Lately NVH has been seeing a lot of Parvo cases (Parvo Gastroenteritis disease) in puppies. Canine Parvovirus is highly contagious and extremely dangerous for puppies. It is characterized by sudden onset of vomiting and diarrhea (which can have a strong foul smell and gets bloody as the disease progresses).
Once a puppy has symptoms of parvo, if left untreated they can die within 48 – 72 hours. Survival is possible if treated soon enough. If left untreated the mortality rate is as high as 91%. There is no specific treatment for this disease like most viral diseases. Only supportive therapies can be given.
Common symptoms of Canine Parvovirus include:
* Lethargy/ listlessness
* Vomiting
* Diarrhea/ Dysentry
* Anorexia (off-feed)
* Fever
Unfortunately, these symptoms aren’t specific to Canine Parvovirus, and sometimes, dogs may only show one or two symptoms.
How can you prevent your puppies from getting the disease?
1. Fortunately, there is vaccination available to prevent your puppies from getting this dreadful disease. A vaccine called (DHPPi+L – Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvo, Parainfluenza + Leptospira) is available at Karma Pharmacy located opposite to the hospital. The vaccine can be given as early as 6-8 weeks of age. The hospital is open for vaccination from 9am-3pm Monday to Friday and 9am-1pm on Saturdays
Note: When you bring your healthy pups for vaccination, do not let them walk, play with other dogs and sniff around hospital premises which might be potentially contaminated with virus from the sick dogs.
2. Do not let your puppies mix with pet/stray dogs which are not vaccinated as they can be potential source of the virus. Canine Parvovirus can be found in the environment (soil, dog faeces, etc.) for a long time. If a dog has previously had parvovirus and been in the same environment it puts all other unprotected dogs and puppies at risk. People can also spread this virus via shoes, vehicles, etc.
Prevention is better than cure! We urge pet owners to get their dogs vaccinated against Parvo.
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