Latest news with #canineparvovirus
CTV News
08-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Amid a parvovirus outbreak in part of Ontario, here's what a Canadian veterinarian says dog owners should know
Tonya Dixon's puppy Sassy prepares to receive deworming medication at a free dog vaccine clinic to combat a canine Parvovirus outbreak on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, in the Tenderloin in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Emily Steinberger) Recent outbreaks of canine parvovirus (CPV) in Ontario led to spikes in online searches for information on the dog disease. Asked about the outbreak earlier this summer in London and about the prominence of CPV in Canada, an expert says it's a fairly common and persistent disease. Tracy Fisher, a veterinarian from Regina and the president-elect of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, told that the frequency of cases varies every year. How do dogs get parvo? CPV, or parvo, is a disease that first appeared in dogs in 1978, according to Veterinary Centers of America (VCA)'s Canadian division. 'The virus that causes this disease is similar to feline panleukopenia (feline distemper); the two diseases are almost identical,' the website for VCA Canada, a network of animal hospitals, says. 'However, that has never been scientifically proven.' The primary source of infection is through the ingestion of the feces of already-infected dogs, according to VCA Canada. It can also be easily transmitted through contact with the hair or feet of infected dogs or with objects contaminated by the infected feces. The virus first enters the tonsils or lymph nodes of the animals, where it invades lymphocytes – a type of white blood cells –which later carry the virus through the body to places like the bone marrow and the lining of the intestines, VCA Canada said. This disease is particularly problematic in animal shelters due to the high number of unvaccinated dogs being kept together. Parvo symptoms The main signs of CPV are severe vomiting and diarrhea that often come with a powerful stench, and contain mucus and blood. Infected dogs can suffer from loss of appetite, fever and depression, according to VCA Canada. It is most common in unvaccinated dogs who are less than one year of age, they said. It is generally not fatal, but there is a much higher fatality rate for some breeds, including the rottweiler, doberman pinscher, Labrador retriever, American Staffordshire terrier and Arctic sled breeds, according to animal hospital group. Fisher said severity and survival also depend on the age of the dogs who are infected. 'Very young puppies almost never survive. If they are not given any supportive care, their survival rates can be as low as 20 to 30 per cent,' she said. Parvo treatment Unfortunately, there is no treatment for the disease available in Canada, Fisher said. But if they are hospitalized and given the right kind of supportive care, the survival rate can be upwards of 80 per cent, she explained. 'The traditional treatment is just supportive care, very intense supportive care,' Fisher said. 'So, we would have that animal hospitalized on intravenous fluids, controlling the nausea, controlling their blood sugar levels, antibiotics to prevent secondary infection. It's quite intensive.' A new treatment has been conditionally approved in the U.S. for CPV. It could potentially be used to treat the disease in puppies and dogs that have been exposed to the disease, according to veterinary publication website It is not available or approved yet in Canada, Fisher said, but she called the U.S. approval a promising sign. 'It's a monoclonal antibody. That means is that we're providing these animals with antibodies directly for the parvovirus,' Fisher explained. 'We're really excited about the promise of this, because parvo is such a miserable disease.' But the vaccines have gotten better and more effective with time, which has helped keep the problem under control, she added. How common is parvo in Canada? Fisher said she treats approximately two or three cases a year at her practice in Regina. Outbreaks are usually localized to certain area, she said. In late June, a London housing community faced a CPV outbreak that prompted local veterinarians to launch an on-site mobile clinic, offering testing and vaccinations for the residents' dogs at a lower cost. In December, an outbreak in Windsor led to the death of 14 dogs, CTV News reported. And a Winnipeg dog rescue organization warned owners last fall about a possible outbreak in parts of Manitoba. Fisher's advice to pet owners is that the most effective treatment for CPV is prevention. Get your dogs vaccinated on time, especially puppies, she said. With files from CTV News London's Reta Ismail and CTV News Windsor's Robert Lothian, and CTV News Winnipeg's Jon Hendricks
CTV News
07-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Amid an Ontario parvovirus outbreak, here's what a Canadian veterinarian say dog owners should know
Tonya Dixon's puppy Sassy prepares to receive deworming medication at a free dog vaccine clinic to combat a canine Parvovirus outbreak on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, in the Tenderloin in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Emily Steinberger) Recent outbreaks of canine parvovirus (CPV) in Ontario led to spikes in online searches for information on the dog disease. Asked about the outbreak earlier this summer in London and about the prominence of CPV in Canada, an expert says it's a fairly common and persistent disease. Tracy Fisher, a veterinarian from Regina and the president-elect of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, told that the frequency of cases varies every year. How do dogs get parvo? CPV, or parvo, is a disease that first appeared in dogs in 1978, according to Veterinary Centers of America (VCA)'s Canadian division. 'The virus that causes this disease is similar to feline panleukopenia (feline distemper); the two diseases are almost identical,' the website for VCA Canada, a network of animal hospitals, says. 'However, that has never been scientifically proven.' The primary source of infection is through the ingestion of the feces of already-infected dogs, according to VCA Canada. It can also be easily transmitted through contact with the hair or feet of infected dogs or with objects contaminated by the infected feces. The virus first enters the tonsils or lymph nodes of the animals, where it invades lymphocytes – a type of white blood cells –which later carry the virus through the body to places like the bone marrow and the lining of the intestines, VCA Canada said. This disease is particularly problematic in animal shelters due to the high number of unvaccinated dogs being kept together. Parvo symptoms The main signs of CPV are severe vomiting and diarrhea that often come with a powerful stench, and contain mucus and blood. Infected dogs can suffer from loss of appetite, fever and depression, according to VCA Canada. It is most common in unvaccinated dogs who are less than one year of age, they said. It is generally not fatal, but there is a much higher fatality rate for some breeds, including the rottweiler, doberman pinscher, Labrador retriever, American Staffordshire terrier and Arctic sled breeds, according to animal hospital group. Fisher said severity and survival also depend on the age of the dogs who are infected. 'Very young puppies almost never survive. If they are not given any supportive care, their survival rates can be as low as 20 to 30 per cent,' she said. Parvo treatment Unfortunately, there is no treatment for the disease available in Canada, Fisher said. But if they are hospitalized and given the right kind of supportive care, the survival rate can be upwards of 80 per cent, she explained. 'The traditional treatment is just supportive care, very intense supportive care,' Fisher said. 'So, we would have that animal hospitalized on intravenous fluids, controlling the nausea, controlling their blood sugar levels, antibiotics to prevent secondary infection. It's quite intensive.' A new treatment has been conditionally approved in the U.S. for CPV. It could potentially be used to treat the disease in puppies and dogs that have been exposed to the disease, according to veterinary publication website It is not available or approved yet in Canada, Fisher said, but she called the U.S. approval a promising sign. 'It's a monoclonal antibody. That means is that we're providing these animals with antibodies directly for the parvovirus,' Fisher explained. 'We're really excited about the promise of this, because parvo is such a miserable disease.' But the vaccines have gotten better and more effective with time, which has helped keep the problem under control, she added. How common is parvo in Canada? Fisher said she treats approximately two or three cases a year at her practice in Regina. Outbreaks are usually localized to certain area, she said. In late June, a London housing community faced a CPV outbreak that prompted local veterinarians to launch an on-site mobile clinic, offering testing and vaccinations for the residents' dogs at a lower cost. In December, an outbreak in Windsor led to the death of 14 dogs, CTV News reported. And a Winnipeg dog rescue organization warned owners last fall about a possible outbreak in parts of Manitoba. Fisher's advice to pet owners is that the most effective treatment for CPV is prevention. Get your dogs vaccinated on time, especially puppies, she said. With files from CTV News London's Reta Ismail and CTV News Windsor's Robert Lothian, and CTV News Winnipeg's Jon Hendricks
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Veterinary director at St. Louis County Animal Care & Control resigns
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – The veterinary medical director at St. Louis County's animal shelter has resigned, nearly a month after an outbreak of canine parvovirus at the facility. Dr. Doug Pernikoff informed our news partners at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he can no longer work at the St. Louis County Animal Care and Control Adoption Center, adding that he's 'too old to fight.' Pernikoff did not explain his motivation for stepping down. Before becoming the veterinary medical director, Pernikoff spent many years in private practice in Chesterfield. A spokesman for St. Louis County Executive Sam Page told the Post-Dispatch that Pernikoff left on Friday, May 9. No reason for Pernikoff's resignation was given. Veterinary director at St. Louis County Animal Care & Control resigns That parvovirus outbreak, described as the 'worst in county history,' forced the county to close the shelter for several days to prevent further spread of the virus. Nineteen dogs were euthanized at the facility earlier this month. Last week, said the outbreak was 'under control,' and that the incident would be studied to improve procedures and protocols at the shelter. The first parvo case was identified at the adoption center on Saturday, April 19. The facility housed more than 200 dogs at the time. Because the dogs are often kept in close quarters, the virus had already spread to other animals by the time a positive case could be confirmed. The American Veterinary Medical Association said canine parvovirus is a highly contagious and deadly dog virus and is spread via dog feces. Symptoms of the virus include lethargy, loss of appetite, vomiting, severe and sometimes bloody diarrhea, and a fever. Puppies should be vaccinated against parvo when they're 6, 8, and 12 weeks old, respectively. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
