Local Veterinarian Talks About Signs Of Parvovirus In Dogs

Parvovirus is one of the most fatal diseases a dog can contract and it's highly contagious. That's our focus as we talked with veterinarian Dr. Rebekah Hartfield on Friday morning.

What is Parvo?

"Parvo is a highly contagious virus, as you stated. And how it works is, basically that virus attacks that puppy or that dog's white blood cells. And then it also attacks the GI tract, that gastrointestinal tract. And this is what can cause fatalities so quickly. This is a very hearty parasite or a hearty virus. It can live in cold weather. It can live in intense heat. And so it's really hard to get rid of, and it stays in the ground or on surfaces for so long. It's mainly found in fecal material. And that's how that it passes to the dog," Hartfield explained.

How common is Parvo?

"The patients that we mainly see this in, the ones that are most affected, are those little puppies that are between six weeks and 20 weeks of age. And so this is what makes this virus just so hard, especially to watch as the veterinarian and young puppies go through this. But if your dog isn't vaccinated, and they're an older dogs, they can get it as well," Hartfield said.

What are the symptoms of Parvo?

"You're gonna see lethargy. You're gonna see that they stop eating. The big symptoms that you're gonna see at home is vomiting, and like excessive vomiting just over and over again. And then lots of bloody diarrhea. That's the big one. And Parvo to me just has this, we call it the Parvo smell. And when you smell that, it's not all the time Parvo. But it's a pretty big symptom. So if you see any of these signs, it is so important for just the treatment plan for the veterinarian, for you to get your pet in as soon as possible within at least 24 to 48 hours of seeing those symptoms," Hartfield said.