Arizona is in the midst of a parvovirus outbreak, and Pima County officials are urging dog owners to make sure their pets are vaccinated against the deadly disease.
The Pima Animal Care Center has had to euthanize about 20 dogs in the past week, mostly puppies, said Vicki Ann Duraine, public-services supervisor for the center.
"We have, and have had, a lot of dogs being brought into the shelter that have been carrying the parvovirus," she said. "We've been getting abandoned litters; we've been getting mothers and litters. It used to be somewhat isolated, but it is throughout the county at this point and throughout the state."
About 50 dogs that were exposed to the virus have been quarantined from the shelter's general population and are available for adoption at a "rescue price" of $40, down from the usual $90.
People are also reading…
Those dogs can be viewed but not touched, and Duraine said people should remember to not touch dogs in the shelter to avoid spreading infections from kennel to kennel.
"The main message is to stay up on your vaccinations," she said. "It just goes with being a responsible pet owner."
Canine parvovirus is the most common viral illness for dogs and is much more common in puppies than in adult dogs. Parvo attacks the lining of the digestive system and inhibits the absorption of nutrients or liquids. When dogs contract parvo, typical symptoms are diarrhea, vomiting and lethargy. The disease leads to death in many cases, and even surviving puppies can have poor health for the remainder of their lives. Parvo is highly contagious and is typically transmitted through dog feces. Symptoms generally appear about a week to 10 days after exposure.
Pet owners need to be careful about exposing their puppies to other dogs until the puppies have been vaccinated.
"If we have a litter that comes in with a puppy that is parvo-positive, the general rule is you would expect the whole litter to test positive," Duraine said.
A spring parvo outbreak is fairly common because more puppies are born in the spring, but this current wave is more severe than usual.
"It's worse than it's been, and it is statewide at this point," Duraine said.
More information
Parvo tests are available at the Pima Animal Care Center for a $25 fee.
Call 243-5900 for more information.
