CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Canine Parvovirus is not a new viral threat, but Dr. Jill Pascarella said the rate of sad outcomes she's seeing from it lately has recently shifted.
"It seems a bit worse," Pascarella, an emergency veterinarian with Charlotte Animal Referral & Emergency (CARE), said, noting it's unclear whether a stronger variant or another reason is behind the apparent trend. "I've been doing this for a long time. It used to be that if you had owners or rescues that could commit to doing the recommended treatment that most of those dogs made it through and went home, and we're just not necessarily seeing that anymore."
The Charlotte area is reporting several cases of parvo, with shelters and rescues alike feeling the impact.
CMPD Animal Care and Control reported eight dogs with parvo within the first two weeks of the month -- all were younger than 1 year old.
Pascarella said CARE has seen three parvo cases in the past week.
"Only one is being discharged," Pascarella said. "The other two actually died ... It does seem like, despite our best efforts, more dogs are dying."
Parvo is an intestinal virus that transmits via fecal material from an infected dog and causes:
- Diarrhea (can be bloody)
- Vomiting
- Lethargy
- Severe dehydration
- Fever
- Sepsis
Dogs most at risk include puppies, which can have budding immune systems, and unvaccinated adult dogs, she said.
That risk profile is why Pascarella said it is important for owners to make sure new dogs get caught up in their vaccinations and resident dogs do too.
"I would wait until your veterinarian says that they have completed the vaccine series before taking them to public places like parks, even walking around your neighborhood, going to pet stores, breweries, things like that," Pascarella said.
Pascarella also recommends pet parents stay attuned to early signs and not wait to get help.
"If you have a dog that was seemingly healthy when you first got them -- eating well, playful," Pascarella said. "Then, within the first week of being home, you're noticing that they're kind of dumpy, not really wanting to play, not really wanting to eat, even if you haven't seen those [gastrointestinal] signs start yet, it's probably a good time to get them checked out before they're super sick."
Contact Vanessa Ruffes at vruffes@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.