Parvovirus/Vaccination

[RobbnAtlanta]

I take Bambam to an off leash dogpark several times a week. He loves going and I find it refreshing for me to socialize with other dog owners and their dogs.

Well last night a 'regular' announced that edgar's mom had arrived at the park earlier alone and wanted to tell everyone that he contracted parvovirus from the dogpark and was currently receiving treatment for it.

I immediately asked about his vaccination status and she said the vet told her that even though he was vaccinated there is still a chance of contracting it.

So my questions are:
1) How does she know he got it from the dog park?
2) What are the risks to my vaccinated dog?
3) I read that parvovirus can survive in the soil up to a year
4) could this lead to major outbreak or is this an isolated incident
5) should i stop going to the park?

I also read about a viral variant that is resistant to vaccination.

"There are variants of CPV type 2 called CPV-2a, CPV-2b and CPV-2c. The antigenic patterns of 2a and 2b are quite similar to the original CPV type 2. Variant 2c however has a unique pattern of antigenicity. This has led to claims of ineffective vaccination of dogs"

Thanks for any input

[josie1918]

Ok, NO vaccine is 100% not no way, not no how. There are factors that can increase the risk, such as giving a vaccination when a dog is ill, running a fever etc. Yes, parvo can live anywhere it seems for quite sometime. When it gets into breeding facilities it is almost impossible to get rid of. It seems to flourish where ever there are large numbers of dogs in a confined area. For more information on this disease, I highly recommend you go to avma.org click on the section marked public resources, and keep scrolling until you find the publication concerning parvo. This will give you clear, easy to understand information on this virus.

[Nettle]

You live in a different country so I am not sure if this appplies to your neck of the woods - but my vet told me that there are three main strains of parvo (and a few others) and only two in the usual vaccination.

So - if the strain of parvo in your area is one of the ones in the vaccine - your vaccinated dog should be protected, BUT there is no such thing as 100% protection no matter what you do, because you have to factor in the immune system. Extra vaccination will not protect - if your dog has put up an immune response, he is as immune to those strains as he can be, but if the strain is different from those in the vaccine, he is not immune to any strain he has not been vaccinated against.

There is no certaintly where the other dog picked up parvo. However IF there is parvo in your area, you would be wise to keep away from anywhere there are large numbers of dogs in a small space.

In your position, I'd be ringing round all the local vets to check if there is a parvo outbreak and if so what strain, and checking with the vet that vaccinated your dog which strains he is covered for. Fact is always more useful than hearsay. If this is a new variant, or one he has not been vaccinated against, it would be wise to have him vaccinated against that strain IF that vaccine is avaialble. It would be pointless revaccinating with other strains.

Did that make sense?

[RobbnAtlanta]

Ah, very good advice Nettle... Chatting up the vet to get more insight into any trends they've been seeing with Parvo.. Thanks you guys!

I understand no vaccine is not 100%, just like birth control... but from what I've read (will be visiting the amva.org site shortly ) it's pretty nasty.

[josie1918]

It can easily be lethal, and just as with distemper TRULY you don't want your animal to get it, it is a VERY ugly death.

[RobbnAtlanta]

I just spoke with my vet, (well the administrative assistant, I think that's the current PC term)

They said they have not seen any cases of parvo in quite some time, not to say that it's not out there. Someone(I) should contact the county to 'clean up' the park to reduce/eliminate contamination...I read bleach is the only way to kill the virus, so how they would d that, I have no idea.

She could not tell me the strains contained in the vaccine Bambam got back in January...

[Nettle]

Have you paperwork with the vaccination from January? If so, there should be a manufacturer's name. You can contact them.

Very unprofessional for a vet not just "not to know" what strains are in the vaccine, but not to offer to find out. So you'll have to ditch the monkey and talk to the organ-grinder.

[Nettle]

Just to add - check with other vet practices to see if they think there is a parvo outbreak. Take nothing at face value - while many vets are super and very moral, it is not beyond some practices where I live to big up an "outbreak" to get a load of customers in for "extra" vaccination.

Just a handful of phone calls will give you the picture.

[Fundog]

Another nice thing about living in the states: when there is an outbreak of a potentially lethal infection, whether it be animal or human, and *if* there is a vaccine available, then the governing agencies (animal control for animals and Public Health Department for people) will hold "shoot-outs" for offering deeply discounted, or even free, vaccinations. For example, last winter when the Swine Flu came out, my region's public health department held numerous free vaccination clinics. My kids and I took advantage of that. Several years ago, my area had an outbreak of measles. Again, the public health department was encouraging everyone to come in and get a free MMR vaccine. So we did. It benefits the community to offer free vaccines, in order to prevent spread of infection.

[Duffy Jones]

So my questions are:
1) How does she know he got it from the dog park?

They do not ever know where they get it from. Even though places where there are lots of dogs (parks, boarding, kennels) are more likely, we never know where they actually get it.

2) What are the risks to my vaccinated dog?

Young large breed dogs have the most risk. Most older dogs that have been vaccinated are fairly resistant to getting it. No vaccine is totally 100% protective but most older dog with a good immune system will not get it.

3) I read that parvovirus can survive in the soil up to a year

Yes, very resistant in the environment.
4) could this lead to major outbreak or is this an isolated incident

Most likely an isolated incident and I would also wonder where else had the dog been

5) should i stop going to the park?

Might not be a bad idea for a few weeks.



As for CPV-2C - this was a big thing a couple of years ago. Yes they were seeing some dirt in the virus but when they tested the vaccines against it, they all tested and showed adequate protection. There was a lot of marketing by the vaccine company about adding cpv-2c to their vaccines so to get vets to change to their company but when the research came it showed that the vaccines were protective. Many of the vaccines do no show the strain on the labeling unless they have added in the cpv-2c strain for marketing reasons.

Here are a couple of thoughts. If this was an older dog and was vaccinated I would be really wonder if that dog was actually parvo positive or had a bad test or if it was recently vaccinated and cross reacted with the test. I have had a few cases like this and the dogs come up positive but it is only a day or so in the hospital and the dog was better.

If this was a young dog - under 24 weeks and was not vaccinated then yes this is most likely parvo. However, they should not have been taking such a young dog to the dog park.

Do not let the cpv-2c worry you too much. It has turned about to be a whole lot of worry for nothing.

Yes, we see more parvo in the spring and summer but that also correlates when most people get puppies and there is more dog to dog contact without people outside more.

hope this helps.

duf

[Duffy Jones]

Sorry for mis typing below - not dirt in the strain but drift in the strain.

I am not know for my spelling or typing skills!!!

duf

[Nettle]

Duffy, It's really good to have your input - many thanks

[Emmy'sMama]

I fostered a puppy who was recovering from Parvovirus a couple years ago. So I did quite a bit of research and talked at length with my vets at the time.

Parvo is mostly found in puppies who have not developed immunities (mainly through vaccination) and, less often, in older dogs with weakened immune systems. Most puppies who have received their four-rounds of parvo vaccinations should be immune. However, I would not take my dog to a highly-trafficked dog area, like a dog park, until around 6 months, just to be safe. By that time their immune system should be more naturally developed. Actually, most adult dogs probably would develop a natural immunity to parvo from their environments, even without vaccination. The vet told me that very rarely do they see a dog over a year old contract parvo. I wouldn't worry too much about your dog contracting parvo from the dog park if he/she is over a year and fully vaccinated.

Parvo can live in the environment for up to a year. It is mainly spread through feces and vomit. The best disinfectant is bleach. When I was fostering the recovering puppy, I always disposed of her feces and then sprayed the area with a bleach-water solution. I cannot remember the exact ratio, but the solution doesn't require that much bleach to kill the virus. I think I used about 1/4 bleach to 3/4 water, just to be on the safe side.

That said, parvo is a serious, nasty illness that new puppy owners need to be very wary of. There really is no treatment for it, except to keep the dog on liquids until the body fights it off. Symptoms include extreme lethargy, watery diarrhea, and vomiting. Even with vet treatment, some puppies die. My foster puppy was one of four out of a littler of 14 puppies who survived the virus (they all fell ill a couple of days after arriving at the shelter--the time span indicated that they had actually been infected before they arrived at the shelter, since it takes, I think, at least three days after exposure for a dog to show symptoms). I also have a friend whose puppy came down with parvo just a couple days after she picked her up from the shelter. Luckily, they caught onto the symptoms very early and her puppy, Sugarplum, was feeling well again within a week after vet treatment. Now she is a happy, healthy one year-old.

[Mrschefiinny]

I fostered a puppy who was recovering from Parvovirus a couple years ago. So I did quite a bit of research and talked at length with my vets at the time.

Parvo is mostly found in puppies who have not developed immunities (mainly through vaccination) and, less often, in older dogs with weakened immune systems. Most puppies who have received their four-rounds of parvo vaccinations should be immune. However, I would not take my dog to a highly-trafficked dog area, like a dog park, until around 6 months, just to be safe. By that time their immune system should be more naturally developed.

It is easier said then done for us urban dwellers. Here in NYC, it is wonderful dog-friendly city -- however, it is almost impossible to abstain from high traffic areas that could be contaminated. The sidewalks alone often have fecal matter and whatnot. It is quite frightening to bring home a young pup and attempt to potty train outdoors (let alone quick daily walks).

With that said, any tips for urban pet owners?

[OHenry]

A strong "leave it!" command and an eagle eye can at least reduce the chance that your dog will eat/roll around in poop that they encounter along the way.

You might also consider a membership-based dog run because they often require proof of immunization.