Canine parvovirus is making headlines. Here's what you need to know to keep your dog safe.
Within the last several weeks, dog owners have nervously read stories about an unidentified illness that killed numerous dogs in northern Michigan, prompting many pet owners to consider whether their own dogs are safe.
This week, results from testing facilitated by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and completed by the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory have revealed the illness impacting dogs in Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula to be canine parvovirus. Dogs can be vaccinated to prevent the potentially fatal illness, and the affected dogs did not have a history of complete vaccination, lab officials said.
“Canine parvovirus is a severe and highly contagious disease in dogs, but MDARD and veterinary professionals have extensive experience with this virus,” said State Veterinarian Nora Wineland. “We have a highly effective vaccine available to help protect dogs from the virus. Dogs that are not fully vaccinated against this virus are the most at risk.”
According to MSU veterinarians, determining that the disease was parvovirus was complicated because dogs that were infected tested negative for the virus. MSU said more testing is taking place to determine why that was happening.
The virus was first reported in Otsego County where about 30 dogs — privately owned, mostly unvaccinated — have died, Otsego County Animal Control Director Melissa FitzGerald told the Detroit Free Press. She said that it does not appear that the dogs have had contact with each other. Numerous dogs have died in other counties in northern Michigan as well.
The outbreak hasn't affected dogs in the lower portion of the Lower Peninsula, but that doesn't mean pet owners shouldn't remain cautious.
Veterinarian Kathleen Gannon, with Ore Creek Veterinary Clinic in Hartland, said parvo is not commonly found in Livingston County.
"We have definitely had quite a few owners reach out to us concerned about their pets, concerned about the safety of going even to local doggy day care boarding facilities, even coming into the clinic," Gannon said.
Howell residents Susan McKay, Gary Brum and Diane Briggs all said they were aware of the outbreak. The three take their dogs to Countryside Veterinary Dog Park in Howell. All three said they have been cautious.
"We would be nervous if it was probably, at this point, more shelter, more newly adopted young pups, but we haven't had that issue yet. I'm sure most of us would stay away for awhile until we heard more info on it. The deaths were so quick and everything," McKay said.
The pet owners agreed they are comfortable taking their dogs to the dog park, but they are wary of having their dogs around puppies.
What is Parvovirus
Canine parvovirus is contracted by unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated dogs through fecal/oral transmission, according to Gannon, including from a dog walking through another dog's stool and licking their paws, sniffing a another dog's butt, and licking it or ingesting feces.
"After dogs reach adulthood, they need routine boosters on that as well. Generally every one to three years, depending on the age of the dog and what their previous vaccines were like," Gannon said.
The illness is not airborne. Symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea, which progress rapidly to bloody diarrhea and death.
"They usually get a secondary bacterial infection, their immune system is overwhelmed and they die," Gannon said. "It can be very fast. Generally requires hospitalization, IV fluids, definitely systemic antibiotics, so IV antibiotics, early diagnoses would be key in those situations. Almost all the time it requires hospitalization and the younger the dog, the more likely it is to die from parvo and then, of course, any co-infections will make it worse as well."
According to Gannon, the second bacterial infection damages the intestines.
"The parts of your intestines that absorb things like water, slough off. They're sloughing off the inside of their intestine, so they can't absorb fluids and then the bacteria gets into the rest of the body," Gannon said.
She stressed that vaccinating dogs is important.
"Vaccination prevents the infection, so unlike everything that we've heard with coronavirus and all that kind of stuff, vaccinating for parvo will prevent your dog from getting it," she said. "I think that's super important when we have had so many years of this lessening symptoms and that kind of stuff, that people understand that it is protective."
For those who choose to travel, Gannon has some recommendations:
Avoid areas where there is a large number of dogs in small spaces with uncertain vaccine histories
Don't visit bark parks
Avoid common walking and run areas
Try to use an isolated parking lot or dirt road, rather than going to a rest area
Avoid dog runs, especially at highway rest areas
Make sure your dog is up to date on all of its vaccines
"It's really important for people to know that it's more important that they keep them up to date on their prevention care. We get kind of complacent, because we don't see it in Livingston County very often, but this is a virus that exists in Michigan every year," Gannon said.
Gannon said it's better for dogs to make sure dogs are up to date on their vaccines rather than keep them home without vaccinations. For dogs in the middle of their vaccination series, she recommends carrying them into the clinic, avoiding big box stores and avoiding environments where vaccines and hygiene aren't controlled.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Hartland vet says vaccination is key to preventin parvo outbreak
