Staying vigilant against viruses

Staying vigilant against viruses


If you think pooch vaccinations have made viral infections a thing of the past, guess again.

In cities across the country, canine parvovirus outbreaks have forced some shelters to temporarily close their doors. Even in shelters that assess dogs for parvovirus, a dog may test negative on admission only to get sick a few days later. That’s because parvo has a relatively long incubation period — that is, time from exposure to appearance of clinical signs.

Parvovirus causes severe intestinal disease that can rapidly be fatal without intensive care. It also spreads like wildfire among dogs — and even from some wild animals, like foxes or coyotes, to their canine cousins.

So, parvovirus is alive and well, just waiting for a crack in a pooch’s immunity. That’s why regular parvo vaccination is a true lifesaver.

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