or Animal Critical Care and Emergency Services, in Seattle and Renton issued an alert to vet offices over the weekend after identifying seven cases in two weeks -- a spike in a year with an already-alarming tally.
"We treat about 16 cases a year. We've seen 27 so far this year," said Dr. Beth Davidow, medical director of ACCES.
Vets say the potentially-deadly virus spreads easily and can live for a long time in contaminated soil or on dog fur. Pet owners are strongly urged to vaccinate their dogs.
Davidow describes canine parvo as a highly contagious virus, especially dangerous to young dogs.
"Puppies die if they're not treated," she said. "You're making a mistake if you're taking your week-old puppy to the dog park. It's like taking your newborn to a daycare center."
The virus spreads most commonly when dogs are exposed to contaminated feces. But animals can get infected from water dishes, toys and even an owner's hands and clothing.
Major symptoms to watch for include vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy.
The Parvovirus vaccine made my poor little puppy sick with Parvo, which killed him. There is no absolute way for us to protect our little pups anymore, not even with the shots that are supposed to protect them. I've never had this happen, but I would not get my puppy vaccinated again, if ever I decide to have another. Poor innocent little puppies are dying from this and people need to know.
Our pet sitter asked us not to drop off once because a dog there had parvo. Â She also happens to have a medical background and said some strains of parvo are very resistant to vaccine, which could be what is happening. Â So even if you are diligent in vaccinating your dog, it could be unsafe if exposed.
 @Doxie Actually, while no vaccine gives 100% protection, the parvovirus vaccine is one of the best vaccines available and gives excellent protection. There was initial concern by some that the existing vaccines might not give protection against the newer Parvovirus-2c variant. However, research and studies have found that is NOT true ... i.e. ALL existing Parvovirus vaccines give protection against the new Parvo-2c variant. What is crucial is that all puppies have a final vaccination AT OR AFTER 16 WEEKS of age. Do not stop with the 12 week vaccination. Many puppies still have interference from maternal antibodies at 12 weeks of age. Don't miss the 16 week vaccination or the booster one year late.
A few years ago Kitsap Humane Society was adopting out dogs that had Parvo. The only proof I have are 3 different friends of mine all adopted puppies from the shelter and within one week 2 had died and the other cost my friend thousands of dollars in vet fees trying to save him. They did in fact save him but spent money they were saving for other things. The shelter refused to help cover the cost and the only thing they ever offered was for them to bring the puppies back. Please be very careful when adopting from shelters. I don't condone buying from a puppy mill and always suggest adopting, but people need to understand that although the shelters may say these animals are healthy, honestly they really don't know.
 @Robinsnest A new puppy should always be brought to a vet no matter where you get it from. People lie all the time and unless you can confirm vaccinations I wouldn't trust anyone. I purchased my GSD from a breeder and took him to the vet. My other 2 were from a shelter, vet again. My husky was a stray, obviously at the vet the next day and my new puppy went to the vet at 8 weeks (got her at 1 week). Always see a vet no matter what they tell you.Â
I truly believe the "outbreak" is caused by a multitude of factors. One is the economy... many people are not updating their pet's vaccines properly. Second... we as a society have expanded the acceptance of pets going everywhere, thus we have greatly increased the exposure of our pets. Third is a lack of education... people are not fully aware that it takes a series of initial vaccines given in specific intervals that creates the immune level and the annual booster. Too many people think it is like our flu shot and once and done for a year. Fourth is the acceptance of "extended" vaccine protocols that are confusing to the pet owner. After 10 years of this protocol, maybe we are seeing the after effects.
 @Paul F. Nimmo On your third point ... it isn't that it takes multiple vaccines to create immunity. All Parvovirus vaccines are Modified Live Virus (MLV) vaccines. They will produce immunity with one vaccination IN THE ABSENCE OF MATERNAL ANTIBODY. Puppies receive antibodies from their mother when nursing during the first day after birth. Those antibodies gradually go away but will interfere with vaccines. Since we don't know for any individual puppy when the maternal antibodies are low enough not to interfere with vaccines any longer, we give a series of shots in the hope of giving protection as soon as possible after there is no more interference from the maternal antibody. In some, the interference can last up to 14-15 weeks of age ... thus the 2011 AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines STRONGLY recommends a final puppy series vaccination at 14-16 weeks (preferably at or after 16 weeks). It takes only one vaccination after the maternal antibodies wane to give protection (but takes about a week after vaccination to fully respond). Also important is the one year booster ... to give protection once the immune system is fully mature. For Parvovirus, if they respond to the 1-yr booster, the immunologists (e.g. Dr Ron Schultz of Univ of Wisconsin and a co-author of the Vaccination Guidelines) all believe the dog is protected from Parvovirus FOR LIFE (though the Guidelines still recommend boosters every 3 years).
It might also be a good idea to let the public know if parvo is communicable to other pets like dog to cat, dog to rabbit, dog to chickens, dog to horses....
 @domino In general, Parvovirus is species specific and not communicable between species. The exception is cats and dogs. It is believed by the experts that the canine Parvovirus-2 (the most common strain) is actually a mutated form of the feline Panleukopenia virus (Panleukopenia is a feline Parvovirus ... even though some people call it "distemper"). The newest variant of the canine parvovirus, i.e. parvovirus-2c is communicable to cats. However, all current feline vaccines for Panleukopenia DO give good protection against Parvovirus 2c. So, if one has a cat, be sure to vaccinate your cats for Panleukopenia ... then they will be protected against the canine parvovirus as well. Like with puppies ... kittens can have maternal antibody interference to vaccines out to 14-15 weeks of age. So, it is essential that all kittens receive a final kitten series vaccination AT OR AFTER 16 WEEKS of age. That is the recommendation of all the top researchers and specialists ... and those who wrote the AAFP Feline Vaccination Guidelines (one of the co-authors is a friend of mine, Dr Richard Ford of NC State ... he is also a co-author of the 2011 AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines and I've attended numerous talks by him at veterinary CE conferences).
Hey, Mark Miller, could you please tell people how long the parvo virus can survive in contaminated soil and on dog fur etc.? It would be a good thing for everyone to know.
 @domino The Veterinary Partner website (which is run by the Veterinary Information Network "VIN", and is an excellent place for good info) suggests Parvovirus is infectious in the environment for about a month inside a house and 5-7 months outside ... but freezing temperatures are protective to the virus, so it will survive a cold winter and extend its infectious period. The AAFP Feline Vaccination Guidelines which discusses feline Panleukopenia (which is also a parvovirus and very closely related to the canine parvovirus) states that panleukopenia can be "infectious for months to years in the environment". The parvovirus is not an "enveloped" virus ... which means that it is particularly hearty and not easily killed in the environment ... and it can be spread also on clothes, bowls, toys, cages, etc. The Veterinary Partner website recommends disinfecting against parvovirus with bleach ... one part bleach to 30 parts water ... and make sure the solution remains for 10 minutes in contact with the surface being disinfected (so you can't just wipe off a surface). They also say that steam will kill it but feel bleach is best. I think the bottom line is that one has to assume that it is in the environment and be sure to have all puppies and kittens vaccinated.
 @domino "Parvo can survive in an environment for as long as 9 months."
http://www.starbreezes.com/11/parvo.html
Wow. Sad. Â I only hope that this spike doesn't have anything to do with the numbnuts that refuse vaccinations for their kids, too. Â No excuse not to vaccinate your pets!!! Â
 @dt:Â
That wSA my first thought, the "anti-vacine" crowd.
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Immunize EVERYONE you care for - two legged or four legged. Show them you care enough to help them stay healthy!
Bob, Parvo symptoms appear anywhere from 3 - 15 days after exposure, although with most dogs, it's about 5 - 7 days.Â
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Remember though that even fully-vaccinated dogs (both puppies AND adults) can still get the Parvo virus. (And Parvo shots can actually give your dog the virus too!)Â
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Finally, they omit to mention that the first sign of Parvo (i.e. before you see any vomiting or diarrhea) is usually (but not always) a loss of appetite.Â
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Note: this information is the result of having helped treat over 5,100 dogs (and cats) for Parvo during the past five years.
 @Mark F. I am concerned over your "sensational" use of numbers... that is over 1,000 dogs a year with Parvo Unless you are in shelter medicine, that number seems greatly inflated. Secondarily, your comment about the immunization can give your dog the virus too... yes it does, because it is a modified live vaccine. That is how the immune response is created, by injecting a modified version of the disease that cannot replicate.
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Most dogs that are reported as having contracted the disease and the owner reports the pet "was vaccinated". are usually under-vaccinated. There are many owners that do not understand that it takes a series of vaccines spaced at specific intervals to gain full immunity.Â
 @Paul F. Nimmo  @Mark F. You are right that it is a Modified Live Virus (MLV) vaccine which does immunize by giving a weakened (called "attenuated") form of the virus. The modification is so that it will not cause disease symptoms but will still trigger the immune system to produce antibodies and cell mediated immunity that will protect against the full form of the virus. The one correction is that the vaccine virus DOES replicate. It is "live" and the whole purpose is for it to replicate and infect the dog. The new 2011 AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines now categorize vaccines into two categories: "Infectious" and "Non-Infectious". All MLV vaccines are infectious. All available vaccines for Parvovirus are MLV vaccines ... and thus replicate and infect the dog. It is because they replicate in the dog that they produce a strong immune response and give such good protection.
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As I mentioned in a reply above ... it isn't the "series" of vaccinations that is necessary (because it is a MLV vaccine that replicates ... Killed Virus "KV" vaccines DO require a 2 dose series). Rather, it is critical for puppies to receive a single dose AFTER there is no longer any interference to the vaccine from maternal antibodies (which the puppy receives when nursing during the first day after birth). That means a final dose at or after 16 weeks of age (do NOT stop at 12 weeks!). The "series" of vaccinations is only an effort to be there as soon as possible after the maternal antibodies are no longer interfering with an immune response. An adult dog receiving a MLV vaccine for the first time in its life only needs one vaccination to provide immunity (though many vets still give a two dose series ... but immunologically, it isn't necessary). That info is from many talks by Dr Richard Ford of NC State, one of the top infectious disease and immunology experts, and a co-author of the 2011 AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines.
maybe someone could share how long the virus takes to mature from time of exposure to the time the symptoms mature?
I am so glad I insisted that my grandpuppy get vaccinated. My daughter and her boyfriend were leaning against the booster shot he needed, because they were concerned about his lethargic reaction to his initial vaccine.
 @Carla Holley Thank you for insisting. Sometimes people can lack common sense about these things. Pet and people are always lethargic after getting shots...  small price to pay for keeping them alive.  You'll have to keep after them every year to keep the shots up, I think.Â
 @DT  @Carla Holley Vaccination is important and boosters need to be kept up ... BUT for the "Core" vaccines (for dogs that is: Distemper, Adenovirus-2 and Parvovirus) the current recommendation of the 2011 AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines is ... after the puppies series, give the first booster no more than 1 year later ... THEN booster every 3 years. It is important to immunize our pets ... but also important not to over-vaccinate them. For the core vaccines, the "duration of immunity" is at least 5-7 years ... so, even the recommendation to booster every 3 years is conservative. However, if your vet recommends any of the "Non-Core" vaccines (Bordetella, Parainfluenze, Canine Influenza, Leptospirosis, Lyme Disease) ... ALL of those vaccines must be given ANNUAL boosters. AND when it comes to Rabies ... the state and local laws MUST be followed (usually that is vaccinating according to the vaccine label ... either every 1 or 3 years).
Parvo is horrible I worked in the veterinary field for a long time throughout my life. This is something every veterinary clinic fears walking through their doors. The infected dog has to be isolated and the whole clinic sanitized immediately. Nothing is worse than seeing a dog sick with this virus. It literally sheds the lining of the dogs intestine, massive vomiting, diarrhea and ultimately death if left untreated. And there is no promise the dog will make it through and it costs a lot of money to treat.
 @rightandexact My cousin lost an entire family of rescue dogs, with pups, to parvo. They had it before they got vaccinated by the rescue place. She had to disinfect her house, and quarantine the dogs, etc. It was a horrible thing.Â
My dog and all six of her new puppies died of parvovirus before the vaccine was available. I was just a kid. It broke my heart. And that's an understatement. :'(
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Get your dogs vaccinated! Don't mess around with this horrible thing.
 @RamblinGirl Yes, people should get their dogs vaccinated. They should also get them spayed and neutered. Â
I wonder if this is at all related to the Parvo outbreak at the Animal Expo a few weeks ago in Puyallup? I heard that one of the dogs that was at the expo for adoption had an active parvo virus...
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 @deadcandance I hope you have learned not to buy puppies from a puppy mill now. where do you think the pet store got its stock from? Puppy Mills! It's really no surprise your puppy was sick. Puppy mill dogs never get vaccinated or see a vet at all.  The other lesson is to not leave your small dog unattended in your yard. I have large snarly dogs, no one is going to steal mine. But I also don't leave them out in the yard when I am not home.Â
 @Northend  @deadcandanceÂ
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I ONLY rescue dogs from shelters (and have had a couple foster dogs from rescues sneak into a permanent place in my house over the years, too.)
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I tend towards older dog (4-6+ years) as they seem to have such a hard time finding homes...heck, a couple months ago I picked up a free purebred, very well trained 8 year old female Border Collie who was literally in the owner's truck to go to the Pierce County shelter. The owners couldn't take her with them to the senior living facility they were going to (which is a WHOLE other rant of mine- I absolutely believe animals greatly help senior citizens stay healthy, mentally sharp and active) and they had had zero luck with the other homes due to her being 'too old' or the adopter's kids pulling and tugging on her and not liking it when she got up and walked away.
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She is an AMAZING sweetheart who gets along great with other dogs- and probably would have been euthanized at the shelter due to her age.
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@Doxie Thanks for taking care of that for me, Doxie! Hope you and your good dogs are staying warm and cosy on this rainy day!
 @WAbornnraised  @Northend  @deadcandance Wow, that is a long life for a larger dog.  That's a testament to your love and care of her.  Don't you love how the right dog just sort of falls in your lap right when you need it?  All our dogs have been rescues too.  The closest thing to purebred is probably this dachsund and a little bichon we rescued who was probably a puppy mill dog that someone tossed.  Both with health issues, the bichon only lived to 7, even after surgery.  Our newest is similar to your parents' new dog, quite hesitant with strangers but she is the happiest little thing I have ever seen.  She literally jumps for joy when she sees us.  She will bound toward you like a goat, clearing the large space between you in a few arcing leaps.  It is so much fun - and she is a mongrel (jackhuahua, we joke,with a mohawk no less) and healthy and perfect. Â
 @Doxie  @Northend  @deadcandanceÂ
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She BETTER not say that to me, ever- My family had a 'mongrel' for 16 years and she was the most amazing dog we'd ever had, a Bernese Mountain Dog/Aussie mix. She was from the now-defunct King County Renton Highlands pound because my whole family rescues- that's just what we do. I still miss her every day, and if anyon has the nerve to say that 'mongrels' are inferior they're going to get five earfuls from me.
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(My parents have also recently rescued a mutt pup whose mom and littermates were on Death Row out in Arkanasas and had been shipped here. She is SOOOOOO sweet, but you can tell she's hesitant with new people and that she'd been abused, she cowers when you reach down towards her from up above, but is just fine and happy if you have your hand level or below her.)
 @WAbornnraised  @Northend  @deadcandance I'm glad she found you.  Get ready for a certain advocate of purebred dogs coming on soon and telling you that without breeders, there would be no dogs, including the 'mongrels' (exact word) that we adopt.
@Northend - thanks for posting about puppy mills! We need to put them out of business and that's right, do not buy dogs from pet stores - ever. I have a small snarly dog but I wouldn't leave her out in the yard or anywhere as everybody thinks she's just 'so cute' - lol. she is but she is a snarly terrier. I bought her from a reputable breeder so I know her whole genetic line and her whole health background. She's been great.