Vets issue urgent warning over spike in virus that kills up to 90 PERCENT of dogs – with rates rising in New York, Washington DC and Missouri

Daily Mail ^

[algore]

Pet owners have been urged to look out for a virus that is spiking in some parts of the US and is lethal in dogs.

Parvovirus, often referred to as parvo — a highly-contagious disease that kills up to 90 percent of pooches — is above average levels in at least three parts of the country, New York state, DC and Missouri.

The most common symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea and loss of appetite. The virus is not tracked, so the total number of dogs to have died is not known.

Veterinarian Dr Hannah Lau told WNBC: 'Any breed of dog can become sick from parvovirus, but Rottweilers, Doberman Pinschers, American Pit Bull Terriers, English Springer Spaniels, and German Shepherds may see an increased risk'

New York health officials released an alert which said the Animal Care Centers (ACC) had diagnosed 14 dogs as of March 14, with the majority in puppies and younger dogs in Bronx and Manhattan facilities.

This far exceeded what is usually seen in a whole year.

And a shelter in Missouri has seen a sharp rise in cases in puppies, with some vets seeing two to three sick parvo-infected dogs every day, and sometimes even five or six. The uptick has been attributed to the warmer weather.

Vets at the non-profit had seen several parvo cases in just 24 hours.

[blackdog]

My dog denies any and all associations with being a dog. She hates anywhere dogs congregate. She stays in bed until 2PM, likes her toast with jam, tosses her toys around to show a wish of dominance over the cats, takes one walk once it's dark outside, and likes to be back in bed by 10PM.

Parvo is highly contagious in kennels, dog parks, dog poop spots, and from shared bowls. The yearly 5 way vaccine usually includes Parvo prevention.

[vetvetdoug]

Parvo is a single stranded DNA virus that requires a fast growing cell to replicate. Certain breeds have a susceptibility to the virus. It was first identified the Summer of 78’ when it mutated at a Collie show in Mobile, Alabama. Older dogs are rarely infected and younger dogs with the fastest growing cells most susceptible. The virus replicates in such numbers it is highly infective in an environment as it takes as few as eight virions to cause disease. It is now endemic in the canine world so vaccinate your pups and live with it. The Summer of 78’ was an exciting time for me as I was in veterinary microbiolgy and the growing of the virus in vitro was difficult until we found that it grew on Feline kidney cells which gave us a hint as to its origin. I fully expected it to mutate into the human population by now as it mutates into another species about every twenty to forty years.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Same here.

[Karl Spooner]

The government has fun killing millions of chickens and turkeys, now they are moving on to dogs. Just their way of letting you know who is boss.

[waterhill]

It’s Spring, fleas and ticks are on the uptick as well..

[waterhill]

How did they tear them? And what kind of dogs?

[sonova]

Rottweiler. Chasing squirrels. Both times.

[waterhill]

What was the procedure? Autograph or allugraph? I’ve had 2 allugraphs on the same leg.

[spacejunkie2001]

since 1978 was 45 years ago, what other species is parvo in?

[DouglasKC]

This might not be popular but I’ll bet this is the direct result of humans bringing their pets to places that normally wouldnt allow them. Grocery stores, hotels, planes, etc etc. More interaction between different humans and animals seems like a perfect way to breed new pathogens.

[Valpal1]

coyotes, wolves, foxes, raccoons, minks, skunks and bobcats to name a few.

[Valpal1]

More likely the pandemic puppy boom didn’t get vacciinated along with an increase in bad owners who don’t pick up their dog’s poop.

[sonova]

The surgeon used a semi-cylindrical bone saw, in a reciporcating rotary tool, to cut and repositon one of the bones (above or below the joint, I forget..) in order to redistribute the loads normally carried by the ACL (surgeon said it was Crainial Cruciate Ligament).

[waterhill]

A reciprocating rotary saw? A Sawzall with a wheel? They just drilled holes in my femur and fibula and stuck a donor in there. It was painfull. More than the injury. (Aluragraph). Autograph is a bodies own tendons borrowed. Alluragraph is a donor ( a deceased organ donor).

[Jane Long]

Hasn’t the parvo vax been around for a loooong time?

Maybe there’s a new ‘version’ they want to get out, across the country.

[Blood of Tyrants]

She tore them just chasing after a critter in the yard. She’s a mixed breed and weighs about 35 lbs.

[Beowulf9]

No he is mostly a ‘house dog’ but I’m going to get him inoculated now. He was.

[AC86UT89]

“More interaction between different humans and animals seems like a perfect way to breed new pathogens.“

I agree but the dogs uber alles people don’t see it.

[vetvetdoug]

It was first identified in mink, Aleutian Mink Disease, and in the 1920’s mutated into felines, Feline Distemper or Panleukopenia, and then in 78’ into dogs. I predicted after a few years of researching it that the next mutation would be into humans. The virus destroys the body's ability to produce WBC’s and kills the fast growing cells, hence the bloody diarrhea. Treating the disease is like “whack a mole” with medicine as the myriad of symptoms are challenging.

[spacejunkie2001]

Sounds a lot like AIDS