How a gastrointestinal virus can affect your pets

Many people have heard of it, but don’t exactly know what it is. Canine Parvovirus is a gastrointestinal virus that mainly affects dogs, but can also be found in cats. A deadly disease that if not taken care of right away, could be fatal for your pet.

It usually can be contracted through dog-to-dog bodily fluids, but what is most surprising is that the virus can live in the ground where your animals walk. The symptoms range from lethargy to vomiting to the biggest giveaway which is the bloody and loose stool. It continues to be a big problem in the desert southwest as it doesn’t cool down enough year round for the virus to become dormant. This causes the virus to be considered a year-round threat.

While the virus is deadly for animals, we wanted to know if it was curable.

“It itself does not have a cure so the treatment is to treat the symptoms, so we treat dehydration and their monitoring, but there is still also a risk even with the treatment that the animal may not survive,” said Lana Shapiro, Director of Development for the Humane Society of Yuma.

Puppies usually have the highest risk of getting infected and while you may have a new puppy that you want to show off to the world, remember they are just like babies. They need to be confined and not exposed to germs and people until they have had their shots and have been properly vaccinated.

If you feel like your pet may be showing symptoms of Parvo, take them to their vet immediately and while humans can get Parvo, canine Parvo is a different type of virus that humans cannot contract.