13 Interesting Factoids About Parvo Virus

7 July 2008

13 Interesting Factoids About Parvo Virus

Posted by Rae and Mark under: Health .

80% of dogs that are infected by the older 2a and 2b strains of Canine Parvo virus that are not treated die in four to five days.
Fully-vaccinated adult dogs, as well as puppies, are being infected by and dying from the current 2c strain of the Parvovirus.
Some breeds, such as Labrador Retrievers, Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Black & Tan Coonhounds, Doberman Pinschers and German Shepherds are more susceptible to the Parvovirus for reasons nobody yet understands.
Although the Parvovirus is particularly prevalent in the southern states, with California, Texas, Arizona and Florida being the four worst hit, every state in the US, including Hawaii and even Alaska, are suffering outbreaks.
The Parvovirus can survive extremes of temperature, including both frost and hot weather, and can live in the ground for up to twenty years, making it incredibly hard to destroy.
Vet costs to treat the Parvovirus are prohibitively expensive - you could easily pay $500 to over $10,000 per dog.
Most vets will only give your dog a 50% - 80% chance of surviving the Parvovirus, in spite of their expensive treatments.
It is now suspected that the latest 2c strain may be airborne, even though Parvo has historically been transmitted through contact with infected feces and vomit.
It has always been suspected that Canine Parvovirus evolved from a similar feline virus, feline distemper, so it is ironic that cats can now be infected by the latest 2c strain of Parvo.
Dogs that are infected by the latest 2c strain of the Parvo virus can die within one day of symptoms first appearing, with some dogs dying in only six hours.
The Canine Parvo virus 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 growing in strength, ready to cause massive damage to your dog’s body.
Ironically, administering a Canine 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 that is in the vaccine, but as vaccinations 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).
A few breeds of dogs, notably Poodles and Cocker Spaniels, appear to be at a reduced risk of contracting the Parvo virus, although this does not mean that they will not be infected.