(Quark has spent the past week with us in hospitalization after we found out he had parvo. He is a fighter though and now is right back to his puppy self. Please call us to schedule your pets appointment at 915-584-4491 if they have not received their parvo (DHPP) vaccine!)
Recently in El Paso we have seen a large increase in the amount of dogs diagnosed with parvovirus. This disease is extremely contagious and often fatal. Symptoms of parvo include lethargy (lazy, depressed), vomiting, diarrhea, and blood in poop.
Parvo can be spread through direct contact with infected poop. Even after poop is picked up there are often partials left behind that carry the disease in parks and on sidewalks that can live from minutes to years after. The only way to be sure that the disease has been removed is to bleach the entire area that had direct contact with the infected pet and their poop. Little do most people know that they can carry the parvovirus disease and infect their pet. Many times a pet owner may pet an infected pet or step through an infected area unknowingly. Since the disease is so easily carried it can spread as quickly as wildfire.
On average 5 days of hospitalization treatment can cost $1300. Hospitalization includes IV fluids, antibiotics, anti-nausea medications, vitamins, supplements, and plenty of loving care from our technicians who help nurse them back to health. If left untreated parvovirus can be fatal (cause death).
You can prevent parvo by keeping your pet’s up-o-date on their vaccines. If you have a puppy, make sure to complete their DHPP series of 3-4 vaccines given 3-4 weeks apart from each other. Also avoid taking them anywhere until they have completed their vaccine series to ensure they are fully protected.
If you suspect that you’re pet has parvovirus please contact us immediately at 915-584-4491 so that we can schedule your pet an appointment to get tested. At the time of your appointment please wait in your car and call us to let us know you have arrived. We will have a technician come out to your vehicle to perform the test before bringing them in. This helps us to contain the disease and limit the changes of spreading it to another patient if your pet is positive. The earlier we are able to diagnose the disease the less likely the disease is to become fatal.
Take our parvo survey this week to be entered to win a FREE DHPP vaccine for your pet!
By Monique Conway, Director of Public Contact 10/20/2014