13 Must-Read Factoids About Canine Parvovirus
1. 80% of dogs that are infected by Parvo virus that are untreated die in four or five days - with the older 2a and 2b strains of the virus.
2. Fully-vaccinated adult dogs, as well as puppies, are being infected by and dying from the most recent 2c strain of the Parvo virus.
3. Some breeds, such as German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers, Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Black & Tan Coonhounds and Doberman Pinschers are more prone to the Parvo virus for reasons nobody yet understands.
4. The four worst states for Parvo virus outbreaks are California, Texas, Arizona and Florida, although every state in the US, including Hawaii and even Alaska, and particularly the southern states, are being affected.
5. The Parvovirus is incredibly persistent and can live in the ground for up to 20 years, with an ability to survive extremes of temperature, including frost and desert climates.
6. Vet costs to treat the Parvo virus are very expensive - you could easily pay $500 to over $6,000 per dog.
7. Most vets can only offer your dog a 50% - 80% chance of a full recovery, in spite of their expensive treatments.
8. It is now believed that the latest 2c strain may be airborne, even though the Canine Parvovirus has historically been transmitted through contact with infected vomit and feces.
9. It has always been suspected that Canine Parvovirus evolved from a similar feline virus, feline panleukopenia (aka feline distemper), so it is ironic that cats can now be infected by the latest 2c strain of Parvo virus.
10. The latest 2c strain of the Parvo virus can kill your dog within one day of symptoms first appearing, with some dogs dying in only six hours.
11. Canine Parvo can incubate for anywhere from three days to 15 days, although five to seven days is the average. This means that your dog could be sick for up to two weeks and you would not even know it, as there would be no visible symptoms. However during this time, the virus is building up its attack force, ready to cause massive damage to your dog’s body.
12. Ironically, administering a Parvo vaccine, especially the very first shot, can actually increase the chance of your puppy contracting this virus. This is because the maternal antibodies inherited by the puppy can kill off the modified live virus contained in the vaccine, but as shots work in part by lowering the body’s natural immune system, this actually opens up the puppy to infection by the full, live virus (not to mention other infections as well).
13. A few breeds of dogs, particularly Cocker Spaniels and Poodles, appear to be at a reduced risk of contracting the Parvo virus, although this does not mean that they will not be infected.
