Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 13, 1993 TAG: 9309300277
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Karen Davis
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Of course you should.
One good reason is Canine Parvovirus.
The virus that causes this highly contagious disease is hardy and can remain infectious in soil contaminated by dog feces for five months or longer.
That means that every time your dog sniffs a spot where another dog has been, it risks catching parvo if that spot is contaminated.
Unvaccinated dogs are at risk every time they go outdoors because dogs that recover from the disease can shed the virus in their feces for as long as a year, said Dr. Charlotte Dietz, president of the Roanoke Valley Veterinary Medical Association.
``The problem is very common in apartment complexes because all of the dogs go to the same spot,'' Dietz said.
The disease also can be carried on a dog's fur and feet, in contaminated cages, and on shoes and other objects.
Dogs of all ages are affected, but the highest mortality occurs in puppies under 6 months old.
Puppies can be effectively immunized against parvovirus through a series of three vaccinations at about 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age. After that, yearly booster shots are required. Parvo vaccinations can be given alone or in combination with vaccinations against other diseases.
Symptoms include fever, vomiting and bloody diarrhea. Lack of appetite and listlessness are common. The dog may appear to be in pain.
For treatment, fluids are given to counteract the devastating dehydration that develops as a result of the vomiting and diarrhea. Medications to control these symptoms also are administered, along with antibiotics to ward off secondary infections.
Adult dogs are more apt to survive because they can better withstand the diarrhea and dehydration, Dietz said.
``If we can counteract the fluid loss, we can usually get them through it in about three to five days,'' she said.
Dogs that survive parvovirus are probably immune to the disease for life and generally suffer no lasting side effects, she said.
For unknown reasons, Rottweilers and Doberman pinschers seem to run a higher risk of severe illness when exposed to parvo, possibly because of their inadequate immune systems. For these breeds, some veterinarians recommend an additional shot at about 20 weeks of age, following the initial series of three vaccinations.
``I've been a vet for 25 years, and I think parvo is the worst disease I've ever seen,'' Dietz said.
She said treating parvovirus is labor-intensive because of the special isolation and sanitation precautions required.
Attendants wear special clothing and gloves, which they discard after handling a parvo puppy. Afterward, the entire isolation ward has to be thoroughly washed down with chlorine bleach. The virus is so hardy that most other common detergents and disinfectants will not destroy it.
Clearly, in the case of parvovirus, an ounce of prevention is worth 10 pounds of cure. Vaccinating your dog will save you the time and expense of treatment and will prevent the spread of the virus to other dogs.
\ Pet owners who cannot afford to spay or neuter their pets because of significant financial need can now seek help from a cooperative spay/neuter assistance program, called Co-SNAP, set up by the Roanoke Valley Veterinary Medical Association.
RVVMA President Charlotte Dietz says the program is intended to help not only low-income pet owners but also those hit with an unusual financial crisis, such as high medical bills or a job layoff.
Applications, available at area veterinary hospitals, will request information about the applicant's income and expenses. The information will be verified by a screening committee and will remain confidential.
If an applicant qualifies for assistance, he or she will be contacted by letter within one month and told where to take the pet for the surgery.
The spay or neuter surgery will be done at no charge, Dietz said. Animals that have not been vaccinated for rabies and other diseases also will get their shots free of charge at the time of surgery.
Applicants will be assigned a certain hospital for the procedure so that no one veterinary clinic will have to absorb more of the expenses than another, Dietz said.
Dietz said Co-SNAP is not designed to be a low-cost spay/neuter program for the general public.
``We hope to target this one small group with a serious and significant financial need,'' she said. ``Every animal spayed under this program is to be one that wouldn't have been done otherwise.''
\ Send general interest questions to The Pet Podium, in care of the Features Department, Roanoke Times & World-news, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010-2491.
Karen L. Davis is a Roanoke pet owner and free-lance writer. Her column runs twice a month.
by CNB