A partner at Elmhurst Animal Care and an experienced veterinarian, Dr. Joel Todd Leroy Prince provides quality preventive pet care. Dr. Joel Todd Leroy Prince has extensive experience with a variety of feline and canine diseases, including parvovirus.
First discovered in the 1970s, canine parvovirus is a highly contagious canine disease that affects the gastrointestinal tract. Due to the life-threatening nature of parvo, it is important to take the necessary precautions to prevent the disease.
Canine parvovirus can affect dogs of any age, but it is primarily seen in puppies from six to 20 weeks old. Typically transferred through oral contact with infected material, parvo seems to produce more severe symptoms among Rottweilers and Doberman Pinschers. Labrador retrievers, German shepherds, and American Staffordshire terriers are also more at risk for the disease. Some of the general symptoms of parvovirus in dogs are loss of appetite, diarrhea, lethargy, and severe vomiting.
Because of the severity of the disease, it is important to take the necessary precautions to prevent parvovirus. Keeping a dog up-to-date on its vaccinations is the best way to prevent the disease. Typically, puppies receive their first parvo vaccine at around six to eight weeks of age, with a booster every four weeks until around 20 weeks of age. Older dogs who did not receive the vaccination as puppies should obtain at least one vaccination. Owners can prevent canine parvovirus through regular and thorough cleaning and disinfecting of pets’ living spaces. The virus can survive on surfaces for several months, so it is important to properly disinfect all potentially infected areas and items.
First discovered in the 1970s, canine parvovirus is a highly contagious canine disease that affects the gastrointestinal tract. Due to the life-threatening nature of parvo, it is important to take the necessary precautions to prevent the disease.
Canine parvovirus can affect dogs of any age, but it is primarily seen in puppies from six to 20 weeks old. Typically transferred through oral contact with infected material, parvo seems to produce more severe symptoms among Rottweilers and Doberman Pinschers. Labrador retrievers, German shepherds, and American Staffordshire terriers are also more at risk for the disease. Some of the general symptoms of parvovirus in dogs are loss of appetite, diarrhea, lethargy, and severe vomiting.
Because of the severity of the disease, it is important to take the necessary precautions to prevent parvovirus. Keeping a dog up-to-date on its vaccinations is the best way to prevent the disease. Typically, puppies receive their first parvo vaccine at around six to eight weeks of age, with a booster every four weeks until around 20 weeks of age. Older dogs who did not receive the vaccination as puppies should obtain at least one vaccination. Owners can prevent canine parvovirus through regular and thorough cleaning and disinfecting of pets’ living spaces. The virus can survive on surfaces for several months, so it is important to properly disinfect all potentially infected areas and items.
