Puppy-killing virus on the rise in Lane County
By Tom AdamsEUGENE, Ore. - Local veterinarians are tracking a big rise in the serious puppy disease, Parvo. For unvaccinated pups, it can be really bad news. "Hi Lucas; this is Lucas," points out Theresa Iverson, the kennel manager at Greenhill Humane Society, greeting the only puppy in the kennel on this day. Parvo is the number one killer of small puppies, and Eugene-Springfield veterinarians say it's on the rise. "It starts deteriorating the stomach," Iverson said. "They get lethargic; they do vomiting; there's diarrhea." "Subsequently, it can cause a septicemia and animals can die within 2 days of contracting the virus," said Dr. Brooke Jacoby of McKenzie Animal Hospital in Springfield, Ore. Septicemia is the technical term for blood poisoning. Dogs catch Parvo from contact with the waste of other canines. "That's all they need to do is just sniff the grass," Iverson said. "The virus is right there; they can get it by just sniffing it." Jacoby said Parvo is hard to control because the virus can live for years, but it's preventable. "So if you can get with your veterinarian and discuss the vaccination protocol for your puppy, based on their age, that's a big step," Jacoby said. Dog parks? Officials said if your puppy is not fully vaccinated, forget it. "I wouldn't be too enthused about people bringing their dogs in to a dog park when they're not inoculated," said Dave Walker of Junction City, Ore. Veterinarians said there's little they can do for pups brought in with Parvo. They said prevention by vaccination is the key. |
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