# Parvovirus - How common?



## Kazd (Apr 21, 2013)

Just recently on FB there have been 3 puppies that have had Parvovirus and tragically the latest, a 10 week old little girl, passed away yesterday. Absolutely devastating for the owner. 

However, the first one to have it was a fully vaccinated 5 month old who recovered, maybe the fact he was vaccinated helped in his recovery who knows. Not sure how old the second pup was but that one recovered as well. Not sure where they are all from if it was a cluster or just coincidence that three got it all within a couple of weeks of each other.

So very, very sad!


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Very, very sad.
Parvo is a very horrid diesease. In the early 1980s in Kenya my father had several litters that got the virus - it was awful. It was a pretty new disease back then. The puppies were so ill, the biggest stronhgest puppies seemed to be the ones who were most likely not to survive - which might have been a wierd coincidence. Those that survived turned out to be slightly smaller as adults and sometimes had white flashes in their coat - due to stress, who knows. The treatment then was a stay at the vet hospital, drip for fluids and massive antibiotic doses. There were several bad years for parvo with different immunisation programmes to try and ensure that pups were covered - there is a critical period between them having protection from their mother and protection from their innoculations, breeders felt.
Most important to be fanatical about keeping puppy whelping and raising areas scrupulously clean. Parvo is more likely to strike in breeding kennels where there are lots of dogs. Puppies that have been hand reared are more likely to get it. Older dogs would probably show no, or only mild symptoms.
It is really important that puppies are vaccinated against parvo, it is a killer disease. However I think that it is quite rare now.


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## Kazd (Apr 21, 2013)

Horrid disease but one of the puppies was 5 months old and fully vaccinated. Somebody posted that there had been some investigation in the US as to whether the vacs are given to early and their effects lessened because of the mothers antibodies.


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Kazd said:


> Horrid disease but one of the puppies was 5 months old and fully vaccinated. Somebody posted that there had been some investigation in the US as to whether the vacs are given to early and their effects lessened because of the mothers antibodies.


That is not a new theory - even back in the 80s there were breeders who gave the vaccines at 2 week intervals from 4 weeks of age....
Truth is it is very contagious - the virus can survive for several weeks outside the host body.... so you have a sick puppy with vile diarrhea - the virus in trace of poo can live for 4-6 weeks and be carried on hair, clothes, shoes etc. It is very difficult to get rid of. It most commonly infects pups under 20 weeks in age and higest mortalitly rates would be in pups infected when they were 8 to 10 weeks of age.
There will always be exceptions and it is awful, but on the whole responsible breeding and raising of pups coupled with vaccination as advised by vets has meant that it is thankfully not common.


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## greengrapes (Dec 21, 2011)

Terrible news!

Do you know if there was there a common link between the three puppies? Were they all from the same area, did they all visit the same vet, same breeder???

I hope it's not the start of something more widespread.


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

Virus's constantly evolve and change, so while vaccination has worked in the most part it is always possible that different strains of the virus are now present.


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## Kazd (Apr 21, 2013)

No somebody did ask the question but it wasn't answered as to the general area where they lived. However, the first puppy was 5 months old and the little one that passed away was only 10 weeks old.


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