Terrible Parvovirus Outbreak in Washington state

Doberluv

Active Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2004
Messages
22,038
Likes
2
Points
38
Location
western Wa
#1
I just made a thread and it seems to have disappeared. Weird. So, here it is again:

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/dec/01/outbreak-of-dog-virus-in-wa-worries-owners/

EVERETT, Wash. (AP) — An outbreak of canine virus in the Puget Sound region has dog owners nervous.

Parvovirus is highly contagious, can be deadly for young dogs and can live in dirty areas for a long time, the Everett Herald reported Saturday (http://bit.ly/SnLDBm).

The discovery of the virus in the area prompted the cities of Everett and Mukilteo to close municipal off-leash dog parks this week. There have been unconfirmed reports of dogs becoming ill after visiting an Everett dog park, city spokeswoman Kate Reardon said.

In Seattle, there has been a spike in the number of reported cases.

After the cities of Everett and Mukilteo closed municipal off-leash dog parks this week, Cheryl Campbell of Mukilteo immediately called her veterinarian, Thomas Koenig, in Everett, for more information.

Campbell's beagles are up-to-date in all of their vaccines, she was assured.

"My vet said the virus can stay in dirt for very long time, so I am keeping my dogs out of the off-leash parks as long as I can," Campbell said. "I am so angry with people who bring sick dogs to public places. If you choose not to vaccinate, you not only are putting your dog at risk, but also hundreds of other dogs."

Koenig said he was not aware of an outbreak of parvovirus in Snohomish County. In Seattle, however, there has been a spike in the number of reported cases.

"Dog stool in this rainy weather can be contagious for six months," Koenig said. "Dogs without vaccinations could be the problem. Get your dog vaccinated if you aren't sure if it's been done."

At the Washington State Veterinary Medicine Association office in Pullman, people are keeping an eye on the King County outbreak.

"It's important to note that parvovirus is in the environment all the time and that outbreaks occur sporadically," association spokesman Charlie Powell said. "Unvaccinated dogs are at risk, but some dogs who have the vaccine may not even be able to fight it. There is no way to avoid the risk of catching parvo, but you can keep your dog out of kennels and boarding facilities where parvovirus has been present."

"However, there is no way to tell whether the virus is at the park two weeks from now. It's like saying we can control the common cold," Powell said. "You can vaccinate, sanitize water dishes and living areas and quarantine sick animals, but that's about it."

He added dogs can survive parvovirus, "but it's really hard on them."

Everett officials are keeping dog parks closed until further notice, while information on the parvo outbreak is gathered, Reardon said.

At the off-leash dog park along the beach in Edmonds on Friday, Jim and Anna Drake let their dogs Bix and Lennie run in the rain and wind.

"It was scary to hear about the outbreak," said Jim Drake, of Edmonds. "But we verified that our dogs are vaccinated. That's about all you can do. We were willing to come out to the park today because we knew that not a lot of dogs would be here."

Colt Mace, also of Edmonds, said he is not worried about his dog, Alpha.

"He's vaccinated and he is old," Mace said. "Where I come from in Eastern Oregon, parvo is just part of nature. You take your dog home and nurse him back to health."


Read more: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/dec/01/outbreak-of-dog-virus-in-wa-worries-owners/#ixzz2Elu8r4NW
This is terrible...so wide spread all over the Puget Sound region. They're closing dog parks all over. I wonder if I should get my adult dogs vaccinated. They haven't been since they were very young. I know it mostly affects puppys, but what about senior dogs? I am pretty sure it's possible to get them too sometimes.

And contemplating getting a new puppy or young adult, forget it, at least for some time, since the virus can stay in the soil for a very long time. And young dogs especially, even adults need socialization. This is very distressing. What would you do? Should I stop taking my dogs for walks?

I was a little alarmed....this past week end, they both had diarrhea...not completely liquid, but very, very soft. My daughter and I did give them some hand-outs of the bacon we were cooking. And it had pepper in it. But usually my dogs have stomachs of lead. Maybe we gave them too much though. They didn't act sick in any other way, just frequent, loose stools. I gave them pumpkin and they're seemingly back to normal now.

So, if you're thinking about traveling to Washington, (I think it's mostly on this west side of the mountains) and you have a puppy, think again. How awful this is!:(
 

Doberluv

Active Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2004
Messages
22,038
Likes
2
Points
38
Location
western Wa
#3
It could be. Where was the show? I guess it doesn't matter. All it takes is one or two dogs. It can spread like wild fire.
 

joce

Active Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2005
Messages
4,448
Likes
0
Points
36
Age
40
Location
Ohio
#5
Our vet said its mostly black and tan dogs and some certain breeds other than dobes and rotts, but I can't remember which, that need boosters when its going around. But if its bad its likely a new strain like it was around here last time and a booster won't do anything anyway. Just taking the dogs into the vet will put them at risk for catching something. Just be very very cautious. sucks because they can get it from anywhere
 

Doberluv

Active Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2004
Messages
22,038
Likes
2
Points
38
Location
western Wa
#7
Which Dogs Are Prone to Parvovirus?

Puppies, adolescent dogs and canines who are not vaccinated are most susceptible to the virus. The canine parvovirus affects most members of the dog family (wolves, coyotes, foxes, etc.). Breeds at a higher risk are Rottweilers, Doberman pinschers, Labrador retrievers, American Staffordshire terriers and German shepherds.
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/dog-care-parvovirus.aspx
I'm not sure if that is true about some breeds being more prone. But it could be.
 

joce

Active Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2005
Messages
4,448
Likes
0
Points
36
Age
40
Location
Ohio
#8
Just google black and tan and parvo. ton of info out there.


http://workingdogs.com/parvofaq.htm#susceptible_breeds

Some of the links I just read said beagles to, never heard that but did see a lot at the vet that had it as well as bostons.

Which if you think about it black being in the color being link to them getting ill easier is odd since german shepherd and some other breeds are linked closer to wolves than others??

I know our shepherd hoarder here is constantly loosing puppies to parvo and tossing them in the creek:rolleyes:
 

AdrianneIsabel

Glutton for Crazy
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Messages
8,893
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Portland, Oregon
#9
Pit bulls have been known for having weakened immune systems and susceptible to parvo for a long time. It's been blamed on the heavy inbreeding but I'm not sure about proof.
 
Joined
Apr 10, 2008
Messages
4,381
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Midwest
#11
I don't worry about that stuff much, my dogs would be out with me anyway. And they haven't been vaccinated ever except for rabies. A new guy that is training with us has a 7 month old that he did have titered. Never vaccinated and he shows antibodies for Parvo, vet still wanted to vaccinate him :) He wondered why, since he had obviously already encountered it.

Parvo is everywhere and can persist for years and years in the soil. If your dog is alive and about, it's in contact with it. Sure it can be devastating at times, and very often others it does nothing. A new strain could be scary, if it was very virulent and there wasn't much in the way of natural protection. But then how good is the old vaccine going to be anyway?
 

Grab

Active Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2005
Messages
3,374
Likes
2
Points
36
#12
I live in a heavy, heavy parvo area..we have it year round, but in the warm months we often, at just the clinic I work at (which is not the only clinic in town) have numerous positive test results each day. I still don't alter my dogs' vaccine status. I do not take puppies out and about, but since we don't have any pups here (and haven't for some time) we aren't concerned.
 

Doberluv

Active Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2004
Messages
22,038
Likes
2
Points
38
Location
western Wa
#13
I live in a heavy, heavy parvo area..we have it year round, but in the warm months we often, at just the clinic I work at (which is not the only clinic in town) have numerous positive test results each day. I still don't alter my dogs' vaccine status. I do not take puppies out and about, but since we don't have any pups here (and haven't for some time) we aren't concerned.
See...that would concern me if I got a new pup....not getting it out and about. That's very important to me with a young puppy as I'm really big on socialization. But I'm not dead set on getting a new pup...not yet. (until I go look at those Poodle pictures. lol)

I just hope they get it under control soon. Those poor puppies that have gotten sick. So sad.:(
 

Grab

Active Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2005
Messages
3,374
Likes
2
Points
36
#14
I take them places, but not parks, etc. If we're in a pet store, we have them ride in the cart, etc. Same with Home Depot..cart riding, since everyone and their brother takes their dogs there.This is mainly if we have a spring/summer puppy.
 

Beanie

Clicker Cult Coordinator
Joined
May 17, 2006
Messages
14,012
Likes
0
Points
36
Age
39
Location
Illinois
#16
We had an outbreak here RIGHT after I brought Payton home (which was also right after Georgie was born.) I went to some pretty ridiculous extremes, like I had shoes in the car and I would walk out to my car, sit down, take off my flip-flops and put them in the backseat, slip my feet into the other shoes, and would wear those shoes and only those shoes out and about. When I got home, slip them off and leave them on the floor of the car, reach in the backseat for my flip-flops, flip-flops ON and into the house. Used bleach wipes set on the porch to clean my hands before I opened the door and came inside.
At the breeder's house people basically took bleach baths outside the house before coming in. =P
It is worrying, and I admit I took some slightly over the top precautions, and of course Payton didn't go anywhere in town until his last round of vax (of course he had been to I think TWO agility trials out of town before that point anyway...) but I didn't really lose sleep over it. Truthfully it was probably already in our house and yard from Auggie having tracked it from God knows where... the woods? This agility trial? THAT agility trial? The herding pens at Purina Farms? So I wouldn't say OH it's nothing to worry about, but IMO it's certainly nothing to panic over.

Fran being that you also work with dogs, you might consider the idea of work-only/outside-only shoes as well... but as I said, at this point it's probably already in your apartment.
 

Oko

Silence, peasants.
Joined
Sep 10, 2012
Messages
2,138
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
MA, USA
#17
This is just terrible, parvo is such a horrible disease.

@Fran: I live in MA too and from the records I looked at for the state's agriculture department, reported cases of parvo has been scarce around here for a while. And your boy will be quite old and a little tougher once he gets home, compared to a lot of say, 8 week old puppies. Still, it does make you want to hide them in your basement.
 

spiffy

New Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2012
Messages
319
Likes
0
Points
0
#18
Parvovirus is a nightmare! There was a heavy outbreak of this highly contagious disease in our community two years ago and I have lost two Dobermans - both were vaccinated. :(
 

PlottMom

The Littlest Hound
Joined
Oct 13, 2009
Messages
2,836
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
SoCal
#19
I feel like we see it almost daily at work... I've been at this job maybe two months now and we've had a whole litter of 3 month olds or so die, a ton of dogs whose owners opted for outpatient treatment, and a bunch of hospitalized ones who were so so sick :( it's awful.

That said, my dogs are all 5+ and haven't been vaccinated for a while... I take off my shoes in the garage, that's about it.
 

Doberluv

Active Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2004
Messages
22,038
Likes
2
Points
38
Location
western Wa
#20
I take them places, but not parks, etc. If we're in a pet store, we have them ride in the cart, etc. Same with Home Depot..cart riding, since everyone and their brother takes their dogs there.This is mainly if we have a spring/summer puppy.
I stay out of places where the likelihood of heavy dog traffic would be anyway, with new puppies, even when I haven't heard of any outbreak. So, no dog parks (haven't been to one of those anyhow ever) or rest stops, pet stores until they're fully vaccinated. I keep my Chihuahuas in a basket anyway when we shop at a pet store because I'm over protective. lol. I wish that awful virus would just go away.
 

Members online

No members online now.
Top